Hen and Rooster Pair as Yard Ornaments

[centrarchid]

Over the years I have done this with a harem based around house many times and repeating now. A single hen is kept with a single rooster and they are allowed to reproduce. I do some managing with respect to roosting and nesting sites. This iteration also involves more frequent confining, especially of hen with chicks. This effort is also taking advantage of how the birds can be trained. Current group are my lead unit for taking to other locations for educational purposes. As a result I keep these birds away from majority of chickens kept in barnyard area a little over 100 yards away from house. Bio-security. These birds are outright pets and expected to be civil around humans at all times.

Will post some interesting pictures and videos later.

 

[Kiki]

 

[sourland]

 

[WVduckchick]

 

[centrarchid]

Entire flock / harem although not at home. The guys suffered yesterday two stops in Saint Louis, Missouri. Most important was with the Science Center. Two additional stops in Jefferson City, Missouri later in the day make this group extremely traveled. They have also been to Fulton, Missouri and Kansas City, Missouri. All this since chicks hatched. Each time they get out in a new location and interact with public. This makes them habituated to humans at an extreme level. They also follow me around much more than typical chickens. I am a leader of sorts.

Picture above is free-ranging outside loading bay of my aquaculture lab. Birds got out and hammered insects remaining under lights after sun came up. Location close to Moreau River and research ponds so aquatic insects very abundant.

 

[centrarchid]

I have to kids. Son is 5 years old and daughter just turned 4. Interactions between kids and chickens frequent. Most of time they ignore each other.

Roost site is in middle of this tree about 7 feet up. Most ground predators denied access to tree by dogs. Tree is about 10 feet into prairie patch bordering mowed yard.

Hen with brood about 15 minutes after going up to roost.

Rooster roosting on roost about 2 feet away from hen and chicks.

Tree is a Black Locust. Check out those 4" thorns! Not a pleasant climb.

 

[centrarchid]

Another relavent issue. The four year old has a tendency to chase chickens. Working on that.

Both kids are heavily into critters down to size of insects. That figures heavily in our monitoring what is going on. Female Ornate Box Turtle an Female Three-toed Box Turtles being watched closely for egg deposition. Once nest sites located we will be putting a pen over them to keep critters, including my kids, out of the nest. We want to see the baby turtles. Turtle below largest I have ever seen of its kind. Activity overlap between box turtles and chickens only in the morning. They do eat very similar things when is comes to forages although turtles more into animal prey and fruit with less interest in vegetative greens.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Centra hauling peeps to the public!

Following

 

[centrarchid]

Hitting a snag that is unique to a setup like mine. Hen is walking all the way back to location in barn she used to hatch current brood. Current brood goes along. She then gets into same pen she brooded in and deposits an egg in feed bowl. Brood and Edgar mess round barn while she is on nest. I had removed nest site. Edgar has about 20 games and three non-games he could fight with through wire so shutting that down. Edgar worked hard to get her to come back to house area but she was exercising choice. I installed a proper nest, removed already deposited egg and placed Edgar and hen in pen so she can repeat what she did back in April through May.

Brood will be emphasis for a while although late in the day after eggs deposited I can release Edgar and hen to take back to yard. Once hen goes broody, then Edgar will will be removed from pen so he can join juveniles in the yard. She will be brought out later when clutch hatches.

 

[centrarchid]

Blanca sitting pretty.

Nest before she moved in.

Base container has about 1" of sand and soil with a topping of fresh mint for Blanca to incorporate into nest lining. She already had materials arranged by time I checked at 0835. Once egg deposited, then I will add two others she had already produced later today.