Chickens in nature

[Shadrach]

Hello No Coop No Problem.
I wondered if it would be okay if I contribute to your thread from time to time.
I've cared for chickens in a similar manner years ago.

 

[No Coop No Problem]

Hello No Coop No Problem.
I wondered if it would be okay if I contribute to your thread from time to time.
I've cared for chickens in a similar manner years ago.

Of course. I would be glad to have you contribute

 

[No Coop No Problem]

The bad news: isamom violently rejected another baby on her first full day of mothering. For reasons unknown she started to chase down her lighest colored striped chick and tried killing it. Whenever she sees it now she goes into attack mode

My human family is now personally raising the chick and it seems to be human imprinted. It's either an EE/RIR mix or 3/4ths RIR and 1/4th Asil

The good news: another mom just hatched 7/8 eggs successfully. She's some kind of Cubalaya, American Game and RIR mix. Very good mom with a long history of motherhood. The babies look like mostly pure reds

 

[Chicken_Obsesser]

Awww so sweet! Stinks about the rejected one, though.

 

[No Coop No Problem]

The good Game/RIR mix mom abandoned her six babies yesterday. At exactly one month of age. They're doing good on their own so far, but this feels surprisingly early. Pretty sure I've had a pure RIR raise young for longer than this

 

[Perris]

that is early; I hope they continue to cope. Can/will you keep a close eye on them to help if necessary, or do you prefer to leave nature to itself? My broodies usually stick with their littles for 3 months or so.

 

[No Coop No Problem]

that is early; I hope they continue to cope. Can/will you keep a close eye on them to help if necessary, or do you prefer to leave nature to itself? My broodies usually stick with their littles for 3 months or so.

They sleep on my front doorstep at night next to my LGD, and they mostly hang out in a protected garden during the day. I think they'll be fine. My wife and I will teach them to tree roost next month sometime if they don't pick it up naturally

This is very early and unexpected though, perhaps because it's a first time broody

 

[Skyeknight]

I love these type of threads and see chickens natural behaviour shine through and how well different traits do in different environments!

Do you see your chickens ever interact with any crayfish? Here in the Netherlands a few American crayfish species are invasive and I wonder if I can make my chickens eat them or something when they find any.

Do your chickens ever interact with any wild species in your area? if so how does that go?

 

[SandyRiverChick]

Cool thread, thanks for sharing, amazing pics. I'd love to follow this.

 

[No Coop No Problem]

Do you see your chickens ever interact with any crayfish?

They may have at some point but crayfish sightings are rare here and I haven't personally witnessed them interacting

Do your chickens ever interact with any wild species in your area? if so how does that go?

There's no real social interaction between chickens and other species, only ecological interaction- eat, fight/flight, or ignore

If they can eat it they will. If it eats them they'll run away or occasionally fight

Everything else gets ignored, or chased off if there's food competition