Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Shadrach]

Is it any surprise that Maggie is irritable with the Little Princesses when they play games like this just as she is settling down for a night's sleep huddled up with her two sisters.

In spite of all the shenanigans, everyone is now settled down for the night.

You can almost hear them saying "what's her problem then?"

 

[Ribh]

We do also use it for that. They have the same principal the underware and footware. Something goes between something.

This is a most disturbing image ~ especially when combined with the toe socks! I may be damaged for life...

 

[Shadrach]

So when we look at this video.

First Hattie makes a low squeak like sound twice. When she does this, Aurora, the only other hen in frame stops and extends her neck. Sydney, not in frame did the same. I could not see anyone else.

Then Aurora gives the siren-like call loudly. Everyone stands tall and still. Aurora does not seem to be looking for anything. Her head does not move or scan anything that I can see but Hattie's head is twitching and seems to be agling upwards at times.

Aurora continues to make a low growl. Like Hattie, Sydney's head is twitching and she seems to be looking about.

At the minute mark, Aroura's head moves 45° to her left and she continues the low rumble. Could it be that she is tracking something while the others were looking for it?

At 1:23 Aurora's head moves back almost to her original position and she has given her last growl. Then she starts twitching her head, also looking around. All three of them are looking around until 2:30 when Sydney gives up watching and starts walking.

At 2:46 Sansa starts moving, then Aurora and Hattie start moving and the alarm is over.

The quiet call sounds like the warning call, but to be sure one needs to hear it over and over and check for their reaction. It's the repeatability that gives a degree of certainty. It took me months just to be sure of the escort call!
Mum and chick calls were relatively easy if you're following along. The get underneath me call was/is difficult because the hen only sounds it for the first few days out and about. After that, as I've mentioned, she wants them away from her and hidden. The incredible thing is they stay hidden, even when it's obvious mum is moving about with the rest of the tribe. I've had chicks in hiding for over an hour while mum has moved away quite a distance. Barking Bracket is famous for this. I think she forgets she's got chicks. I've watched her start to wander off with the tribe and seemingly suddenly realize that there is something missing. She then hurries back to where she thinks she last had chicks and calls them out. It has to be seen. It's both funny and a bit scary. What if one day she doesn't remember. It looks quite possible once you've watched her.

 

[Shadrach]

My "Beetov-Hen" is our alpha! (Even the roosters follow her commands)

It was the same with Cillin when he first teamed up with Fat Bird and Ruffles.

 

[Ribh]

I never heard an alarm call sound like the egg song.. until I saw TRUMP doing it one day... I wasn’t sure what he was doing but figured it was some sort of call.. this is it.. of course as soon as he sees me he stops! Someone else was calling at first too... but after you can see him checking the sky... I also thought that Claudine and Clementine might have been hiding as well.. but they also may have just been cooling off

I call that the *check it out* call. Mine are usually all sticky~beaking @ something when I hear that. There's no alarm sound.

 

[Ribh]

Yes, that's what I'm talking about. Mine stop when I arrive, too.

As do mine.

 

[Shadrach]

I never heard an alarm call sound like the egg song.. until I saw TRUMP doing it one day... I wasn’t sure what he was doing but figured it was some sort of call.. this is it.. of course as soon as he sees me he stops! Someone else was calling at first too... but after you can see him checking the sky... I also thought that Claudine and Clementine might have been hiding as well.. but they also may have just been cooling off

I don't think that's a warning call, or an alarm call from Trump. That sounds like the distress call the roosters here give if there is a problem that has separated them from their hens and don't feel safe to rejoin them.
Notch makes a call like that when the two bantam rooster gang up on him and separate him from his hens.

 

[Shadrach]

Ok, here it is! This is my original flock of four. Only Bridge is still with us. I think Bagheera (Black Australorp) is the one calling.

Nope, I don't hear that as the warning call. Notice the other hens don't make any noticeable change in behaviour.
It's difficult to judge because there have been roosters here since I've been here and calls may be different in a hen only flock.

 

[Shadrach]

Alarm!

While I was filming the girls snacking the other day, Hattie sounding warning and Aurora picked it up. This video is 3 minutes long. They stood stock still for almost the entire 3 minutes. Hattie had 1 foot only 1/2 way on the ground and she never finished her step. You will see Hattie and Aurora on my right with Sansa frozen behind the pool heater. Sydney was to my left.

The initial alarm sound (a short squeak repeated once), which is not loud, came from Hattie and then Aurora takes charge, makes the loud warning and maintains what I call the "rumble".

I've been suspecting for some time that Aurora has been picking up more Sentinel duty from Hattie. This may be an example of them working together while on duty.

Nope, not the alarm call. That may the warning call but it is difficult to tell.
The warning call is quiet. It's only meant to be heard by the hens. It's one of the reasons the hens stay withing hearing distance to their rooster rather than within sight.
The general alarm comes after the warning call. It's when they all start shouting, usually after they gone for cover.
Warning call; quiet only for tribe members.
Alarm call: everyone starts shouting.

 

[Shadrach]

Yes, that's what I'm talking about. Mine stop when I arrive, too.

Here it doesn't make any difference if I arrive during a general alarm call. It can take many minutes for them to calm down if they've been badly spooked.