Ali James' Garden Chickens

[BY Bob]

My Tuxedo boy, Kirby.
His brother is more tabby & white.​

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The rooster has just one job really: to pass his genetics on to the next generation. He does whatever it takes to make that happen. I don't have a rooster. Unhappy past experiences mean I will probably never indulge again however beautiful & alluring they may be, but I am fascinated by flock dynamics. So complicated & a rooster certainly changes things!

Kirby is quite handsome.

 

[Ribh]

Thank you. I'm very interested in the subject.
There are some good papers now on chicken behavior and intelligence.
This is one of the more accessible ones.
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/8/1/13/htm

A worrying point for humans.
Socially cooperative and species tolerant creatures would seem to have a higher intelligence level than the outright predator. They have to deal with more complexity.

@Kris5902 : You might find some of this interesting ~ especially re the debeaking conversation we had some time back. Quote: *Fowl possess a good tactile sense, particularly in their beak, which they use to manipulate items (see references in [7]). Beak trimming, used to avoid feather pecking, is common practice in the poultry industry [37]. However, as the beak contains numerous nerve endings, this is likely both painful and stressful [37]. This has led some countries to implement bans on beak trimming. This is an example of how awareness of the sensory system of chickens is used with the aim to improve their welfare.*

 

[Kris5902]

@Kris5902 : You might find some of this interesting ~ especially re the debeaking conversation we had some time back. Quote: *Fowl possess a good tactile sense, particularly in their beak, which they use to manipulate items (see references in [7]). Beak trimming, used to avoid feather pecking, is common practice in the poultry industry [37]. However, as the beak contains numerous nerve endings, this is likely both painful and stressful [37]. This has led some countries to implement bans on beak trimming. This is an example of how awareness of the sensory system of chickens is used with the aim to improve their welfare.*

100% against debeaking and beak trimming unless completely necessary! For just this reason... it’s not like our nails and hair! I have only very carefully trimmed and filed the edges trying to correct the deformation caused by being debeaked which has left some of my rescues with difficulty eating. I couldn’t imagine removing a perfectly normal natural beak, just to reduce pecking. So inhumane!

 

[Ribh]

@Kris5902 : You might find some of this interesting ~ especially re the debeaking conversation we had some time back. Quote: *Fowl possess a good tactile sense, particularly in their beak, which they use to manipulate items (see references in [7]). Beak trimming, used to avoid feather pecking, is common practice in the poultry industry [37]. However, as the beak contains numerous nerve endings, this is likely both painful and stressful [37]. This has led some countries to implement bans on beak trimming. This is an example of how awareness of the sensory system of chickens is used with the aim to improve their welfare.*

I agree with you 100%. Just wasn't sure if you knew the beak contained numerous nerve endings. I didn't.

 

[Kris5902]

I agree with you 100%. Just wasn't sure if you knew the beak contained numerous nerve endings. I didn't.

It’s amazing to think of isn’t it? Like having lips with the texture of fingernails, or fingernails with the sensitivity of lips, is how I think of it. So I’m going very slowly with filing down for the rescues... and paying very close attention to their reactions. Once a month at most seems to be about it for trimming or filing the lower mandible back ever so slightly. We will get to a more normal beak function one day, I’m sure. When you are familiar with the individual chicken I think it’s easier to see any discomfort/pain you may be causing. They are troopers and will try to hide it, but you can tell there’s a distinct point where it goes from “ewwww stop messing with me” nails on chalkboard resistance level to “ouch I felt that!” Which I try to avoid as much as possible.

I love all the info and flock stories shared by @Shadrach. I’m thinking there needs to be a “chicken whisperer” badge or some such for high levels of insight into the chicken brain, and social structure. I am awestruck by the level of connection and understanding for the birds!

 

[Willowspirit]

I do the intact hay bale. Tons of fun for them.

Mine love hay flakes.

 

[LozzyR]

100% against debeaking and beak trimming unless completely necessary! For just this reason... it’s not like our nails and hair! I have only very carefully trimmed and filed the edges trying to correct the deformation caused by being debeaked which has left some of my rescues with difficulty eating. I couldn’t imagine removing a perfectly normal natural beak, just to reduce pecking. So inhumane!

My ex-battery Isa Brown Chickie has quite a bit of her beak missing. If you look at her head-on you can see a little triangle gap when her beak is closed. She has a bit more trouble picking food up and for a while was a bit smaller than the two other Isas. She and Lucy are about the same size now since I started giving them regular breakfast, which consists of sardines, porridge or oats and yoghurt. Despite this, she is very cruisey, very friendly and chatty.

 

[BY Bob]

100% against debeaking and beak trimming unless completely necessary! For just this reason... it’s not like our nails and hair! I have only very carefully trimmed and filed the edges trying to correct the deformation caused by being debeaked which has left some of my rescues with difficulty eating. I couldn’t imagine removing a perfectly normal natural beak, just to reduce pecking. So inhumane!

It's no different than declawing a cat. Barbaric.

 

[Shadrach]

@Kris5902 : You might find some of this interesting ~ especially re the debeaking conversation we had some time back. Quote: *Fowl possess a good tactile sense, particularly in their beak, which they use to manipulate items (see references in [7]). Beak trimming, used to avoid feather pecking, is common practice in the poultry industry [37]. However, as the beak contains numerous nerve endings, this is likely both painful and stressful [37]. This has led some countries to implement bans on beak trimming. This is an example of how awareness of the sensory system of chickens is used with the aim to improve their welfare.*

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1166494/

 

[BY Bob]

I wrote up a long post on my thread regarding the egg song and my experiences with my flock. If you are interested you can read it here.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...s-of-our-flock.1286630/page-113#post-21735585