Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[MrsNorthie]

This is something that may be instinctive but I have a feeling that the finer points may be learned from a senior rooster. Will Dig learn from the short amount of time he has out and about remains to be seen.

I think a lot is instinctive, my boys did not have the benefit of an experienced senior rooster, but they started herding and guarding the girls at a young age. (it was not always completely gentlemanly, though..) It could be related to space, if you had been around when Henry was a little cockerel, and they had more freedom of movement, he would likely do it more. Ours have the luxury of being out, in a relatively large area all day, everyday, so that natural instinct had a reason to develop.

Dig was being very brave and smart to get up on something higher to appear bigger to Spoko! I wonder if he is taking on the "First Line of defense" role, like Spud or if it was instinct to protect his bucket boy or just youthful curiosity?

Ours are so used to our dogs, they greet them (through the wire..), then go on about their business. The dogs sniff them back, wag their tails and then carry on with their walk. Ribbies used to laydown by the wire with his nose against it, waiting for his "peeps" to come say hi.

 

[Perris]

Skomer isn't following Shad's rule about bathing, or Dyffryn and Whitford aren't

Maybe it's because he's a youngster: 23 weeks old today.

 

[Perris]

I think Idris, also 23 weeks today, knows she's cute

who me?

 

[Perris]

And the third of the clutch, Betws, just keeps a low profile and is becoming harder to distinguish from her mum and her SFH sisters

 

[fluffycrow]

Maybe it's because he's a youngster

I am inclined to believe the same. I think I've mentioned this before, but I unintentionally created a really dry dust bath area for the birds at the very end of the summer. Lady Gaga, who was quite younger than Skomer at the time, would be the first to use it. The older males never touched it

 

[BDutch]

We have a little snow today. (Melting already).

The chickens were very chicken this morning. Instead of going into the run, they all went in the tiny coop probably to hide for the big white monster.
Crowded like in an enriched battery cage.

Unfortunately my mobile was inside the house.

When I brought some food they dare to come outside.

Janice was the last scared chicken to come out the tiny coop.

 

[fuzzi]

We've had a change in leadership. The previous boss Joel was hiding in the back of the coop yesterday, and Samuel was serenading the hens.

I thought some of you might appreciate the body language here:

Samuel's been practicing his crow, it's getting better. That's Joel on the right, making himself look small and turning away from Samuel's stare.

I checked Joel. No injuries as far as I can tell, no pests either...a bloodless coup?
(no pun intended)

Last night Joel's favorite, Hannah, was roosting next to him, away from the others. Aw.

 

[Perris]

how old are those boys? not yet a year?

 

[fuzzi]

how old are those boys? not yet a year?

They were hatched on February 27th last year, so almost 11 months.

 

[Perris]

still settling into their roles then; they are probably not ready yet to really fight - if you're lucky, through this sort of probing and testing, one will be happy to play sub, and they'll be able to rub along together peacefully, unless and until the one that plays dom meets with some misfortune and the one that plays sub needs to step up then.