PixieDust Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 I know Mr Fox being the obvious choice here, but for some reason my girls are frightened of the rake I use to grade the sand in the run. They are silly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 Pigeons and the Blackbirds when they're doing their alarm call. I think Shelley might be scared of her own wings when they flap Also the spare Omlet shade that I kneel on when I'm climbing into the Go run - I think they think it's a massive flappy bird! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beantree Posted March 6, 2015 Share Posted March 6, 2015 Ours are basically scared of anything or anyone different. Visitors are asked not to wear bright clothing, particularly any red. A friend came round wearing bright pink wellies and the whole lot spooked from 20 metres away. They went completely wild and were flying round inside the runs crashing into feeders and each other! Fortunately no serious injuries. Just going into the enclosure carrying something different, like plastic sheet or a fence post, sends the girls under bushes and the cockerels uttering disapproval. Hosepipes, rope or electrical cable are notable others. Could it be a fear of snakes from their jungle ancestry? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted March 6, 2015 Share Posted March 6, 2015 Mine see all people as bringers of food and will happily sit on anyones feet, not only mine. Not the least bit scared of my bike (which is rather useless as they will just run between the wheels when I'm trying to take it out of the garden.). They do fear the rake, but I use that to move them out of bushes/run etc. Seriously, three weeks of childrens petting zoo made them into bombproof chickens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gavclojak Posted March 6, 2015 Share Posted March 6, 2015 Nothing....my psyco new girls don't seem afraid of anything, in fact fauna actively chases my dog rudy to peck him, she will spot him in the garden and chase him, poor rudy is terrified of her, she doesn't like my youngest son who at a strapping 6 foot odd 24 year old is scared of a tiny ex batt!!! She worships me though...I'm the best thing since sliced bread.....of course I am, I'm the bearer of all things good Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted March 6, 2015 Share Posted March 6, 2015 Terror Chicken Fauna! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill2b Posted March 6, 2015 Share Posted March 6, 2015 Our ladies are pretty bullet proof, they don't even flinch when I'm grinding, hammering or using power tools, they come and watch in fact Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PixieDust Posted March 6, 2015 Author Share Posted March 6, 2015 That's the same here Bill. OH used to be a tree surgeon and so cuts our wood with a chainsaw. Not a flinch. Lawnmower? No worries. Dog? Not fussed. Chopping wood with an axe? Whatcha doin'? Can we watch? But a rake? It's as scary as appeasing the Wee-Fee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulad Posted March 6, 2015 Share Posted March 6, 2015 the wind ! mainly the new ex-bats bless em ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted March 6, 2015 Share Posted March 6, 2015 Cats, sparrowhawks - who wear support trusses obviously if they want to go for my girls, and the lawnmower. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickabee Posted March 6, 2015 Share Posted March 6, 2015 Mine are scared of the rake. My polands are scared of everything, even treats. The bravest one has to be my white silkie, fifi. Nothing really bothers her. All through the winter I have had the pop hole to the cube open. She roosts in the doorway every night Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JellyBean2605 Posted March 6, 2015 Share Posted March 6, 2015 Mine surprisingly brave about a lot of things - the cats, magpies, pigeons, the in-laws, all the junk we pile in the garden every time we work on the house etc really doesn't bother them. They are scared of 3 things.... The broom I use in the garden - sends them running for cover Losing sight of each other, you'd think they were being murdered The front garden and world beyond, it's like another universe to them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted March 6, 2015 Share Posted March 6, 2015 New thing discovered today...tape measure. Think it might be the snake thing again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindig Posted March 6, 2015 Share Posted March 6, 2015 Priscilla jumped straight up in the air when two squabbling blackbirds flew overhead, and ran for cover when a pigeon flew by. But they cope fine with a nearly-3-year-old and 5-year old running and screaming around the garden. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill2b Posted March 6, 2015 Share Posted March 6, 2015 Jellybean Losing sight of each other, you'd think they were being murdered Yes that's a good one, ours also tend to raise the roof if one of them is doing something naughty or out of bounds. Sorry got my stupid grin on again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindig Posted March 6, 2015 Share Posted March 6, 2015 Cats, sparrowhawks - who wear support trusses obviously if they want to go for my girls, and the lawnmower. Hadn't thought about the lawnmower - what do you do? (Visions of me mowing the grass in the dark with my head torch on after the hens have gone to bed). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted March 6, 2015 Share Posted March 6, 2015 They just see OH coming and leg it down the end of the garden and hide under the bushes and only venture out when it's all over. Down the bottom doesn't need mowing quite as much as they do the mowing for us. Occasionally he will mow it if it looks like it's romping away. At the moment there are only a few spikes and a lot more mud in between so it's going to need a lot of catching up - and then I think it's going to be a struggle - poor grass! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mimi5 Posted March 7, 2015 Share Posted March 7, 2015 Lawn mower here! It's the same every year They just about get used to it, then forget it over the winter and live in terror of it for a couple months in spring all over again Might be having that joy this weekend Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alis girls Posted March 7, 2015 Share Posted March 7, 2015 Our 2 are a brave pair - OH's axcel grinder makes a colossal noise, they watch with interest - humans mean food and food is good - yeah - cos it is. I have the Arnold Schannagers of the chicken world. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted March 7, 2015 Share Posted March 7, 2015 I got the cat carrier out and took it towards them, so I could take Lucie to the vets, and all of them went absolutely bonkers. I don't know what on earth they thought it was Then today, for the first time since the new pekins arrived, we got the rabbit run out and they were frightened by that BUT when the rabbit came out there was complete panic. Such silly chickens Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted March 8, 2015 Share Posted March 8, 2015 OH is washing the greenhouse windows. The girls are not happy as they go running all over the place as the pole with drippy bits is swung up to to the roof and then they settle and then off they go again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mimi5 Posted March 8, 2015 Share Posted March 8, 2015 Well, I bit the bullet and got the mower out!!! They took one look and marched themselves into the cube run So I locked them in and completed the mowing.......not too much noise. Put the mower away & went inside for a cuppa A few mins later number one son says " mum the chickens are making a lot of noise ...what's up with them?" I go hurrying outside...and they wanted out of the run!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PixieDust Posted March 8, 2015 Author Share Posted March 8, 2015 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merlina Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 Mine dislike magpies, if one hangs around too long they gang together in a huddle and shout at it. Magpies appear unbothered by this and the girls will eventually go an huddle together under a bush until it's gone. They don't like one of the cats that wanders through the gardens, but are unbothered by mine (he's terrified of the hens - won't go out unless I get them well away from the back door). The only thing they universally really don't like - wheely bins when they're being moved for collection day Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 Today for the first time the pekin was yelling because the red kite was circling over the houses. It's not been an issue before. When it first appeared in this area a couple of years ago they looked but ignored it. I wonder if she'll whinge when the buzzards are around - they've been here longer than the chickens. Either way they don't seem to be interested in chickens. I figure if they fancy some feathered things then they'd go for pigeons - they can have their fill and still have loads left over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
