constructing a single chicken family unit for porch

[welasharon]

Hopefully she isn't. I cannot remain unattached at all. I would fail at scientific observation. I am a meddler...

 

[centrarchid]

New developments with Sallie and remaining chick (pullet named Spud). Sallie has not clucked for last two days. She has resumed foraging with flock throughout flock's total home range with Spud in tow. Last night she and Spud slept on roost Sallie used prior to setting roughly two months ago. Spud roost under Sallie and twitters as usual. Sallie still catches grasshoppers and like feeding them to Spud as they forage. Sallie now holds tail feathers like a hen receptive to mating. Yesterday Sallie was in nest during daytime presumably checking its quality to second breeding effort. Sallie now demonstrates her dominance over other hens of harem but Spud is now of lowest rank. I think same change in pattern would have occured even if all chicks would have survived. Laying for next clutch should start anyday. Will Spud shift her roost to be with Eduardo or will she stay near Sallie for second effort? In past, juveniles stayed with sub-flocks to which their mother belonged.

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
me either.... sigh.

 

[centrarchid]

Sallie definantly scoping out sights for clutch / brood 2. This morning she invested an hour before I left for work trying to get into house. Will be looking for location tonight. Vocalization many call "egg song" appears to preceede egg laying, not come after. The post egg laying vocalization promotes reuniting with flock. Egg song purpose I do not understand although rooster seems to want to stay in earshot. Spud now hangs with rooster when Sallie on nest duties.

 

[centrarchid]

Yep, Sallie laid an egg in nearly same location as first clutch. A red jungle fowl hen placed egg in same location on same day. Odds of that by random chance low. I say darn brood parasite. Red jungle fowl has been watching and waiting for Sallie to start laying. The jungle fowl hen is like a giant cowbird.

 

[centrarchid]

Tonight, front porch for first time in over 9 months will not be occupied by chickens, at least not those able to move about. Only two eggs sitting alone and cold in a nest will be there. After three nights of roosting under porch lite, Sallie and Spud moved to roost with rest of flock in one of my elevated roost contraptions. So long as Scoob (dog) is out and about, they should all be quite safe. Spud moved up into such a roost at six weeks of age when following Sallie but would be difficult to have roost at such an elevation if not following an adult even at 10 to 12 weeks of age.

I am going to miss the soft twitters of bitties all night outside my window.

I wonder why Sallie opted to move? Front porch is an extremely safe location when roosting under light.

 

[welasharon]

to be with her kind...

 

[centrarchid]

Quote:
Sallie was the first one to roost tonight at new location (for her). If only to be with her kind, seems others would have been on roost first. Unless she has a enough smarts to consider other birds would be there later?

 

[welasharon]

Ah, I thought she was returning to pre-mom roosting spot. Is this a new construction? I would guess to be broody and wanting to hatch chicks, the hen would remove herself to location away from "others" but once finished with chicks would want to rejoin the others?....interesting.

 

[centrarchid]

Quote:
Yes, new construction. While in full broody mode, she does isolate herself from flock except when feeding during incubation or when at feeding station with bitties. She is no longer in full broody mode but still invests in chick, even though laying eggs for second clutch. Broodiness appears to be a matter of degree.

When I was kid, observed similar. Multiple sub-flocks, each with lead rooster and had at least one hen. Hens would at some point switch from roosting on ground with bitties to elevated position with rooster. Bitties would move up with her and sometimes roost under rooster as well. Some roosters had no problems with arrangement. I do not recall if hen quit clucking at that time as observed with Sallie with remnants of this brood. I do recall hens with larger broods would stay with chicks until they were 12 weeks old and would not re-nest until then.