observation of birds coming off roost?

[centrarchid]

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I am pretty sure flights being made are not difficult at all for these guys (genetics a major factor). They can fly several times farther when frightened. They can beat world record easy of 308 feet. Proving is another matter.

 

[centrarchid]

Here is a video I am not embarressed to post. It is a bit long with action all at end. Hopefully I will figure how to edit.

Sallie (female - first) and Eduardo (male - second) demonstrate flying ability from roost to roof of Cackle Gang roost (Sallie) and straw bale of feeding station (Eduardo) on 2011 January 21 at 0720. Distance covered for both approximately 120 feet with change in altitude of plus 8 feet (Sallie) and plus 2 feet (Eduardo). Sallie produced a trimmed out flight virtually throughout while Eduardo sustained vectored thrust (high angle of attack with frequent wing flapping) to stay aloft for at least last half of flight. Both birds could have flown much farther with ease in a trimmed out flight.

 

[emys]

Nice video. Sallie seems quite agile for a chicken. Is she currently laying or on hiatus? Eduardo was more like I expected - lower and slower - maybe not slower, but more effort required.

 

[centrarchid]

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Both birds young adult, Sallie not laying eggs yet. Both birds flying at near stall speed, about as slow as they can go. This weekend will estimate flight speed. When properly motivated, even the rooster can put out a fast level flight that I think can double speed shown. Such flights leave birds throughly exhausted and start with a great deal of vocalization. This breed is small enough roosters are not compromised relative to hens when it comes to flight.

 

[Minniechickmama]

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Actually, snow is like an insulation once it covers something, so his feet would have been kept relatively warmer under the snow that on top of it in the cold air. Hence the reason igloos are used as shelter.

 

[centrarchid]

Quote:
Actually, snow is like an insulation once it covers something, so his feet would have been kept relatively warmer under the snow that on top of it in the cold air. Hence the reason igloos are used as shelter.

It looses insulatory value when contact with stuff causes it to melt. Melting process extracts heat from environement (Dave's feet). Would work as insulation if no contact.

 

[Jasmine130]

That's one of my favorite chicken activities. That and going UP to the roost.

My chooks duck their heads in and out of the door, looking each way several times before they come down the ramp. They start out with good intentions and say "the heck with this!" and fly the rest of the way down. My salmon fave starts darting around in circles to greet the day. My EE is more mellow, and my Silkie of course is the mellowest of all 3. She watches the other 2 do their morning dance, she kind of purrs and then takes her sweet time coming down the ramp.

Night-time, Silkie is up the ramp first and waits in the opening. The others call up to her, kind of saying, get outta the way, we wanna come up! Silkie doesn't budge. Salmon fave and EE say, fine then, here we come. They strut up the ramp, squeeze by Silkie and spend a LOT of time settling down. Here, you go this way, I'll go that way. No, I wanna be next to you. Wait let's go up another level. I don't know, I like it down there better. Wait wait for me! It takes 5-10 mins of fussing about this, that and the other thing before they go silent.

Love it!

 

[TheSpiceGirls]

I was outside very early one morning and woke the girls up. I wasn't looking inside the coop to see them dismount from their roosting bar, but I sure heard it. THUD. THUD. THUD. THUD.

They are only 12 weeks old so still babies but they sounded like emu's jumping down off that two foot high roosting bar.

 

[centrarchid]

Here is next effort to observe birds coming off roost. Primary effort to record sounds immediately prior to launch. It is long but intended to record pre-launch vocalizations I attempted (very poorly) to immitate. Launch occurs relatively late in recording at approximately 4 minutes 4 seconds.

First quality recording also attached to keep from being buried in thread.

 

[centrarchid]

Getting close to end of my inputs on this thread as objective has been accomplished. Following video shows Eduardo and Sallie flying to porch where roost is located. Both took from ground flying low for entire flight. Flight seems burdened. Will determine weight differential when crop, gut and intestinal tract are filled versus empty. Actually gut of chicken almost insignificant but.......

Both still well below weight of full maturity for their line. Full adult hens push 4.5 to 5 lbs and roosters 5 to 6 lbs. Looks like it will take the usual 8 months to reach mature weight. So much for trying to push them with the high powered feeds plus free range.

Shortly after they settled on roost both birds were measured for weight.

Weight at Dusk (2011 January 22 1800 h)
Eduardo - 1929 g = 4 lb 4 oz
Sallie - 1309 g = 2 lb 14 oz

EDIT: Weight measured again.
Weight at Dawn (2011 January 23 0600 h))
Eduardo - 1858 g = 4 lb 2 oz
Sallie - 1265 g = 2 lb 12 oz


Crops were depleted before midnight and just a couple hour later abdomen was no longer tight. I consider this to mean they we operating on fat reserves only starting at least four hours before dawn.

I did math and birds lost just over 3% of weight by morning they started with last night. I weigh 270 lbs so to do similar a loss of more than 9 lbs would be required. That is a lot.