Mirrors

[TwoCrows]

@TwoCrows

Bird, indeed, is the word.

...and it will be the word forever more.

 

[adstowe]

You said it's framed - If you're concerned about them pecking it hard enough to break it, pull the back off and completely coat the back of the mirror with a strong glue, then put it back together. That way even if they did manage to crack it the pieces will still be retained in place by the back and shouldn't pose any significant risk. (Obviously remove it if it did become cracked)

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Is it ok to put a glass mirror in with bantams? I'd hate to have them peck hard enough at it to break it....

Don't worry about your chickens pecking a mirror hard enough to break the looking glass and call down 7 years of bad luck. Instead worry about your chickens seeing that new and strange chicken in the mirror and fighting themselves hard and long enough to die from exhaustion.

That chicken in the mirror will never stop trying to move up in the pecking order as long as the reflective chicken keeps on pecking.

I know it seems wrong to some of you but chickens are unable to recognize their own image in a mirror. I know because I lost one cockerel who killed himself fighting his image in the chrome bumper of a 1979 Ford pickup.

 

[No More Empty Nest]

Wow, thanks everyone. I'll have to think about what to do. As with most things, differing views, lol. I might try it out when I have time to watch them for a while, see how they take to it. They are only 10 weeks old. I'm supposed to only have pullets, but one turned out to be a cockerel. And if he's too noisy I'll have to see about rehoming him. I have my fingers crossed that one of my cousins who live in rural areas would like him or would know someone who would. He's a nice little mottled cochin bantam.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Good luck! And please keep us posted!

 

[aart]

You said it's framed - If you're concerned about them pecking it hard enough to break it, pull the back off and completely coat the back of the mirror with a strong glue, then put it back together. That way even if they did manage to crack it the pieces will still be retained in place by the back and shouldn't pose any significant risk. (Obviously remove it if it did become cracked)

Was my thought too.
Birds might not peck it hard enough to break, but accidents happen and shattered glass in a coop would not be a good thing.

 

[No More Empty Nest]

I put the mirror outside the run where they could see it. They all came over and inspected it. Then they would take a look every so often as they walked around the run. They moved their heads all around and watched themselves. It was cute. I'm going to leave it there for a while and if they continue to use it and not get upset about it, I'll get an unbreakable one for them.

Edit: The blurry lines are because I took the picture from outside the run, I didn;t want to disturb them as they looked at it

 

[aart]

Those are great pics!
So mirror is outside the run, so they can't touch the glass at all?

 

[chickengeorgeto]

They look like they are trying to find a way to take a swing at that strange chicken

 

[No More Empty Nest]

Those are great pics!
So mirror is outside the run, so they can't touch the glass at all?

Right now they can touch it through the hardware cloth because I have a log (more like a cut stump) behind it to hold it there...a temporary set up.

Edit: When I took the pictures it was just leaning up against the hardware cloth and the stump is to the right of the mirror. After taking the pictures I moved the stump over to hold it in place because some wind and rain was in the forecast. Didn't want it to fall over.