Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Poultry and Pets => Chicken Chat => Topic started by: John on January 08, 2018, 20:14

Title: Chatting to the chooks
Post by: John on January 08, 2018, 20:14
Now, purely as a matter of good husbandry you understand,  I like to talk to my ladies flock. It reassures them that all is well and they're safe. Especially at night when I go up after dark to close up the coop and in the morning when I open it up again.
Usually as dusk approaches and the fox risk goes up, I get them locked into the secure run and when it goes dark they head up the stairs to bed.
Now, unknown to me, my neighbour had come and followed me up to the run. "OK girls, I'll be up later to sing you the night night song" I said as I latched the run door. Turned round to my neighbour stifling a giggle and muttering about "Just livestock, eh?"
Oops! :)
Title: Re: Chatting to the chooks
Post by: greenjay on January 08, 2018, 21:50
you are not the only one.
i talk to all my animals, after all they are part of my family!
Title: Re: Chatting to the chooks
Post by: Aunt Sally on January 08, 2018, 23:23
It would be a sad day if the animals in our charge didn't get a few kind words from us.

I talk to the feral pigeons in our garden, we even have a favourite calledy 'Gloria '.  I address our Robin as 'Doris' - long story - the wren as Jenny and any passing wagtail is, of course,  'Bobby'.   
Title: Re: Chatting to the chooks
Post by: jaydig on January 09, 2018, 10:58
I only have four, and I talk to mine, too.  I can tell which ones have laid, and I always make a point of thanking each of them personally for their egg .  Daft, I know, but it must be such hard work to lay an egg, that it deserves some acknowledgement.  They all have characters, and are really no different to other pets, so why not chat to them?
Title: Re: Chatting to the chooks
Post by: New shoot on January 09, 2018, 11:40
OH has a night night song.  He thinks I don't know  :lol:  He also chats to them if he lets them out in the morning, even if there are no signs of anyone falling out of bed.

I say 'It's only me' if I hear a muffled chuck as I lock them up.  Often there is silence, so I reckon they don't even register me.  I do chat if it during the day and they are talkative  :)
Title: Re: Chatting to the chooks
Post by: snowdrops on January 09, 2018, 16:26
I always talked to our chook girls & always have a chat with my daughters current 5 girls. The first Christmas we had the chickens, I went down Christmas morning to let them out, made a cup of tea & took it back to hubby in bed. When I got in he asked”& what did the chickens say when you wished then Merry Christmas? “. He knows me too well.lol
Title: Re: Chatting to the chooks
Post by: sunshineband on January 10, 2018, 19:02
I talk to all the wildlife in the garden, and on the plot, even apologising to the red tailed kites if there are no mice for them that day. They whistle back, honest they do!
Title: Re: Chatting to the chooks
Post by: John on January 11, 2018, 00:57
OK - I admit to chatting to Ben the Rat who lived on the compost heaps on the lotty. I swear he (or she) knew I meant him no harm and would appear when I was down by them.

However.. being caught chatting to the chooks by my neighbour didn't enhance my reputation.  I usually give them a chorus of "Good night, ladies" from Lou Reed's Transformer. When I go up to close the pop-hole they start making a bit of noise when I crunch on the gravel path but if I speak or sing that turns to a contented rosey which goes down when I shut the door and open the nestbox ready for the morning.

If it's been dark for an hour they're fast off though so I just quietly tell them not to worry.

If I'm late opening up I get grumbled at - honestly they sound really disgruntled.
Title: Re: Chatting to the chooks
Post by: Aidy on February 15, 2018, 18:37
Talk to mine all the time, get more sense and less moaning about stuff I was supposed to do (I can say it as u know who anit on here), she once filmed me talking and playing with chuckles in the garden and then posted it on facebook!
Title: Re: Chatting to the chooks
Post by: themagicaltoad1 on May 28, 2018, 14:11
My words to the hens usually consists of "B***er off you daft birds" as they try to trip me up or get in the way of whatever I'm doing. I don't know about curiosity killing the cat, it's come very close to killing the chickens!