This I think is management related because I am trying manipulate behavior.
I have been able to manipulate roosting location of brooder reared juveniles for two production seasons by imprinting birds on a box that can be moved a few feet each day. I can make any group move from a location by waiting until after dark and simulating a disturbance caused by a raccoon or owl. A gamecock serving as harem master can effectively call his entire group (hens and juvenile offspring) to a new location and dominant juveniles can call flock mates up to a new roost location from short range during a relatively short 10-minute window as birds are going to roost.
Challenge before me now is getting a group of advanced hen reared juveniles without aid of a harem master to move to a new location that is not front porch. Objective is to get them to roost in a 25 tall oak tree in pasture that is not already occupied by a similar flock. Similar flocks, sometimes even when made up of younger birds will keep new comers from coming in. Tonight I removed roosting site from front porch resulting in resident flock of about 10 birds moving about almost as group trying to find a new rest site. A broom was used in attempt to get them to move in desired direction to treat about 150 feet away. They decided to go 125 feet in opposite direction to roost on motorcycle. After dark I am going to collect them and move them by hand to tree I want them to roost in.
I have been able to manipulate roosting location of brooder reared juveniles for two production seasons by imprinting birds on a box that can be moved a few feet each day. I can make any group move from a location by waiting until after dark and simulating a disturbance caused by a raccoon or owl. A gamecock serving as harem master can effectively call his entire group (hens and juvenile offspring) to a new location and dominant juveniles can call flock mates up to a new roost location from short range during a relatively short 10-minute window as birds are going to roost.
Challenge before me now is getting a group of advanced hen reared juveniles without aid of a harem master to move to a new location that is not front porch. Objective is to get them to roost in a 25 tall oak tree in pasture that is not already occupied by a similar flock. Similar flocks, sometimes even when made up of younger birds will keep new comers from coming in. Tonight I removed roosting site from front porch resulting in resident flock of about 10 birds moving about almost as group trying to find a new rest site. A broom was used in attempt to get them to move in desired direction to treat about 150 feet away. They decided to go 125 feet in opposite direction to roost on motorcycle. After dark I am going to collect them and move them by hand to tree I want them to roost in.
