Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Shadrach]

My top hen Cleo (4 years old) has been exhibiting some interesting behavior I'd like to share.

In the past five months, there's been three hatches here on our farm. Each and every time, for about a week after the chicks hatch, Cleo goes around clucking in a "broody voice" pecking at the ground, scratching, pulling out little pieces of grass, etc. as though she were teaching baby chicks how to forage and eat. She doesn't do this anywhere near the chicks and the hen who is actually mothering them. She just goes around with her imaginary brood clucking away a few times a day. After a week or so, she stops.

Cleo is unusual among my hens in that she has never once shown a desire to sit on eggs. I didn't have a rooster for about 2.5 years and in that absence, she took over roostering. She has been the one to determine when a new pullets is accepted. She inspects the coop when I make any small changes (new bedding, a roost extension, etc) and makes warning sounds to the others until her inspection is done. When our five month old cockerel, Lucio, was put on the spot to "step up" when his mother and dominant brother tragically died in a freak accident, it was Cleo who "trained" him how to go around the perimeter of the coop area in the evening and make sure it was safe for everyone.

Lucky for me, she is very confident, fair, indifferent to drama or squabbling among the others, and as long as everyone knows she's large and in charge, does not bully.

So I think she's just been too busy roostering to be bothered with setting eggs. But she shows these interesting flashes of "mothering" nonetheless. Has anyone else observed this in a chick-less hen?

View attachment 3508428
Cleo. Monarch of all she surveys.

Yes, very common with the tribes to greater or lesser degrees.
Gedit, the lead hen in Tribe 3 was the strangest example given she had never laid an egg in her life. She did lots of male behaviour and a couple of times I found her sitting on a clutch of eggs.

While most of chicken behaviour is common to all chickens why and when they exhibit the various aspects of it is a fascinating subject.

Fret is doing lots of broody style behaviour but she isn't sitting. Even Lima has made chick come and get what I've found calls.

 

[Perris]

They are BIG boys aren't they! Mine was huge. I called Him Barry White because he was big, black and had such a magnificently deep crow!
I lost them to foxes 2 years ago and have only just managed to source eggs from the Continent. Do you still have yours? It would be useful to know of someone else in the UK that has them!

No I don't; he passed last year. There is someone near Hay-on-Wye who had them - that's where I got mine - but I don't know if she still does, and someone near Leicester. Have you tried searching on preloved/ gumtree etc?

 

[MalSabreur]

The person near Hay on Wye no longer has them. Foxes, same as mine. Someone near Derby used to have them too. I've managed to source eggs from the continent and they should arrive next week. I'm proper excited!

 

[TropicalChickies]

They are BIG boys aren't they! Mine was huge. I called Him Barry White because he was big, black and had such a magnificently deep crow!
I lost them to foxes 2 years ago and have only just managed to source eggs from the Continent. Do you still have yours? It would be useful to know of someone else in the UK that has them!

Barry White, that's awesome. I name a lot of my chicks after musicians and artists. Tina Turner. Joan Jett, Cherie Curie, Lita Ford (the seminal all girl punk band The Runaways). Paco de Lucia. Dusty Springfield (my frizzle). And now I have a Frida Kahlo.

 

[Ladies-Eight]

Ex Batts good morning one and all!

Temperature is in the 80s.

Have a great day!

 

[TropicalChickies]

Yes, very common with the tribes to greater or lesser degrees.
Gedit, the lead hen in Tribe 3 was the strangest example given she had never laid an egg in her life. She did lots of male behaviour and a couple of times I found her sitting on a clutch of eggs.

While most of chicken behaviour is common to all chickens why and when they exhibit the various aspects of it is a fascinating subject.

Fret is doing lots of broody style behaviour but she isn't sitting. Even Lima has made chick come and get what I've found calls.

Yes! With Cleo she seems to know what's needed. When there's a perceived security crisis or change in the order (below her, of course) she goes into roostering mode. When there's new hatchlings, she gets her mothering vibe. I'm sure it all makes perfect sense to her.

 

[HiEverybirdy]

Yes! With Cleo she seems to know what's needed. When there's a perceived security crisis or change in the order (below her, of course) she goes into roostering mode. When there's new hatchlings, she gets her mothering vibe. I'm sure it all makes perfect sense to her.

She's a chicken Zelig!

 

[BDutch]

They are BIG boys aren't they! Mine was huge. I called Him Barry White because he was big, black and had such a magnificently deep crow!
I lost them to foxes 2 years ago and have only just managed to source eggs from the Continent. Do you still have yours? It would be useful to know of someone else in the UK that has them!

Great name.
Where do you live @MalSabreur ? In the UK or in Equador?

 

[BDutch]

Barry White, that's awesome. I name a lot of my chicks after musicians and artists. Tina Turner. Joan Jett, Cherie Curie, Lita Ford (the seminal all girl punk band The Runaways). Paco de Lucia. Dusty Springfield (my frizzle). And now I have a Frida Kahlo.

I have a Janice named after the guitar woman from Sesame street.

 

[MalSabreur]

Great name.
Where do you live @MalSabreur ? In the UK or in Equador?

The UK.