I wrote this two days ago and thought I deleted it. Things changed. Questions in reply post, and probably enough info, I left this for more details if it helps.
no questions, really, just observation
My flock started out as 11 chicks: 8 australorps and 3 brown leghorns. I decreased numbers in three stages. The cockerel and another chick at five weeks, one chick a week later, and three pullets this week (at 11 weeks old).
I saw a significant difference in flock dynamics with the cockerel gone... all changes I expected without him dashing about challenging everyone much of the time. I didn't see much difference with the chick leaving a week later.
As old as they are now and more of them at a time and from a smaller flock - I thought they might be a bit traumatized at the loss or leery of me who took them away. They don't seem to be. I can't see any difference at all in how readily they come to me, how readily they stand on my knee to groom when I sit with them, how readily and how long they chillax next to me. Nothing. Except -
Except Spice. Spice is one of the brown leghorns. She has always been the busiest chick, by far, always digging around in the leave bags for insect tidbits to suss out, and checking if any flying insects made it in the coop. About half the time by herself as the others hung out near me. The other half, she would spend most of it resting or grooming - over half of that still over by herself but sometimes the others wandered near her and sometimes she would come near me. She didn't seem to be at all leery of me. She would readily hop up on my knee to look around or groom a bit or roost at little.
For two days now, she has been indistinguishable from the others. It is like she has fully joined the flock.
I don't think she was picked on. Best I could tell, she was (still is) the top of the pecking order. I don't think I have ever seen her give way to anyone else.
no questions, really, just observation
My flock started out as 11 chicks: 8 australorps and 3 brown leghorns. I decreased numbers in three stages. The cockerel and another chick at five weeks, one chick a week later, and three pullets this week (at 11 weeks old).
I saw a significant difference in flock dynamics with the cockerel gone... all changes I expected without him dashing about challenging everyone much of the time. I didn't see much difference with the chick leaving a week later.
As old as they are now and more of them at a time and from a smaller flock - I thought they might be a bit traumatized at the loss or leery of me who took them away. They don't seem to be. I can't see any difference at all in how readily they come to me, how readily they stand on my knee to groom when I sit with them, how readily and how long they chillax next to me. Nothing. Except -
Except Spice. Spice is one of the brown leghorns. She has always been the busiest chick, by far, always digging around in the leave bags for insect tidbits to suss out, and checking if any flying insects made it in the coop. About half the time by herself as the others hung out near me. The other half, she would spend most of it resting or grooming - over half of that still over by herself but sometimes the others wandered near her and sometimes she would come near me. She didn't seem to be at all leery of me. She would readily hop up on my knee to look around or groom a bit or roost at little.
For two days now, she has been indistinguishable from the others. It is like she has fully joined the flock.
I don't think she was picked on. Best I could tell, she was (still is) the top of the pecking order. I don't think I have ever seen her give way to anyone else.
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