Crazy/funny things your birds have done today or any time.

[mondotomhead]

This happens all the time and never fails to make me laugh:

My polish thinks he is the best, most virile, handsomest rooster in the pen and is constantly stomping around and crowing. Well, I have another rooster in there with him and when Napoleon stands there belting out a "crow" the other rooster sneaks up behind him and pecks him on the back. This pretty much cuts Napoleon's crow off with a strangling sound. Hilarious!

 

[chooks4life]

LOL mondotomhead, that is certainly one of the funniest noises chooks make, always makes me laugh when a rooster gets cut off mid crow... What a deflating balloon noise it is!

 

[Jobele]

Okay....I've got one to share......this is so cute! We always think of dogs as predators most of the time....but watch this one!

 

[gryeyes]

I call that business of "predator avoidance dance/play" The Zoomies. (I really like that explanation - it makes perfect sense!) Chicks start that behavior within a day of hatching, even within the brooder. And it IS contagious. It is so much fun to see them get the Zoomies out in the yard. One or two chicks, eight or more chicks, it doesn't matter; they all get triggered when it starts. The purposeful stride of a determined hen is what I call Chicken On A Mission. Whenever I see it I am always moved to remark aloud, "Uh oh, chicken on a mission!" As a result, even the contractor who has done a lot of work at my place (including several poultry related projects) will point it out to me if HE sees a Chicken On A Mission. The other absolutely adorable behavior is anything involving a mother hen and chicks, but an especially precious sight is one of a chick perched on the hen's back. When they get bigger, mama won't let 'em do that any more, and that interaction is fun to watch.

 

[BirdbyGavin1103]

These are all great stories! I honestly always thought chickens would be boring, I never thought they would be as entertaining as they are. I got them for my son, after two years of him asking each spring when TSC had their "Chick Days," and for 4H. So I did the homework (although I really should have done more) and we finally got our flock this year. They have been such a joy and I am so happy I "gave-in."

 

[Shellz]

Oh yeah! My hubby was the one into pet birds like parrots and such, not me though. I wanted to raise something on my new farm and chickens fit the bill. I've never regretted it! Love chicken t.v.! Whenever I play fetch with the dogs, some of my young flock members get curious. It looks like they want to play too. So cute! Had a 7 week old buff orpington roo investigate a cottontail bunny earlier tonight. He was making funny noises at it, kinda like cooing. He didn't get too close before the bunny leaped back into the woods. Wish I had my good camera for that!

 

[BirdbyGavin1103]

Mine seem to love driving the dogs nuts. They sneak up and steal the dog food while the dogs are in their coops, run around like maniacs just out of the dogs' reach, have taken the dogs' toys and small bones. The one dog actually digs up rocks and carries them around, well the chickens love her area because they can get to pebbles for their gizzards, you'd think they were gold, and she was a miner the way she protects them. It's pretty funny to watch. My son loves watching the chickens, and playing with them.

 

[chooks4life]

Quote: They have a rapid quiet noise they make to say something's interesting but not frightening, but they don't know what it is; a louder sharper version of it means 'be alert, that might be trouble' and a much quieter version of it is like a cat's purr and they make it when snuggling with eachother or a human they particularly like or are bonded to.

 

[Shellz]

Ah, that explains it! Cool!

Ok, got a kinda funny story that happened yesterday. Playing chuck-it with the dogs, so one gets hot & heads to the pond for a dip to cool off. Didn't know one of my 8 week old white rocks was foraging in the long grass near it. Well that little roo flew up in surprise & landed in the pond 6 ft from shore! I had my camera on me, but was so worried about my bird to take a pic! He had his wings spread on the surface of the pond & just kicked with his legs to get to the shore. He's ok, but what a scare! So now I know chickens can swim if they have to!

 

[BirdbyGavin1103]

Thanks for the explanation for those noises.

Glad your roo was ok.

Some of my New Hampshires have taken to getting into the ducks' pool when they get too hot. It's just a shallow kiddie pool with just enough water for them to cool off and splash a little. They'll hop in and squat just enough to wet their undersides, then hop back out. What makes it so funny is one of the ducks will quack her head off every time, then try biting the chickens' tail feathers while they're in the pool.