Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

How soon before the actual egg so their hormones become evident to a roo?

I was wondering this too. I look forward to learning the answer. Great question.

 

[BY Bob]

I was wondering this too. I look forward to learning the answer. Great question.

I checked my records the first time I caught Hattie and Jabber was at 25 weeks. They were the same age. He did not try Patsy or Lilly until after that.

Post in thread 'Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock' https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-20829146

 

[featherhead007]

Sadly, I must report when I went to close the coop, Nacho was out in the yard in a panic. Her little one was nowhere to be found. No trace of chick feathers, or blood trails. Just a very sad mama, crying for her child.

The little one is missing. Today Nacho is all alone. It’s sad she lost her baby. They were inseparable till last evening

 

[RoyalChick]

Oh several names I like here - thanks for finding. Bookmarking to discuss with her later but on my short list from here would be:
Kazumi, Zuri, Amani, Paloma, Shanti, Avani

Adding Sienna (not from this list) coming from red-brown clay soil (which is exactly her color!).

And here is the lovely lady.

 

[rural mouse]

How soon before the actual egg so their hormones become evident to a roo?

I want to say about the time the pullet comb gets red and is mostly grown....2 weeks or so before? Hmmmm......my crew is younger, which won't help you much....and I don't think I've looked at it quite that way before. I've always been, "oh, she's crouching for one of the guys. Egg watch!"

 

[bgmathteach]

She really is gorgeous - and she chose her name well!
I will probably hold off naming Bucky until Tassels releases some control - it is hard for me to get to know them and of the four she is the one that holds back. When there is a scrum for blueberries she often wanders off and digs up her own stuff and then darts in for a blueberry and carries it off into the bushes to eat. She stays out of the fray.

So, a name that is laid back or reserved. Unassuming.

 

[bgmathteach]

How soon before the actual egg so their hormones become evident to a roo?

Sorry, I missed this on my earlier post.

I am not an expert, by any means - but this is what I have from observations:

1) Geese (might be different from pullets - but still at least a frame of reference)
My Gander, Sampson, starts getting 'hissy' and protective about 2 weeks in Feb. before my geese start to lay - so clearly he is aware of their hormones starting to ramp up somewhere around 2 weeks before actual lay.

2) Pullets. Initially when I had chicks and had a bit more time to spend with them, I noticed that they started to squat for me 2-3 weeks before they started to lay. I am guessing that this was indicative of a change in hormones ramping up and that the Rooster would be aware of that, too.

however, just like with human females....girls start to get some physical changes well before they are 'hormonally' ready to mate. (i.e. breast start to develop, start to sweat more, hair starts to grow in places....anywhere from 3-8 months before ovulation starts. While the human timeline is off compared to a chicken's, I think the same general principal applies.
?anyone else want to weigh in?

I did try to go down that rabbit hole, but the only research article I found directly relevant to this question was behind a paywall.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/00071669888034

 

[featherhead007]

I certainly love this. The chooks hear the front gate open, my car driving into park, and they are all waiting at the inner gate for me to step out of my car. So many feathered friends!

 

[BY Bob]

I just broke up a fight between the two mama hens with chicks. The one with eight pecked the head of the curious single chick. Mama got furious and attacked!!
Poor Mr Wyandottey stood right there, not really knowing what to do. I told him “jump in between them buddy stop that fight!”
He didn’t, so I did. They looked like it was a fight to the death. I have had enough orphans on my plate, I am no longer set up for raising babies in the house.

Thank God they have you to look after them. I'm so glad you were able to resolve the situation peacefully.

 

[BY Bob]

View attachment 4229476

Oh gosh! How wonderful! Melts my heart.