Are there "watch chickens" in your flock?

[EggsForIHOP]

I have noticed, even at night, there always seem to be at least one chicken on watch - different ones, not always the same one - like they rotate. Like now for example - it's hot, so everyone is napping in the shade, but ONE is watching. Last night, it was dark, all asleep, except for one - WATCHING ME when I went out to check (and no, I didn't turn any lights on, just poked my head out the door very quietly).


Are they like my horses? Where one is one guard? Or am I really looking too far into this? Just curious....

 

[Mahonri]

I've never noticed that. guess I'll have to take a better look.

 

[Knight Hawk Ranch]

Yes. They will have one on guard. Usually, a roo, but if none are present, then the hens will.

 

[Henrietta23]

My roo keeps watch. If one of the hens takes her sweet time going in to roost he pops out and gives her a stern talking to. He also gets very vocal if one the neighborhood cats is on the other side of the fence.

 

[lex381]

Lol my chickes will start chasing the cat if she goes anywhere near them. They also peck at the dog if she gets to close.

 

[Dora'smom]

Heck, yes!!! My husband and I both find it very amusing that the flock that is in the coop and run, and the new group in the tractor (my husband refers to them as "the little flockers"

) each have
a bird that is doing guard duty. In our instance, both birds seem to be focused on our back door---where the "yummies" come from. Even if we go into stealth mode and very carefully approach the door, there is someone in each structure who seems to see us right away, and starts bobbing their heads, and (I'm assuming) vocalizing, because all it takes is a couple of seconds and we have multiple birds joining the guard chickies. They don't seem to miss a thing.

 

[RedfogsFlock]

Even though we have 2 roo's our tom's are the watchers. If someone is straggling going in at night they wil gobble at them till they get in the coop!

 

[EggsForIHOP]

Quote:
This makes much sense...often I see one of the 2 bantams that so clearly look like roos watching...and there are 2 suspect EE's that also watch more often than not as well.....I say 'suspect' because I suspect them to be roos as well...hmmmmm....almost confirms said suspicions, though they are still young and I am still waiting on eggs!


I'm glad to find that I have not been imagining this though - I think I watch them more than I ever watch the horses these days, and I used to just sit and watch the horses for HOURS...crazy how time consuming these chickens can become!

Oh - 'little flockers'...

That's hilarious! It just clicked!

 

[silkiechicken]

My roo is the one who is always on gaurd. I wonder when he eats sometimes. He always has his head up, even when there is a whole cup of yummy cracked corn on the floor for the girls to pick up.

 

[Tala]

For the longest time I didn't know if my roo ever slept. One day I did catch him fully asleep though, but it's unusual. I never noticed anyone else being on guard duty, because Mr Red is always watching out.