Help! Found a poor chicken that fell off a poultry truck

[FrostRanger]

Nah, a lot of people like to debate the whole innate/genectic behavior vs. learned, or stimulated behavior. Facts are, as cocks grow up, they may be sweet and all, but sometimes there may be a outside stimulus (i.e. presence of hens, other roo's, children, threats, ect.) that provoke their hormones, which can dictate thier thoughts (it all has a pupose as survival aid) Chickens have 3 responses: Freeze, Flight, or Fight.

If aggression were to show up, some people use the "boss" method because they assume the cock is challenging them and submission is the only cure. That is promblematic to both of you, and others like me.

Heck, maybe your rubber boots were a stimulus for him, because he thought it was a threat or challenge. He is fearful, i.e. overthinking it, & perceives your presence/the boots as a problem. He reacts to that problem (if you react to his reaction in a negitive way, like picking him upside down by the legs, you are only showing him he is right to fear/persieve you that way)

Just some him you come in peace, that your presence is good/rewarding/neutral for him. Change the perspective, change the reaction. Simple.

Temperament is both nature AND nurture. Yes, mistreating an animal will make it far more likely that you'll run into issues but sometime an animal is simply genetically more predisposed to aggression. Sometimes it's mild enough that one can work with them and rehabilitate them but sometimes the deck is so stacked against you genetically that's almost impossible to fix

Taking dogs as an example, if you needed a dog to herd sheep for you would you get a border collie or a basset hound? While I am sure with enough training you might be able to get the basset hound to herd sheep, you would have a far more difficult time than with a border collie as border collies were bred to herd sheep and have instincts that make it come more naturally to them whereas basset hounds, not so much. In either case, neither will be a good sheepdog without lots of training

 

[mrskenmore]

That chicken fell off the truck and into the RIGHT hands! Keep doing all you are doing and also THANK YOU for doing what you are doing
@Cjcyndi

Really remarkable for you to help this little one who deserves a fighting chance.

You have great advice on the electrolytes and sugar water- the foot looks like bumblefoot to me which explains not wanting to walk on it.

Please keep us all posted- have you given this cutie a name yet?

 

[Cjcyndi]

That chicken fell off the truck and into the RIGHT hands! Keep doing all you are doing and also THANK YOU for doing what you are doing
@Cjcyndi

Really remarkable for you to help this little one who deserves a fighting chance.

You have great advice on the electrolytes and sugar water- the foot looks like bumblefoot to me which explains not wanting to walk on it.

Please keep us all posted- have you given this cutie a name yet?

Thank you! I’m trying my best. And yes I have! If it is a female her name is Esther and if it’s a boy his name is Peebo lol

 

[Cjcyndi]

Thank you so much! She’s definitely trying to walk more now. Especially when I give her food.

 

[NatJ]

Nah, a lot of people like to debate the whole innate/genectic behavior vs. learned, or stimulated behavior. Facts are, as cocks grow up, they may be sweet and all, but sometimes there may be a outside stimulus (i.e. presence of hens, other roo's, children, threats, ect.) that provoke their hormones, which can dictate thier thoughts (it all has a pupose as survival aid) Chickens have 3 responses: Freeze, Flight, or Fight.

Heck, maybe your rubber boots were a stimulus for him, because he thought it was a threat or challenge. He is fearful, i.e. overthinking it, & perceives your presence/the boots as a problem. He reacts to that problem (if you react to his reaction in a negitive way, like picking him upside down by the legs, you are only showing him he is right to fear/persieve you that way)

That still does not explain why I would be attacked by one rooster but not by any of the other six that lived in the same pen at the same time, all raised together, all sharing their space with 40-something hens. Or various other ratios in other years.

Nor does it explain why the water boots and everything else were fine every day for months, then at some point the rooster started attacking me regularly. Sure, his hormones could have kicked in, but why would he decide there was danger in something he saw every day of his life?

I am positive that some roosters react differently than others to identical environmental conditions. Breed is not the only difference. Environment is not the only difference. It's not as simple as finding the right breed, or the right raising techniques, and never having problems again.

Just some him you come in peace, that your presence is good/rewarding/neutral for him. Change the perspective, change the reaction. Simple.

Hah. Walk in, refill feeder, dump and refill water, dump bowl of kitchen scraps, walk out. Attack by one rooster, not by other roosters. I say the problem was with the rooster, not with me. But he's long gone (several decades by now.)

 

[Eggcessive]

Glad to hear that Peabo/Esther is walking better. Keep us posted on how he/she is doing. I have never had a cornish cross meat bird, but I have read that they were very sweet.

 

[mrskenmore]

Thank you! I’m trying my best. And yes I have! If it is a female her name is Esther and if it’s a boy his name is Peebo lol

those are great names!

 

[tlcmurphy]

Thank you! I’m trying my best. And yes I have! If it is a female her name is Esther and if it’s a boy his name is Peebo lol

Peabo Tyson?

 

[Twilia]

Temperament is both nature AND nurture. Yes, mistreating an animal will make it far more likely that you'll run into issues but sometime an animal is simply genetically more predisposed to aggression. Sometimes it's mild enough that one can work with them and rehabilitate them but sometimes the deck is so stacked against you genetically that's almost impossible to fix

Taking dogs as an example, if you needed a dog to herd sheep for you would you get a border collie or a basset hound? While I am sure with enough training you might be able to get the basset hound to herd sheep, you would have a far more difficult time than with a border collie as border collies were bred to herd sheep and have instincts that make it come more naturally to them whereas basset hounds, not so much. In either case, neither will be a good sheepdog without lots of training

Have had such a rough last two days and have not been on since.

That is a wonderful example. These things are so interesting.
The nature v.s nurture is not just one, but a mixture, as we both concluded. We are still trying to gather facts about animal behavior that can tell us more about how some species/we learn, or what they/we already know or how much is genetically passed on.

But my point was that no roo is untamable, I believe.
(I have rehabbed cocks of the "mean as snakes" breeds just fine so far).Just need patience/kindness
Also, are you into dog training?

 

[Twilia]

Thank you so much! She’s definitely trying to walk more now. Especially when I give her food.

Yes! We are rooting for you two!