Wow that’s cool, so they survived three years with foxes …and you have no dogs to chase the foxes?? I hate the fact that Easter Eggers have to lay eggs every day. I wish they would stay young forever too.
I got a dog after about a year and a half. Dogs make everything much more pleasant
Exactly. That's why I have for Coonhounds because they are two packs of coyotes. I tell you I cannot believe that those chickens walked towards the coyote instead of running the way that's what save their life. And main rooster, and all the chickens just screaming for help for the dogs and me.
That's very odd. What breed did that? Many breeds have probably lost the natural response to predation just as they lost the ability for reproduction (broodiness)
no, that is the communication and experience in the given environment…. when for three weeks my dogs have been chasing the chickens trying to kill them and I trained them to protect instead to kill my chickens figured out that when they stand the ground the dog would pause. Than rooster actually started to attack the dogs. Three weeks three long weeks it took me to make these dogs to start protecting them that first year and a half ago. My chickens have complete trust with the dogs now and when they scream once all my dogs fly through the dog door to help them. The chickens will help the dogs to keep stray dogs away from as well. So no breed but experience and communication between animals.experience and
I forgot to say, when first coyote came the easter egger hen faced him neck stretched up to the maximum screaming, stood her ground. When I came out the coyote was frozen didn't know what to do. The second coyote what came the next day, had three Easter eggers and three Junglefowls screaming and walking towards him, this time dogs flew out through the dog door with speed of lightning. The main rooster never tried to come towards them and instead flew up high on the semi run and called for help. This coyote also couldn't believe what is happening but he knew what ever is not going to happen is not going to happen quietly.
Sounds like they came up with a working strategy then. For the most park my chickens just fly away from predators, though I have witnessed an AGF mother hen turn around to attack a fox, and a Sumatra rooster tackled a hawk out of the air once
Yes, I am not sure what would they do if the dogs and I was not here though, but they don't go out on open when the dogs are gone with me. What did the fox do? Sumatra rooster looks beautiful, I just googled it.
Yes. I've let the borders grow wider and wilder. My flock have been free ranging since 2017; the oldest hens are 7, still sprightly, still laying, still fertile even (one of the matriarch's eggs was set this year and it is already apparent at 12 weeks that she is going to be another bossy boots). She's an Araucana, btw, not a game breed, and Araucana are in the make up of Americaunans and some EEs; your EEs may also have the genetics to do fine for years.
One, until about a year ago, but he did not live out, and I'm not sure he had a lot to do with their survival actually. The chickens have managed their security themselves since then.
Very nice.
Ditto!
Ditto. Broodies teach chicks to scatter apart though, and not all the hens stand their ground; some run and hide instead. This was the most recent example that I spotted through a window (so poor quality photo). Dom near the middle; his subs on the wings, facing different directions; hens in the middle. The no.2 roo must have been elsewhere with more hens, and I've no idea where the broodies were at the moment this group were spooked and on alert, but everyone was there for tea, so the threat passed, and they were fine.
