Nashv755
Songster
- Apr 10, 2020
- 219
- 583
- 176
I have an opportunity to experiment with a little cockerel that I believe imprented on me. From the day I moved him from the incubator he has been clingy, wanting to be held to sleep and even stand outside my front door squeaking at me despite the others going to the brooder at night. I keep chicks in a glass brooder and turn them loose to free rangewith during the day with the big birds at about 2mo. But he's pushing 4mo now getting into the holy terror for the poor hen's stage. I'm playing around with positive reinforcement because at the moment he has enough attachment to me at 4mo that I can kick him away from an unwilling hen and he will immediately fly into my hand if I hold it out. Because he's gotten past the point where he'll follow me like a lost puppy around the yard. Maybe I can teach him what I won't tolerate but at the same time I'm not a threat. Kind of the same concept of if I'm forced to scold him for something but I don't mean any harm to him but won't tolerate that behavior.
He comes from my 2 friendliest birds. To put it into perspective. The hen brings her new hatched chicks to me (3 hatches last year) as soon as she leaves the nest with them and they run to me or her when an alarm call goes out depending on who is closer and no other chickens. The father has a rooster type of respect where he doesn't want to be touched but hangs out within feet of me and watch's the flock. When walking towards him and say his name I've actually got to step over his tail walking by (he's a Phoenix, long tail) and I move him and 3 other hens off the coop door every night to shut the door and he stands up and steps back on my hand when his name is called. Last fall we had a small hawk attack, it was after a song bird but the chickens were under the tree it happened in. I was standing halfway between the attack and home. The hen's flew back to the house to safty and he landed and stayed beside me with his chest puffed and wings pointed at the ground facing the hawk as the hen's went into hiding.
He comes from my 2 friendliest birds. To put it into perspective. The hen brings her new hatched chicks to me (3 hatches last year) as soon as she leaves the nest with them and they run to me or her when an alarm call goes out depending on who is closer and no other chickens. The father has a rooster type of respect where he doesn't want to be touched but hangs out within feet of me and watch's the flock. When walking towards him and say his name I've actually got to step over his tail walking by (he's a Phoenix, long tail) and I move him and 3 other hens off the coop door every night to shut the door and he stands up and steps back on my hand when his name is called. Last fall we had a small hawk attack, it was after a song bird but the chickens were under the tree it happened in. I was standing halfway between the attack and home. The hen's flew back to the house to safty and he landed and stayed beside me with his chest puffed and wings pointed at the ground facing the hawk as the hen's went into hiding.
