Chickens standing still

[Y N dottes]

Once when I went out to see the girls, they at first acted like they always do(crowding around me looking for treats). I was out there for a little while taking care of some stuff when i noticed all my chickens standing as still as statues. I've never seen this before and even when i went over to them they still didnt move, and stayed like that untill i reached down to pick one of them up. They acted normal again but they would occasionally stop and stand still for a minute the rest of the evening. Has anyone ever seen their chickens do that? Is it totaly natural? I thought maybe they saw or heared something....maybe a cat, etc. Im not really worried but i am curious.

 

[thebanthams]

sounds like something scared them !

 

[Y N dottes]

I thought that i might be that...i looked around and i didnt see anything, but they probably have a sharper sense of hearing and sight

 

[Angie8eggs]

Sometimes mine do that if a buzzard or crow flies a little too close, or they will run into the woods or barn, whatever is closer. My son would just crack up at them for doing that!

 

[bucky52]

mine will freeze,and sure enough there is something they are afraid of.back in the summer i had them out free ranging.they were under the grape vines i could see them ,as you said they looked like status.i called them several times and they would not come.my dh walked under a tree and a hawk flew with in a couple of feet where the hens were.they seen that hawk.that was a close call.i have notice they will shout a warning call whenever they feel threaten.

 

[Helga1992]

This just happened to my chickens but only 2 out of the 3 stood still I went to pick one up and they didn't even move!!! So weird I had to record it !! I'm glad I'm not the only one!

 

[jcintennessee]

I see that these are old threads I'm glad you still have then. My chickens looked like statues last night, even when my husband went out they did not want to move. A threat seemed reasonable but we didn't want to assume. Appreciate the information being available on the site.

 

[AnotherMeOhMy]

This is very interesting. There's got to be another explanation. I looked up this thread because my 5 and 1/2 week old chick just did the freeze thing. But it had nothing to do with being frightened. I was introducing new food. A few diff kinds. She/he pecked at each piece,seemed to be tasting them then looked like she/he was about to take another taste and then froze. After each new taste. It was comical. Once his/her neck was outstretched and another time she/he looked like a photo of a chicken walking.
So very odd.

 

[Ralf628]

Once when I went out to see the girls, they at first acted like they always do(crowding around me looking for treats). I was out there for a little while taking care of some stuff when i noticed all my chickens standing as still as statues. I've never seen this before and even when i went over to them they still didnt move, and stayed like that untill i reached down to pick one of them up. They acted normal again but they would occasionally stop and stand still for a minute the rest of the evening. Has anyone ever seen their chickens do that? Is it totaly natural? I thought maybe they saw or heared something....maybe a cat, etc. Im not really worried but i am curious.

Is this happened to me several times now