constructing a single chicken family unit for porch

[centrarchid]

BATTLE ROYAL FOR RANK CHANGE

Early this morning the cockerols (n=5) of the elder brood produced by red jungle hen had their battles for rank positions. These were not the short-duration chest bumpings of play, rather they were drawn fights where one combatant would chase other for quite some time before chased would turn around and fighting would resume. The red jungle x American games also tried to pick fights with the two pure American games but the latter seemed uninterested. There time will come in days ahead and they will likely be decidely larger than their half-sibling brothers. Fights were only amoung the front porch flock brood even though they a chance to pick fights with members of one of the production flocks to the west. Rank within natal flock must be extremely important to males. By end of day all should appear as if nothing happened. When Sallies two boys go at it, they will get more beat up and may have trouble making roost the night following.

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
Is this the time when a portion of the flock is exiled to bachelor-dom. Or does that occur within game fowl hierarchy.

 

[centrarchid]

They do not get kicked until nearly full sized which is another 3 months out. I think the hierarchy is inherent to red jungle fowl and retained in games. The behavior may have been bred out of the production breeds where territoriality may also have been bred out.

Later I will show photographs of how they look know and what the look like when given the boot by pop.

 

[centrarchid]

I took time to watch front porch flock fly down from roost this morning. Starting point is 7 feet above ground yet they manage to stretch flight into 30 to 40 feet just like Eduardo and Sallie did last Summer-Fall. They fly much farther than needed just to reach ground. Maybe flight serves some warmup function? When not concerned immediately about food, first concern is water followed by preening. If I did not supplement their foraging with feed, then they would drink only one time per day and that would be early morning. Since supplemental feed in use, they will whenever possible go to water after each trip to feeding station. No signs of battle royal amoung male chicks.


A pullet from flock to east came to front porch flock's water station. She maybe considering integrating herself into the front porch flock. I will be watching closely for that.

I did not see red jungle hen come off nest yesterday. Hopefully all is well.

Red fox now working nieghbors flock as I type. It is harassing geese but does not seem to have guts needed to commit to attack. After only a minute or two fox moves on. Neighbor has the Shamoo x Jersey Giant crosses that are vulnerable but fox seems too single minded to pursue those.


NEW THREAT ON HORIZON

A dark phase red-tailed hawk (juvenile I think) has for last three mornings been lurking at edge of woods about 120 yards south of front porch flock's range. He appears to be looking in direction of my poultry but has not made a stoop yet. American crows and red-shouldered hawk all mobbing red-tail when it comes through. Front porch flock should be in good defensive shape (good vegetative cover with excellent visibility and Eduardo) but the mutiple cohorts of dominiques and dominique crosses to west are highly vulnerable unless young adult stags invest more than warnings in defense of their flock.

 

[centrarchid]

Starting to get spontaneous fligths from front porch flock juveniles. Somehow all launch together and fly about 40 feet horizontally. Coordination may be by version of whrrr-cackle. I am beginning to think red jungle fowl naturally make longer distance flight across open ground. They may push / pull the games into doing same which think the latter are capable of.

Eduardo lost his ass today. I found part of it and will preserve for posteriety (future measurements of feathers). New one is already growing in.

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:

this statement has me falling off my chair.

 

[welasharon]

Me too! Although it scared me at first! Was this from a fight or his moult? The feral rooster that took up here had a nice beautiful full tail yesterday but this morning he has one lonely arching feather left...no clue what happened.

 

[centrarchid]

Eduardo loosing tail feathers to moult. His wing feathers are roughly 50% replaced. Contour feathers will be turned over soon. The dark hackle feathers are the new eclipse moult feathers that will be dropped and replaced in 60 days or so. Those are kept for 4 hottest months of year. Only a small percentage of my males show this set of feathers. As expressed, the feathers are not proper eclipse feathers since they are too long and black is only on most distal 1/4 of each feathers length. You can see new cock tail feather set coming in. They will be much prettier than his previous stag tail feather set. Sicle feathers and possibly flight feathers will be longer as well.
Photograph of Eduardo when in "top feather condition" of his first adult feather set.

Photograph of Eduardo rougly two weeks ago.

Present condition.

Developemental stage when cockerols typically have their first battle royal. Second juvenile flight feathers coming in.

Tootz the cat being pain in butt.


Developmental stage when cockerols ejected from natal flock by cock. First adult (stag) feather set coming in. If no cock present, then second battle royal ensues. Usually no mortalities but they do get dinged up a bit. Eduardos brother got beat up so bad last year he could not see for a couple days. He one first scrap but lowest ranking brother beat up to superiors after they wore themselves out on each other. Sometimes the meek shall inherit the earth.

Scoob being his usual annoying self. He had to come inside with all the birds for their photo shoots.

 

[centrarchid]

Those little red jungle fowl x American games are crowing already! Same smaller bird photographed yesterday. My pure games never crow that young. Yesterday I saw one of the crosses possibly cut his wing and try to mount a sister. This morning no question that is what is going on. Typically my American games are very slow maturing yet when outcrossed to a wild jungle fowl, very early sexual development evident.

Red jungle hen lives! Her nest must be smack in middle in pasture where I seldom go. She should be hatching off in a few days.

 

[centrarchid]

Quote:
Changes in tail only can be from moult or attempt by predator. When from fighting, feather damage includes lots of broken feathers on wings and neck as well as tail.

Eudardo went for a couple day with only the two longest sicle feathers and one of those broke from wear. He looked very ugly.