Chicken folklore, also known as old wive's tales

[Squeaky]

I've never actually tried this since Granny didn't like it when we hassled her chickens, so I don't know if it's true. But after I get my own birds on Sunday (!!!

!!!) I'm going to try it. My rationale is that as long as I'm feeding the birds, I get to run an experiment or three.

Supposedly if you cover a chicken's head or shove its head under its wing it instantly falls asleep.

I'd believe the bird relaxes, but I don't know about sleep. Smaller birds, when terrified, stick their heads (and hopefully their bodies) into small holes so as to get away from whatever they think is trying to eat them. Then they relax completely to wait out the siege. All this makes for a good way to carry a canary, but has anyone ever tried this on a struggling chicken?

Squeaky

whose pullets, 3 RIR and 1 EE, will hopefully be coming home Sunday

 

[spatcher]

How bout this one. If you hold a chicken with its head pointing east, its rearend will always point to the west! Dont know if its true or not.

 

[coffeelady3]

..snicker

 

[MissPrissy]

Quote:
You do not shove the birds head under its wing.

This is often done with geese (long necks) to keep them calm. Putting them in the dark by way of tucking their head under their wing.

Try it with new chicks and you will most likely injure them as they only have fuzzy down and do not have feathers on their wings.

Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should.

 

[hatchaholic]

We always heard that fresh eggs have no cholestorol. Even though not true, it makes my husband feel better as he takes his cholesterol medicine!! Ha!

 

[holliewould]

Quote:
Yes I've wrapped a pelicans head in a t-shirt once. It was like a vallium to the bird. I mean he still struggled because he was being handled, but it made everything much easier.

 

[joebryant]

Quote:
That's a fact! I know because almost all of my grandmother's eggs were white, and she only had a couple of roosters. Only they could have been the source of the brown eggs. And that's a fact.

 

[dacjohns]

Quote:
I hope the vet is better than the tech. Time for the vet to get a new tech or the tech needs to go or go back to school.

 

[Henrietta23]

Quote:
I hope the vet is better than the tech. Time for the vet to get a new tech or the tech needs to go or go back to school.

The vet is great! And the tech is good with dogs and cats. If I ever need a vet to treat my birds I'll be the tech! I used to work with the vet before he bought his own clinic and I have great faith in him. The practice is not one known for treating farm animals anyway. TG!

 

[SpottedCrow]

That only roosters have combs and wattles.

I honestly can say that I hate the crowing hen thing...it really and truly bugs me...LOL
"A crowing hen and a whistling women will come to no good end". I also whistle...

My SIL told me that my girls' eggs will gain more cholesterol the longer they sit...

Blue/Green eggs have less cholesterol.

Most birds will calm down if you cover them...or wrap them in a burrito...LOL
I've done this at work...it's easy to catch the little buggers if you toss something over their heads