Jungle fowl sleeping in trees 20 ft high (warning- adorable baby chick footage)

[CabritaChicks]

This one was pretty entertaining — the chicks are about four weeks old now and were outside for their little “walk” when Roo suddenly decided she was in love. She’s had a few supervised meet-and-greets with them before, always separated and carefully watched.

But yesterday really took the cake. Her best buddy, Gypsy (the junglefowl), didn’t come to roost. Roo completely lost it — nonstop screaming — so I brought the chicks out to calm her down. She was thrilled… until we suddenly heard Gypsy — about twenty feet up in the air! We were mid-conversation when she let out this dramatic yell from the treetops.

So now I’m wondering — how many of you with junglefowl have had your birds just vanish into the trees like that? Do they all eventually decide to roost up there? Before this, she was faithfully using the coop every night.

The good news is, Roo’s getting along wonderfully with the “chicklets,” and they seem to adore her too. (And for the record — Roo isn’t a rooster; I didn’t name her, my friends’ kids did.) Gypsy, meanwhile, has gone full broody — she was incubating a rock just yesterday, and now she’s sleeping twenty feet up in a tree. This rescue chick I hatched has me completely baffled.

So I called Gypsy- and sure enough came flying down and landed next to me (almost on my head- then wanted boo-berries). So what gives?

Edit: I cant spell apparently at 2:45am.

 

[cavemanrich]

If you don't want chickens flying into trees, you can clip their wing feathers. Once they learn they cant fly so well, they maintain on the ground for most of the time. With clipped wing feathers, they still can do low hops onto roost.

WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[CabritaChicks]

If you don't want chickens flying into trees, you can clip their wing feathers. Once they learn they cant fly so well, they maintain on the ground for most of the time. With clipped wing feathers, they still can do low hops onto roost.

WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

I am SOOOOO against clipping wings. I don't even clip parrot wings- and in clinic refuse to do it for clients if requested.

I was just wondering if this is a trait for junglefowl as she was in a 20ft tall tree at the top (couple stories tall and when she jumped down it seemed unnatural). So I was just troubleshooting.

 

[Callender Girl]

Nothing like a heartwarming chicken story to start the day. Thanks for sharing it and the great video of Roo with the babies.

I understand why some people clip wings to keep their birds safer. But my birds are loose during the day, and I want them to be able to fly fast and high if they are threatened by predators.

No experience with junglefowl, but I think my heart would have stopped for a second or two if I watched one of my chickens leap 20 feet. Will be keeping an eye on this thread to see what junglefowl folks say.