Dominique Thread!

[centrarchid]

Quote:
I gotta ask..."weaning of chicks"?

I use "weaning" to repressent time when bond between chicks and hen breaks-down, chicks become independent and hen can if conditions allow initiate another reproductive effort (start laying and become broody again).

If you have a better term, I will use it. Needs to be easy to spell.

 

[BarredBuff]

Quote:
What is an "SS"? Speckled Sussex is the only thing that comes to mind, and I know that's not what you're talking about.
Two hours on the nest is not Broody. That is just taking her time laying an egg.

Self Sufficiency

I culled her because IF she did brood a clutch I dont want those genes (not laying) passed on............

 

[flower]

Quote:
What is an "SS"? Speckled Sussex is the only thing that comes to mind, and I know that's not what you're talking about.
Two hours on the nest is not Broody. That is just taking her time laying an egg.

Could centar mean when the chicks are out and about and not returning to mom for warmth equals "weaning"

Could ss equal show strain instead of using SQ as in show quality ? My guesses

 

[buffalogal]

Quote:
Um, BB, you do know there's no reason that a broody hen has to hatch her *own* eggs, right? You can put any eggs under her and she will set and hatch and mother the chicks. A good broody will set a golf ball, a duck egg, even a properly shaped and sized rock.

In my humble experience, *the* most 'self sufficient' birds are Guineas, but if it's chickens you're after, I'd say Games and game crosses, then Doms. The bigger the body, the *less* efficient the bird is a taking care of themselves.

 

[buffalogal]

Quote:
I gotta ask..."weaning of chicks"?

I use "weaning" to repressent time when bond between chicks and hen breaks-down, chicks become independent and hen can if conditions allow initiate another reproductive effort (start laying and become broody again).

If you have a better term, I will use it. Needs to be easy to spell.

I was thinking you meant "hatching", as the hen does loose weight while she's brooding eggs, but as soon as she's out and about and foraging again, she picks it back up. But I see you did mean 'weaning' of sorts.

Are you specifically wanting a word for that break in the hen/chick bond, or to describe the time before the hen either starts laying again or finds another clutch of eggs? In some hens I've had, that bond is variable; I've seen hens that after they had 'come out' with a new batch of chicks, the almost grown chicks from the first batch will still travel in relatively close proximity, (not too close) and long after they're grown they'll often roost nearby. Last year, my Incredible Setting Leghorn was holed up in a dog crate setting eggs, and several of her 1/2 grown pullets and a couple of cockerels from January were sleeping on top. She was in no way 'mothering' them at that point, but they remained close".

 

[centrarchid]

Quote:
I use "weaning" to repressent time when bond between chicks and hen breaks-down, chicks become independent and hen can if conditions allow initiate another reproductive effort (start laying and become broody again).

If you have a better term, I will use it. Needs to be easy to spell.

I was thinking you meant "hatching", as the hen does loose weight while she's brooding eggs, but as soon as she's out and about and foraging again, she picks it back up. But I see you did mean 'weaning' of sorts.

Are you specifically wanting a word for that break in the hen/chick bond, or to describe the time before the hen either starts laying again or finds another clutch of eggs? In some hens I've had, that bond is variable; I've seen hens that after they had 'come out' with a new batch of chicks, the almost grown chicks from the first batch will still travel in relatively close proximity, (not too close) and long after they're grown they'll often roost nearby. Last year, my Incredible Setting Leghorn was holed up in a dog crate setting eggs, and several of her 1/2 grown pullets and a couple of cockerels from January were sleeping on top. She was in no way 'mothering' them at that point, but they remained close".

Most of my experience is with American Games in respect to normal breeding behavior. In those transition from one brood to next is discrete with no overlap between care of one brood and egg laying for next. I also observed variation in terms of brood care duration. Some is genetic where some would break bond at four weeks while some will go to 12 weeks. Some variation also a function of how many surviving chicks, larger broods get longer duration care with some hens, smaller broods get shorter.

An interesting variation (in games at leastl) was observed on more than one occurance when a single hen is paired with rooster on a walk. The hen will care for chicks until about 6 weeks post-hatch when rooster takes over and hen re-nests. Doms for me do not do this.

EDIT: My hens also operate at a lower weight while tending chicks, at least under free range conditions with little or no supplemental feed applied.


BOND will be used instead of "weaning".

 

[buffalogal]

Quote:
Understood. But I've noticed that some family lines continue to flock together long after they need any care. For that matter, I've had birds that were hand raised/imprinted will leave what they're doing to 'hang out"with me when I'm outside long after they were adults. I have several 5 month old cockerels that were hand raised. One of the Dominiques, when picked up, will relax and try to"trill" like a chick. I have an Ancona close to that age who is especially bonded, and when it's very cold, will come and stand at my feet and try to "huddle" between my legs. He's aware that he's a bird, he crows, and I've seen him flirting and attempting to tread hens, but his insistence on being "the baby" when I'm around is amusing and touching. I wonder if anyone has done any studies about how long a bird can recognize faces similar to the one done with sheep?

Quote:
When you say the rooster "takes over", what does he do? Call the young birds over for treats like he would a hen, or try brooding them?

Quote:
That's interesting how they don't gain their pre broody weight back. I'm assuming there is plenty for them to forage on without having to take the chicks out too far, and that they just don't eat as much, or they aren't eating enough to gain weight. I wonder what possible evolutionary advantage that would have?


Quote:
Since you're talking about when they leave the hen, rather than the time she is caring for them, the word would probably be 'fledging". While we usually think of fledging as the time it takes a hatched-naked wild bird like a Robin to grow it's feathers and leave the nest, chicks are precocial; hatched with their eyes open, covered in down, and leave the nest (with their mother) in a couple of days. the hen also cares for her chicks after they have feathered, so their fledging would be the time it takes to be able to fly and leave their mother.

 

[MelissaR]

Hi Everyone. I've been lurking on this thread trying to learn as much as possible about Dominiques before my first set hatched (thank you!). Now that they are here, could I get your opinion on gender? If I where to only look at the spots on their heads, I would say 1 pullet, 5 cockerels. It's the leg colors that are throwing me off. Just how dark should the girls' legs be?

Sorry for the quality of the pics. My good camera is AWOL. Thanks in advance...

Chick #1

Chick #2

Chick #3

Chick #4

Chick #5

Chick # 6

 

[flower]

When mine were 3 day old the female beak was almost all black on the top also the legs were black over the entire top surface. My two males had tiny white spots also. With the six that you have posted I am guessing that at least the first four could be females.

But that group look so much alike it must be a guess, so cute though. I looked again and for certain number is male.

 

[centrarchid]

buffalogal,

My broods stay together through near adulthood. I call such groups sub-flocks. Dispersal pattern is of interest to me and will be studied. My hand raised birds can be called out by name. See my thread about "training for voluntary flight" to see what comes of that. The "trilling" I hear as well with hand raised birds when handled. Human face recognition last for at least a few days without reinforcment. Even my fishes can recognize human faces so ability must be pretty basic.

Rooster does tid-bitting to provide treats, scratches up eats as well as brooding when chicks going to roost. Rooster does not cluck but neverless has chicks follow him about. The brooding part is done on ground at night and on low but elevated roost When dealing with threat will also ball up like a hen to flog threat.


Parental investment I think conflicts with hens ability to eat. Never measured but my guess is that hens with smaller broods weigh more while tending chicks than hens with large broods. I think hen has trade-off between her own health and that of her chicks, so she forgoes some feeding opportunities rather than having her chicks come up short. Fledging for me means leaving nest, whether able to fly or not. Owls and sometimes kestrels fledge before able to fly. When leaving nest like with my fishes, the term nest-exodus or simply exodus is used. Chickens most similar to that when cominig off nest.


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