Chicken whisperer?

[Omani]

I love Ceasar Milan, the dog whisperer. I would like to be able to do the same sort of thing with my chickens. Is there a book or video I can get that would show me what the different sounds and postures mean?
We are new to having chickens. We got 12 of them from TSC. Five turned out to be roosters, and six are hens. There has been alot of scuffles lately.My husband is dead set on getting rid of the big boss rooster. I keep telling him that they're teenagers ( about 16 wks) and trying to figure out their place in the flock.
Being able to explain to my husband what's going on and what it means would help him enjoy the chickens more. (That way I can keep them all..lol).
Any imput would help.

Thanks


BTW: Hubby is already drawing up plans for a bigger coop so we can add to the flock in the spring.

 

[Kezzie]

I hate to be negative, but if you look up the comparative size of a dog's and a chicken's brain, you'll see right away why there are no chicken whisperers...

 

[PurpleChicken]

I know of no book but I will say that communicating with chickens is very possible. No, they aren't dogs but they are intelligent creatures.

Something I always liked to do was get a milk crate, put it in my coop, and sit on it for a while with my chickens. By relaxing myself, making various sounds, and spending time there, I was able to really feel a bond with them.

Ever see the pictures of the ladies in the parks with the pigeons all over them? Birds aren't stupid. Parrot owners know that all too well.

 

[jhm47]

What sex is the 12th bird?

Your young roosters will continue to scuffle till they finally determine their pecking order.

 

[Omani]

I forgot to say in my first post that # 12 is no longer with us. We lost it the second week.
I have several "exotic" birds; lovebirds,cockatiels, finches and the like. I have been able to diserne their languages by watching. They let me know when there's something up. I was hoping that there was a resource I could use to decode chicken behavior. Don't forget that Ceasar is a behavioralist, not a trainer.
If I can show my husband something in black and white(or colour),that basically says "if your chicken holds it's wings away from it's body, then it must be too hot". You know what I mean? Something like that.
I spend alot of time just sitting and watching my chickies, but Hubby doesn't have that luxury.

So...any ideas?

 

[wildorchid053]

we are like you . we got ours from tsc also.. my favorite roo is now the one i dislike the most.. they are 17 weeks now and he was gentle and very good with the hens.. our other roo was smaller and a jerk.. figured he was the one to go.. we named him earl .. like earl has to die by the dixie chicks.. well it has been 3 more weeks and earl has become the protector and ruler of the roost.. i can now pet him and he doesn't bite anymore.. the girls adore him and the poor other rooster has moved down a notch.. he has become the biter and aggresor.. but everytime earl comes to the rescue to save me and the hens.. i don't know if the pecking order will change again since a couple have started laying.. but i will wait till spring to see what happens over the winter. give it some time and wait and see how it goes. by the way they both get along with the 6 hens so far and no one has been pecked to death or hurt during all the clumsy mating. they all have grown up together and all sleep together and no problems. if it stays that way we will keep them all.. gl with yours