Hi!
I like to hang out in the chicken coop when I have a little time to spare, and watch the girls interact with each other. I also like perusing this site when I have a chunk of time in which to do so, and I have learned many interesting, useful things. Perhaps I have also read some things which aren't strictly "true".
For example, I have read on here somewhere that chickens don't groom each other, but so help me, it looks like some do. Yesterday during their afternoon siesta, everyone was hunkered down on their favourite perch, grooming or napping. One girl, done with her own preening, started gently billing the out-of-place feathers on her neighbour's neck. The preen-ee didn't seem to mind at all. Is it an overstatement to say that chickens don't groom each other, or have I got faulty birds?
More seriously, perhaps, two of the girls--I think they're both girls, they're all supposed to be--are having rivalry issues. Sometimes they rush at each other, stick out their chests, and try to stand taller than each other. Yesterday, I heard squawking from the coop on a couple of occasions, and today when feeding treats, I noticed that one gal had a dot of dried blood at the base of her comb/start of her beak, and another had a little blood at the corner of her mouth. I have read all over here that other birds will peck at wounds and anything red, including painted toenails, but contrary to all predictions, everyone is leaving these two and their bloodspots entirely alone. Which is fine with me. It says everywhere to ignore pecking order issues as long as no blood is drawn. Blood has been drawn, though in tiny amounts. Am I being too nonchalant in not worrying, just because the chickens aren't?
Your advice appreciated, please. Thanks.
I like to hang out in the chicken coop when I have a little time to spare, and watch the girls interact with each other. I also like perusing this site when I have a chunk of time in which to do so, and I have learned many interesting, useful things. Perhaps I have also read some things which aren't strictly "true".
For example, I have read on here somewhere that chickens don't groom each other, but so help me, it looks like some do. Yesterday during their afternoon siesta, everyone was hunkered down on their favourite perch, grooming or napping. One girl, done with her own preening, started gently billing the out-of-place feathers on her neighbour's neck. The preen-ee didn't seem to mind at all. Is it an overstatement to say that chickens don't groom each other, or have I got faulty birds?
More seriously, perhaps, two of the girls--I think they're both girls, they're all supposed to be--are having rivalry issues. Sometimes they rush at each other, stick out their chests, and try to stand taller than each other. Yesterday, I heard squawking from the coop on a couple of occasions, and today when feeding treats, I noticed that one gal had a dot of dried blood at the base of her comb/start of her beak, and another had a little blood at the corner of her mouth. I have read all over here that other birds will peck at wounds and anything red, including painted toenails, but contrary to all predictions, everyone is leaving these two and their bloodspots entirely alone. Which is fine with me. It says everywhere to ignore pecking order issues as long as no blood is drawn. Blood has been drawn, though in tiny amounts. Am I being too nonchalant in not worrying, just because the chickens aren't?
Your advice appreciated, please. Thanks.
