billathome65 Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 Do chucks have an aversion to Onions? I was in the garden this morning doing some maintenance work on the veg area and pulled up a number of onions that where scrawny. Not wishing to waste them I tied them of greens and all and hung them up for the chucks to pick at. All was good for about 5 minutes and I was just going in the house when this almighty racket started in the chucks run I went to find out what all the commotion was and saw Harriet diving for cover and as I walked round to get a better view of what was happening Maisey was going berserk in the run throwing herself of every side she could hit?? so bad that she cut her quill just above the beak area. I obviously started talking to her which settled her down a little but she was audibly upset so I did the obvious I checked the run and the hen house and opened up the nest box to make sure nothing nasty had got in there but nothing. To show how upset she was as I opened up the nest box she came through and up into my arms now Maisey is not that confident and would never do that under normal circumstances. When I put her back in the run as I was going to work she became quite agitated again the only change to the day was putting the onions in the run so I have removed them. Checking on her when I came back home from work she was out with Harriet and quite happily pecking at sand in the dust box. So do you think Harriet could have upset her then dived for cover or could it have been the onions or is she just crazy?? Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 I think something else frightened her like a cat/fox/crow Certainly chooks arent meant to eat onions and wouldnt like the taste if they pecked them but I doubt that would have caused the commotion Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 Ours go crazy at crows and magpies. If theyre sitting in a nearby tree they just stand there and their neck high, but when they swoop low or sit on the garage roof they go a bit crazy and run into things, same with the lawnmower Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billathome65 Posted May 19, 2011 Author Share Posted May 19, 2011 I was out with them at the time there where no cats, no crows and defiantly no foxes as they are urban chucks in the back garden and 6ft fence I'd have seen a fox Am at a loss to see why she totally freaked. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chucky Mama Posted May 20, 2011 Share Posted May 20, 2011 A large raptor overhead can really upset chickens. Maybe they spotted a buzzard - the same can happen with gliders or slow quiet aircraft. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duncan08 Posted May 20, 2011 Share Posted May 20, 2011 Try putting the onions back in and see what happens? Love the thought of her running into your arms, I have a picture of her in my head with her wings outstretched running towards you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billathome65 Posted May 21, 2011 Author Share Posted May 21, 2011 OK my suspicions have been confirmed. I thinned out some more onions today this time I cut the bulbs away and hung up the greens. Maisey decided she was not moving from her spot and started getting agitated again knocking into the wire of the run and becoming loader. Once I moved the greens out of the run she settled down and went into the hen house so it seems one of my chucks hates the smell of Onions Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duncan08 Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 Who would have thought it They do seem to have a pretty good sense of smell, I am going to have to try mine now and see what happens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
