Chicken oddities: what’s something you wish your chicken/chickens didn’t do?

[Beckys Birds]

Unfortunately for Tiny only a couple of the girls have accepted his attention since the flock change up earlier this year. My lead hen won't tolerate him trying to breed her and will peck him if he tries. She actually charged and body checked him off another hen who was complaining about the mating before she chased him pecking at him for a minute. He is also 2 so this will probably be his last summer, just need all the chicks to mature before I shuffle the flock around again since I know I have several cockerals both bantam cochin and some barred rock mixes I hatched out before my large roosters got the boot.

Waffles actually mounts, he's just too far up the hens back. He doesn't make it past her tail. My big roo was gotten by a bob cat the end of November. It cleared the 5ft electric fence in the middle of the day with full sun. So the girls were excited when I had to move Waffles in to the big run in March. His run was swept away in a baby tornado, therefore it wasn't safe for him, my two LF cochins, and LF light brahma in the front yard anymore. All four were moved to the back without any introduction time, which I know is a no no, but this was an emergency situation and my hens are all pretty low key. I also have a camera in the coop and anotherin the run, so they were watched constantly. The three ladies didn't receive the same reception as Waffles. He was welcomed with dances and hunches in the pooring rain.

 

[ValkerieGunn]

Waffles actually mounts, he's just too far up the hens back. He doesn't make it past her tail. My big roo was gotten by a bob cat the end of November. It cleared the 5ft electric fence in the middle of the day with full sun. So the girls were excited when I had to move Waffles in to the big run in March. His run was swept away in a baby tornado, therefore it wasn't safe for him, my two LF cochins, and LF light brahma in the front yard anymore. All four were moved to the back without any introduction time, which I know is a no no, but this was an emergency situation and my hens are all pretty low key. I also have a camera in the coop and anotherin the run, so they were watched constantly. The three ladies didn't receive the same reception as Waffles. He was welcomed with dances and hunches in the pooring rain.

I didn't even know Tiny was mating because he had to sneak past 3 barred rock roosters. I found out when one of the chicks I hatched had feathered legs. Now that the big boys are gone he isn't shy anymore but one of those barred chicks may be my next big Rooster and I got replacement bantams for him.

 

[Beckys Birds]

I didn't even know Tiny was mating because he had to sneak past 3 barred rock roosters. I found out when one of the chicks I hatched had feathered legs. Now that the big boys are gone he isn't shy anymore but one of those barred chicks may be my next big Rooster and I got replacement bantams for him.

I have two Sapphire Gem cockrells about 2 weeks from moving outside, and once they are grown Waffles will hopefully have a new run to move into. He will probably be sad, but I can't have him beat up because he's a quarter their size.

 

[WunnySharbit]

Fun thread. I have this one hen that likes to stand around the run and yell for no reason. She is SO loud I can hear her 100 feet away from inside my house with the doors and windows closed. It's not the egg song, it's not the alarm call, it's not anything I can identify and it's not anything that any of my other chickens do. So why TF does she do that?!? It drives me nuts! Actually it's not the sound itself that drives me nuts - it's the fact that my city neighbors hate me already because of the chickens, so each yell is a stab of worry that they're gonna come after me AGAIN...

She is calling you. Baaawk baaawk bawk bawk baaawk is your name, literally. See how she listens for your footsteps? She knows you will obediently join the flock if she calls you long enough. This is very similar to my chicken name: bawk bawk baaaaaawk bawwwk baaaaaaaàaaeeeewk. She calls when the yummy bits of her food are gone and she wants her afternoon scraps/scratch. She calls when the neighbor down the street's chickens are calling her names. She also comes onto the porch, pecks on the door, calls, pecks, calls when there is a cat in the yard. (Could this be a problem and she's calling you, the Giant Bringer of Food, to scare it off?). If I don't respond in a timely fashion, she shows her displeasure by leaving the Biggest, stinkiest chicken 'yam' (bunny berries, chicken yams, meh,kids) right in the exact place I step out of the door.
(BTW-- that's my chix pet peeve. I get the biggest presents on my porch, in front of the door, where I step, barefoot, to check on them several times a day)

 

[K0k0shka]

She is calling you. Baaawk baaawk bawk bawk baaawk is your name, literally. See how she listens for your footsteps? She knows you will obediently join the flock if she calls you long enough. This is very similar to my chicken name: bawk bawk baaaaaawk bawwwk baaaaaaaàaaeeeewk. She calls when the yummy bits of her food are gone and she wants her afternoon scraps/scratch. She calls when the neighbor down the street's chickens are calling her names. She also comes onto the porch, pecks on the door, calls, pecks, calls when there is a cat in the yard. (Could this be a problem and she's calling you, the Giant Bringer of Food, to scare it off?). If I don't respond in a timely fashion, she shows her displeasure by leaving the Biggest, stinkiest chicken 'yam' (bunny berries, chicken yams, meh,kids) right in the exact place I step out of the door.
(BTW-- that's my chix pet peeve. I get the biggest presents on my porch, in front of the door, where I step, barefoot, to check on them several times a day)

I have tried so hard to ignore her when she does this - I don't go to her, I don't offer treats to shut her up, I don't make eye contact if I'm already nearby - all to avoid reinforcing and encouraging the behavior. She's a big girl and prone to obesity, as are most of her flockmates, so I don't give them treats anyway (maybe the occasional browse or watermelon, at most). So I don't think it's about treats. I've noticed that she only does this in the warm, active/laying season. She's nice and quiet all winter. She lives in the same coop and run year-round, the run is protected, and she's outside in all weather (except the occasional snowstorm, which is rare these days). At first I thought maybe she was complaining that somebody was in her favorite nesting box, but she's outside when she does this, and can't see the nesting boxes. I am so perplexed!!!

 

[Dqueakys Chickys]

my girls are very fussy when it comes to seed, but the dog isnt.

dogs dont break down seed so it comes out in there poop. the chickens come along and decide that now that the dog has eaten it and crapped it out, they are now going to eat it.

out of his poo

 

[Mother of Chaos]

my girls are very fussy when it comes to seed, but the dog isnt.

dogs dont break down seed so it comes out in there poop. the chickens come along and decide that now that the dog has eaten it and crapped it out, they are now going to eat it.

out of his poo

It has that certain je ne sais quoi!

 

[redinator]

My 16 week old cockerels must be on a different time zone. They start crowing at EXACTLY 4:55AM like clock work. "The sun isn't even peeking over the horizon you dimwitted doo doo". I'm hoping they figure it out soon, cause that's just plain ridiculous.

After a week of this I made a point of asking 3 different neighbors if the crowing was bothering them and they haven't noticed, thank God!

I'm thinking one of my neighbors might have a light on a timer and that's why this is happening, so I'm leaving my outdoor light on to see if it makes a difference . . . if not I have a plan for a 'rooster box'. Fingers crossed

 

[JenniMcChick]

Fun thread. I have this one hen that likes to stand around the run and yell for no reason. She is SO loud I can hear her 100 feet away from inside my house with the doors and windows closed. It's not the egg song, it's not the alarm call, it's not anything I can identify and it's not anything that any of my other chickens do. So why TF does she do that?!? It drives me nuts! Actually it's not the sound itself that drives me nuts - it's the fact that my city neighbors hate me already because of the chickens, so each yell is a stab of worry that they're gonna come after me AGAIN...

I have a Production Blue that does this...at ME! When I'm not doing anything fast enough for her (which is NEVER btw!): walking to the coop, opening the door or the bag of mealworms, refilling their feeder, you name it! Can't even walk out the back door to water plants on the porch or deck without her going off. Drives me absolutely CRAZY!!! Which my husband thinks is hilarious! Didn't even try to hide his pleasure when our adult kids were over the other day and he told them: lady who can't stand for people to try & tell her what to do & she's being bossed around by a chicken!
I'd named her "Dot" when she was a chick as that's how we told her & the other PB apart, but he's since changed her name to "Ouiser" & I have to admit it fits her much better!
Her sister was such a sweetheart, but this one...! Guess Penny got more of the Australorp & along with some red leakage in her neck, Ouiser got the LOUD nature of the Rhode Island Red.
She's my best layer, but when she wouldn't cut it out today (& she never does!), I told her she'd be the first one I'd offer to a friend if they asked!

 

[kattabelly]

Food FOMO. There's an entire plate of scrambled eggs right there guys, you could just eat from that instead of running through it while you chase after the piece of egg in the biggest, fastest chick's beak.