Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[TropicalChickies]

Hi folks, I could use a little help to try and understand some chicken behavior that seems a little strange to me. If anyone has a similar story to relate, I'd love to hear it.

1. I have a completely free range keep and two coops.
--Senior male Lucio roosts in one with 2 junior hens and 2 senior hens (and two chicks). Another cockerel was roosting there too but I rehomed him.
--Junior male Tobias (5 mos old) was roosting in the second coop with his brother Segundo and his sister Prima. A junior hen named Dusty and her two chicks are also using this coop but nesting on the floor.

One week ago, I removed and moved Tobias' brother Segundo to a neighbors new keep up the road. I did it at night, but Tobias saw me do it.

Tobias stayed roosting in his coop with his brother gone for 3 nights.

2 nights ago, he saw me moving a large basket I used to take Segundo out. He totally lost his mind, ran away to the senior coop where he tried to claim a spot on the roost. His sister Prima ran after him. I could hear the seniors throwing them out, a lot of squawking and tussling. It was getting dark so I went over, caught them both and put them in their own coop.

The next night, Tobias went back to the senior coop. This time they let him in. Prima went over there too, but I think she got pecked, so she came back to her own coop and stayed with Dusty and her chicks.

Last night, Tobias went to the senior coop and Prima was outside the junior coop getting ready to go inside and Tobias came over and escorted her to the senior coop. They both spent the night there.

I checked on them at dusk and they were crammed into a the far corner, obviously the lowest in the order.

What the heck is going on here? Why on earth would Tobias leave his coop where he's been roosting for 3 months and can be lord and master to try to join the senior coop where he would be the low man? And why take Prima with him?

I also was serving breakfast to the juniors early by their coop so they could eat in peace and get enough food. Now they have to be on the outskirts of the senior group at breakfast and go back for "leftovers."

Did Tobias get scared I was going to take him away? Or does he just want access to more females --even if he has to be junior to the senior male Lucio?

It just doesn't make sense to me that Tobias would choose to be low man in a senior tribe when he was set up to have his own tribe? He was already mating with Dusty and Prima, the two females in the junior coop.

(I'm bemoaning this to my dear partner and he's like, "Maybe because they're chickens...)

Does anyone have a clue why they would leave their plushy arrangement to be outskirters?

Tobias tidbiting for Prima

Standing guard for Prima and junior hen Frida.

 

[TropicalChickies]

Talking of which, life throws a spanner in any plans or expectations I have had for the flock, so I've learned to be cautious about culling

Yep, that's why even though I only have 6 females, I kept Tobias as a second. Lucio is in his brash and fearless stage, so it seemed wise to keep a back up

 

[TropicalChickies]

Yes multi generation roosters seems to work better. But it depends on the roosters also. I have one coop that is stuffed because birds keep moving in. 3 dominate roosters ago, was very tolerant and the rest have been also. There is a fringe rooster that was a co dominate 2 yrs ago. The dominant died and a younger took over, but tolerates him. A 18 month moved over last fall and he's the co dominate. He's not as tolerant but the old man sneaks in before lockup

Thanks @Molpet and @Perris. These are helpful posts.

 

[Molpet]

I'm not going to make Tobias and Prima sleep in the coop they left. It's their choice -- but does anyone have a clue why they would leave their plushy arrangement to be outskirters?

The more birds the safer. Predator has more choices. An individual has better odds in a group. ... if tolerated. Since his brother is gone safety has become a concern.

I have a 8x24ft coop with the old ladies and a couple last years hens with a chick each and 2 roosters. Most of the last 3 years pullets have moved over to the 8x8 I was talking about above. There was 20 hens and 4 roosters and a turkey hen with 8 poults in that coop this spring. Coyotes got a few and the turkey moved over to the big coop. But it's still too many for my liking.

 

[ManueB]

He's not as tolerant but the old man sneaks in before lockup

I’ve only had roosters for two years and a half ; my experience of the change in dominance was also that the temper of the dominant had a huge impact.
Now my older small, meaner dominated rooster Théo stays outside and does like yours, sneaks in to roost, or when there is a danger.
The way the current dominant rooster Gaston has treated the two cockerels from our may hatch, Pied Beau and Petit Blanc, is incredibly more tolerant than how he grew up being terrified of Théo even as a baby chick and not being allowed at all.

Hi folks, I could use a little help to try and understand some chicken behavior that seems a little strange to me. If anyone has a similar story to relate, I'd love to hear it.

1. I have a completely free range keep and two coops.
--Senior male Lucio roosts in one with 2 junior hens and 2 senior hens (and two chicks). Another cockerel was roosting there too but I rehomed him.
--Junior male Tobias (5 mos old) was roosting in the second coop with his brother Segundo and his sister Prima. A junior hen named Dusty and her two chicks are also using this coop but nesting on the floor.

One week ago, I removed and moved Tobias' brother Segundo to a neighbors new keep up the road. I did it at night, but Tobias saw me do it.

Tobias stayed roosting in his coop with his brother gone for 3 nights.

2 nights ago, he saw me moving a large basket I used to take Segundo out. He totally lost his mind, ran away to the senior coop where he tried to claim a spot on the roost. His sister Prima ran after him. I could hear the seniors throwing them out, a lot of squawking and tussling. It was getting dark so I went over, caught them both and put them in their own coop.

The next night, Tobias went back to the senior coop. This time they let him in. Prima went over there too, but I think she got pecked, so she came back to her own coop and stayed with Dusty and her chicks.

Last night, Tobias went to the senior coop and Prima was outside the junior coop getting ready to go inside and Tobias came over and escorted her to the senior coop. They both spent the night there.

I checked on them at dusk and they were crammed into a the far corner, obviously the lowest in the order.

What the heck is going on here? Why on earth would Tobias leave his coop where he's been roosting for 3 months and can be lord and master to try to join the senior coop where he would be the low man? And why take Prima with him?

I also was serving breakfast to the juniors early by their coop so they could eat in peace and get enough food. Now they have to be on the outskirts of the senior group at breakfast and go back for "leftovers."

Did Tobias get scared I was going to take him away? Or does he just want access to more females --even if he has to be junior to the senior male Lucio?

It just doesn't make sense to me that Tobias would choose to be low man in a senior tribe when he was set up to have his own tribe? He was already mating with Dusty and Prima, the two females in the junior coop.

(I'm bemoaning this to my dear partner and he's like, "Maybe because they're chickens...)

I'm not going to make Tobias and Prima sleep in the coop they left. It's their choice -- but does anyone have a clue why they would leave their plushy arrangement to be outskirters?

View attachment 3650266
Tobias tidbiting for Prima

View attachment 3650272
Standing guard for Prima and junior hen Frida.

Two reactions : i’ve re-homed one of my two cockerels about two weeks ago, the dominant of the hatch. It has had a huge impact on his siblings behaviour ; he has completely transformed his personality since his dominant brother is gone.

And also, i’ve tried since having two roosters to have different tribes and make them roost in different places in all kinds of way, and it has never worked. They all want to stay together in my dusty coop, even if it means getting hurt or struggling to find a place to roost. I think it has to do with safety , the coop feels like a very safe place to them.

 

[TropicalChickies]

The more birds the safer. Predator has more choices. An individual has better odds in a group. ... if tolerated. Since his brother is gone safety has become a concern.

I have a 8x24ft coop with the old ladies and a couple last years hens with a chick each and 2 roosters. Most of the last 3 years pullets have moved over to the 8x8 I was talking about above. There was 20 hens and 4 roosters and a turkey hen with 8 poults in that coop this spring. Coyotes got a few and the turkey moved over to the big coop. But it's still too many for my liking.

Good to know. I think I'm going to try to move Tobias and Prima back over to the junior coop. The complicating factor is that Dusty is injured from mating and I don't want Tobias jumping on her first thing in the morning. I guess she can sleep in the pen until she heals and I fit her with a good saddle. Tobias seems to think I'M the predator and maybe if I move him a couple times and he doesn't die or disappear he'll get that I'm not. Tina's chicks can join them once she weans them -- which is imminent, any day now. The weaned chicks will probably get kicked out of the senior coop anyway.

I really don't want everyone piling up in one coop. It just makes feeding chaotic and cleaning up poop and parasite prevention too much with too many in one place.

 

[TropicalChickies]

I’ve only had roosters for two years and a half ; my experience of the change in dominance was also that the temper of the dominant had a huge impact.
Now my older small, meaner dominated rooster Théo stays outside and does like yours, sneaks in to roost, or when there is a danger.
The way the current dominant rooster Gaston has treated the two cockerels from our may hatch, Pied Beau and Petit Blanc, is incredibly more tolerant than how he grew up being terrified of Théo even as a baby chick and not being allowed at all.

Two reactions : i’ve re-homed one of my two cockerels about two weeks ago, the dominant of the hatch. It has had a huge impact on his siblings behaviour ; he has completely transformed his personality since his dominant brother is gone.

And also, i’ve tried since having two roosters to have different tribes and make them roost in different places in all kinds of way, and it has never worked. They all want to stay together in my dusty coop, even if it means getting hurt or struggling to find a place to roost. I think it has to do with safety , the coop feels like a very safe place to them.

Gah. Sigh. re the last part. I don't want them crammed all together. It's not my style to make them do what I want, but the senior coop is not big enough or intended to keep everyone. Once Tina's chicks are weaned, I'll move them to the junior coop and then there would be 4 juveniles, Tobias, Prima, and Dusty. 7 chickens should be enough for them to feel safer/like a predator would have options.

 

[Molpet]

Good to know. I think I'm going to try to move Tobias and Prima back over to the junior coop. The complicating factor is that Dusty is injured from mating and I don't want Tobias jumping on her first thing in the morning. I guess she can sleep in the pen until she heals and I fit her with a good saddle. Tobias seems to think I'M the predator and maybe if I move him a couple times and he doesn't die or disappear he'll get that I'm not. Tina's chicks can join them once she weans them -- which is imminent, any day now. The weaned chicks will probably get kicked out of the senior coop anyway.

I really don't want everyone piling up in one coop. It just makes feeding chaotic and cleaning up poop and parasite prevention too much with too many in one place.

I had the 4 coops fenced separately from early spring until fall for breeding, before covid. I would move birds around a month before I wanted to set eggs. Some hens wouldn't stay where I wanted them and one would expel the rooster donation immediately after breeding. I figured there was not any point in keeping them in there and let them go back.
When I opened the fences some hens, from a certain coop, would go back and take a new friend hen back to the 8x8 I was talking about before.
I was trying for a dz hens and 2 roosters.
Two 8x8 coops had around 20 hens, it's hard to count but I think one had over 2dz.....third had 8 hens , this is th coop most leave....and the biggest had a dz.

 

[ManueB]

Gah. Sigh. re the last part. I don't want them crammed all together. It's not my style to make them do what I want, but the senior coop is not big enough or intended to keep everyone. Once Tina's chicks are weaned, I'll move them to the junior coop and then there would be 4 juveniles, Tobias, Prima, and Dusty. 7 chickens should be enough for them to feel safer/like a predator would have options.

I think the fact that it didn't work at my place seem to be the exception, and not the rule, at least from what I have read around here.

And my coop is more or less 18m2 so while it may not be confortable, it is big enough for 18 chickens.

 

[Perris]

It just doesn't make sense to me that Tobias would choose to be low man in a senior tribe when he was set up to have his own tribe? He was already mating with Dusty and Prima, the two females in the junior coop.

Does anyone have a clue why they would leave their plushy arrangement to be outskirters?

Because they want to stay as one flock and you're trying to divide them into 2.

The more birds the safer.

Exactly. Natural flocks are up to 30, then they start to split.

They all want to stay together

Exactly.

I really don't want everyone piling up in one coop. It just makes feeding chaotic and cleaning up poop and parasite prevention too much with too many in one place.

I don't want them crammed all together. It's not my style to make them do what I want, but the senior coop is not big enough or intended to keep everyone.

Can you move the smaller coop next to the bigger one? My 4 sit near each other, and there is no hard and fast pattern of who roosts where or with whom. They have friends they want to be with, and fall out occasionally, and ones they want to avoid etc.

You can force them to do what you want, as Molpet first did for breeding, but you can't make them like the groups you form.