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A quick update. It's been just about 4 weeks now since the chukar has been mingling with the 3 chickens. It's still around and appears to be a success! I kept the chukar in the coop for a week while the girls go outside to try to imprint its new home. I left the door open after the one week and it pops its head out to take a look before trotting down the ramp. I knew I wouldn't have a problem encouraging it to come out because it would raise a ruckus when left alone but settle down once the girls were back. The true test was later that evening at bed time. It spent some time near the edge of the door, not sure if it should go in, but sure enough it came in and settled right in. There's plenty of roosts and floor space to share among the three pullets.
There is a little bit of feather picking, but I expected as much since it's so small and rather docile. The #3 hen has some insecurity issues and has to remind everyone it's still #3 from time to time. Other than that it thinks it's just like one of the chickens and will peck at treats along with the alpha hen that's easily 3-4x its size.
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So I went out to sit in the run with the chicks and notice this bird on the roof of the shed. Never seen this kind before so I was watching it as it flew down to graze. After a few minutes, it started walking directly toward us, and stopped a couple of feet from the run. Long story short, the bird has been up to the fence, and all around the run for the last hour. It's just finished watching the girls dustbath.
Any ideas? Not very afraid of humans either. It's walked within 3 ft of me while sitting in the run, and I could get about 8 ft of it outside before it became uncomfortable.
Here's a crop.
A quick update. It's been just about 4 weeks now since the chukar has been mingling with the 3 chickens. It's still around and appears to be a success! I kept the chukar in the coop for a week while the girls go outside to try to imprint its new home. I left the door open after the one week and it pops its head out to take a look before trotting down the ramp. I knew I wouldn't have a problem encouraging it to come out because it would raise a ruckus when left alone but settle down once the girls were back. The true test was later that evening at bed time. It spent some time near the edge of the door, not sure if it should go in, but sure enough it came in and settled right in. There's plenty of roosts and floor space to share among the three pullets.
There is a little bit of feather picking, but I expected as much since it's so small and rather docile. The #3 hen has some insecurity issues and has to remind everyone it's still #3 from time to time. Other than that it thinks it's just like one of the chickens and will peck at treats along with the alpha hen that's easily 3-4x its size.
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So I went out to sit in the run with the chicks and notice this bird on the roof of the shed. Never seen this kind before so I was watching it as it flew down to graze. After a few minutes, it started walking directly toward us, and stopped a couple of feet from the run. Long story short, the bird has been up to the fence, and all around the run for the last hour. It's just finished watching the girls dustbath.
Any ideas? Not very afraid of humans either. It's walked within 3 ft of me while sitting in the run, and I could get about 8 ft of it outside before it became uncomfortable.
Here's a crop.
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