Juvenile Chickens and Dog Drive-off Killdeer

[centrarchid]

This morning as I prepared to depart for work a flock of juvenile gamechickens and Scoob (dog) were milling about the front yard near driveway when 2 sub-adult killdeer flew in from north and landed not more than 30 feet from flock which was directly between Scoob and killdeer. The chickens grouped up and approached killdeer giving the chuck-chuck-chuck threat vocalization. Scoob also wanted to go after killdeer and tried to work his way around flock to get at strange birds but chickens pressed killdeer so Scoob could not get a direct approach. After killdeer retreated about 50 feet they launched and flew a 100 feet further where upon Scoob gave running chase and chickens broke off attack. The killdeer ultimately flew away which is good since they would not have fared well being captured by either party as both would likely have killed them although by different methods. Chickens by a combination of pecking and flogging while dog would do the basic chomp maneuver.

My poultry and guardian all appear hostile to native wildlife.

 

[ChickaBamBam]

Wow. Too bad you didn't have time to video that. They are all serious about their territory!

ETA - and work together too.

 

[centrarchid]

Wow. Too bad you didn't have time to video that. They are all serious about their territory!

ETA - and work together too.

I am still trying to figure out if is territoriality. The chickens kill and consume small songbirds like indigo buntings and song sparrows. They will also kill juvenile morning doves and domestic pigeons and I have even observed 5 week old juvenile games attack a juvenile American kestrel (falcon half as big as such juveniles). I suspect strongly that if I did not intervene, the other types of birds in all cases would have been killed but not consumed. The falcon elicited a very different response than did other birds. Would be fun to test a stuffed falcon to see if same response realized.

 

[Year of the Rooster]

Centrarchid,

I've noticed similar behavior with my Sebrights. One day a young Robin chick, too young to fly and still growing pin feathers, started following the flock around the yard. The hens ignored it, however the rooster considered it a threat and attacked it. He proceeded to pick the chick up, flog, and throw it. No broken skin or blood on the chick, though it vocalized very much and opened its mouth towards the rooster (either as defense or intimidation). Parent robin sounded alarm but kept its distance. If I hadn't intervened the chick would have died or been badly injured.

 

[centrarchid]

Centrarchid,

I've noticed similar behavior with my Sebrights. One day a young Robin chick, too young to fly and still growing pin feathers, started following the flock around the yard. The hens ignored it, however the rooster considered it a threat and attacked it. He proceeded to pick the chick up, flog, and throw it. No broken skin or blood on the chick, though it vocalized very much and opened its mouth towards the rooster (either as defense or intimidation). Parent robin sounded alarm but kept its distance. If I hadn't intervened the chick would have died or been badly injured.

That reads as my birds go after pigeons that fall out of loft before able to fly. To be honest I have seen harem master roosters kill chicks that are not out of one of his hens. Other roosters will get stressed out and sort of defend it.