Ribh's D'Coopage

[RoyalChick]

I've got a question. If you pick up one of your hens; she needs to be of egg laying age, when you put her down does she shake herself as if adjusting her feathers?

Yes. All mine do that - like putting themselves to rights after 'an unfortunate encounter'.
And my cats all lick themselves after I touch them - like they are ridding themselves of my scent even if they initiated contact.
Hurtful in a way, but I am resigned - I pay for the food, I get cuddles if I want them and everyone just has to accept that deal.

 

[Grammy60]

Good evening everyone

Love seeing your progress with your birds

 

[BY Bob]

I've got a question. If you pick up one of your hens; she needs to be of egg laying age, when you put her down does she shake herself as if adjusting her feathers?

Absolutely. Everytime. If one squats and I just pat their back, they shake and adjust their feathers.

 

[Shadrach]

Sunrise this morning...
View attachment 2033613View attachment 2033614

I thought for some reason you had snow.

 

[Shadrach]

Yes. All mine do that - like putting themselves to rights after 'an unfortunate encounter'.
And my cats all lick themselves after I touch them - like they are ridding themselves of my scent even if they initiated contact.
Hurtful in a way, but I am resigned - I pay for the food, I get cuddles if I want them and everyone just has to accept that deal.

Absolutely. Everytime. If one squats and I just pat their back, they shake and adjust their feathers.

Hens do this shake after mating to locate the roosters sperm in the oviduct.
It's reasonable to assume then that if you pick a hen up she believes a mating has taken place. I have read it happens, but I have never seen two hens mating but I've read it happens.
So as far as the hen is concerned no matter what your gender is, she sees you as male.
I'm fairly certain that the roosters here see me as female.
I'm not in the pecking order as such and the hens belong to Cillin and all the other roosters so I'm not really the boss either.
They somehow seem to manage to fit people and other animals into their social world.

 

[Shadrach]

Nolia's last night time inspection tonight. I bet she's pleased.
This morning by feel her crop felt empty. She's eat well. She's with her tribe and her colour and posture are good. She got her legs oiled tonight, vent checked and throat checked.
I need to see an egg from her next.

 

[Ribh]

Nolia's last night time inspection tonight. I bet she's pleased.
This morning by feel her crop felt empty. She's eat well. She's with her tribe and her colour and posture are good. She got her legs oiled tonight, vent checked and throat checked.
I need to see an egg from her next.

View attachment 2033951View attachment 2033952View attachment 2033954

She's looking good. Very spry & alert. Well done.

 

[Ribh]

Hens do this shake after mating to locate the roosters sperm in the oviduct.
It's reasonable to assume then that if you pick a hen up she believes a mating has taken place. I have read it happens, but I have never seen two hens mating but I've read it happens.
So as far as the hen is concerned no matter what your gender is, she sees you as male.
I'm fairly certain that the roosters here see me as female.
I'm not in the pecking order as such and the hens belong to Cillin and all the other roosters so I'm not really the boss either.
They somehow seem to manage to fit people and other animals into their social world.

I know if a hen squats for me & I stroke her I get the feather shake but I'm pretty certain it doesn't always happen when I pick them up & put them down. Lottie doesn't ever squat for me & doesn't do the feather shake on handling either. Suyin squats for me but she's one hen who actively seeks me out for pats & she doesn't feather shake just for being picked up & petted. I'm waiting on a break in our weather & I'll go out & do some double checking but I'm pretty sure I don't get it all the time.

I have read it happens, but I have never seen two hens mating but I've read it happens.

I had never seen this either. You said bringing in a mature hen with pullets could be interesting. I saw this I think the 2nd day ~ I've kept it in mind to mention because I thought it was odd but lots of other, more important stuff happening. Morrigu looked to be attempting to mate one of the Araucanas. I noted it mostly because I suspected it was more about dominance than sex as both Araucanas began to lay on arrival & Morrigu was looking to be top hen. Beatha accepted 2nd position but now everyone is in the big coop all the Campines have slipped down the pecking order. This doesn't surprise me. None of the Campines I've owned have been really dominance minded birds.

 

[Ribh]

Sunrise this morning...
View attachment 2033613View attachment 2033614

Beautiful!

 

[Ribh]

Yes. All mine do that - like putting themselves to rights after 'an unfortunate encounter'.
And my cats all lick themselves after I touch them - like they are ridding themselves of my scent even if they initiated contact.
Hurtful in a way, but I am resigned - I pay for the food, I get cuddles if I want them and everyone just has to accept that deal.

Actually you may find your cats are actually mingling scents. There will be a *family* scent that identifies everyone as *belonging.*