I have all females and I.ve seen them trying to mate.
The other hens circle around to watch.
Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.
- Thread starter Shadrach
- Start date
I have all females and I.ve seen them trying to mate.
The other hens circle around to watch.
Ex Batts good morning one and all!
Temperature is in the 80s.
Have a great day!
Temperature is in the 80s.
Have a great day!
This is weird
Interview with artist who is making theater for chickens. Interesting fact: chickens have the intelligence of a 7 year old child. (source; NRC newspaper https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2023/09/06/er-is-een-kans-dat-kippen-mijn-kippentheater-waarderen-a4173635):
Interview with artist who is making theater for chickens. Interesting fact: chickens have the intelligence of a 7 year old child. (source; NRC newspaper https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2023/09/06/er-is-een-kans-dat-kippen-mijn-kippentheater-waarderen-a4173635):
Interview
"There is a chance that chickens appreciate my chicken theater."Anne Hofstra | Theater MakerAnne Hofstra changed her life to create 'Kip,' a theater performance for chickens. Her question was: can chickens experience wonder and find art beautiful?Ron RijghardSeptember 6, 2023Reading time: 4 minutes
Anne Hofstra (30) creates theater for chickens. Noticeably for, not with, like Wim T. Schippers did with dogs in his legendary 1986 production "Going to the Dogs." The chickens are the audience. In her performance, "Kip" (Chicken), Hofstra makes music and dances, tailored to what chickens might appreciate. The provocative question posed by "Kip," which can be seen at the Amsterdam Fringe Festival next week, is: What do chickens find beautiful?
The inspiration for "Kip" stemmed from a societal issue that Hofstra contemplated: why do humans take center stage on Earth, rather than nature? Shouldn't we shift from anthropocentric to ecocentric thinking? Hofstra worked as a concept developer at Mediamatic, an institution focused on new developments in art and culture, particularly in biotechnology and bio-art. However, she wanted to explore whether artists could produce knowledge themselves.
The first step was quitting her job. "Because of that, I also had to give up my home. I completely changed my life to be able to create this theater performance for chickens. I thought: if I can succeed in making theater for chickens and thus make chickens marvel at art, that would truly be ecocentric."
She embarked on research. "For six weeks, I lived among the chickens at Doornburgh estate in Maarssen. I was there from early morning until late at night, but I slept elsewhere because these chickens sleep in trees. I sang songs for them, played music, danced for them, showed them colors, and let them smell scents. In addition, I conducted regular research, talking to scientists and chicken keepers."
How was it to live among chickens?"It was quite sad to be alone among chickens for so long as a human. I have never felt so distinctly human."
Why did you choose chickens?"The first reason is that I found chickens to be very unintelligent. They are a sort of not-quite-a-bird but still a bird. I thought: if I can make theater for chickens, then it can work for all animals. Additionally, chickens are close to humans. There are more chickens on Earth than humans, so everyone can relate to a chicken. Also, I had to be able and willing to be with those animals for six weeks, and strangely enough, chickens fit that bill."
What's funny about chickens?"It's funny how little expression they have. It's incredibly difficult to humanize them. With dogs or cats, and most mammals, you sometimes feel like you see a smile. Not with chickens. That's why you rarely see them in cartoons."
What did you learn about chickens?"I quickly discovered that chickens are much smarter than we think. Research by biologists shows that chickens have an understanding of numbers, so they can do some basic counting, and logic, at the level of a seven-year-old human. Chickens have a sense of time, knowing past, present, and future. Moreover, they see more colors than we do and have a wider field of vision, up to about 300 degrees. They can also detect magnetic fields, which helps them orient themselves.
"And it's not like they're just clucking randomly. Meaning can be distinguished in their communication. For example, they have specific sounds for certain predators. They have a kind of happy and a kind of scared."
So chickens have emotions?"Absolutely. According to a researcher, chickens can become depressed. And it looks very similar to how it does in humans: they move less and cluck less. And if you give them an antidepressant, it works."
How did you investigate whether they like theater?"I performed certain rhythms and movements and noted their reactions. Is there a pattern, a code? Calm, small movements worked well."
Did your chicken suit help?"They did come up to me sometimes. Often, they would stand and watch. But that could also be because I sometimes gave them food. It's super difficult to distinguish whether they find something beautiful or ugly or whether they even care. But there is a chance that they appreciate what I'm doing."
What is your conclusion?"My question was: can chickens experience wonder and find art beautiful? And there is reason to believe that they can. But the naive me who started with this plan had to mourn the fact that you can never be sure."
Read also: Interview with Mystha Mandersloot, featuring her 'Abortusverhalen' at the Fringe.Why do you choose to present this to a human audience?"An important step was taking chickens seriously and forming a connection with them. That's a story I want people to experience as well."
Does this approach succeed in conveying that an ecocentric way of life is possible?"That's a difficult question. The performance is not primarily for people. On the other hand, the performance is mostly about me. So, that part didn't work. But it's a step.
"I was afraid that 'Kip' would become a gimmick, but there are so many philosophical questions that arise. How do you navigate things you don't know? What is connection? What do you know about the other, what don't you know? And what are your methods of communication? Additionally, I hope people learn something about chickens: that they are not dumb animals but have their own lives and inner worlds."
What will the performance look like?"The venue has two opposing stands, one for people and one for chickens. I'll perform in between, with my back to the people. There is also a coop for chickens that don't want to come watch.
"In the structure, we aim to create an arc for the chickens: from a sort of euphoria to a valley where things are tense and a bit scary. But it will turn out well."
Sounds like a romantic comedy."Perhaps. It will be difficult for people to grasp the arc. But the goal is to bring something beautiful to the chickens."
What if all the chickens aren't interested?"I won't force them. Just as I don't force people to come watch. But I hope the performance is enjoyable enough that they want to see it."
"Kip," by Anne Hofstra. With Willem Wits and Doke Pauwels. From September 8 to 17 at the Amsterdam Fringe Festival. Info: amsterdamfringefestival.nl.
"There is a chance that chickens appreciate my chicken theater."Anne Hofstra | Theater MakerAnne Hofstra changed her life to create 'Kip,' a theater performance for chickens. Her question was: can chickens experience wonder and find art beautiful?Ron RijghardSeptember 6, 2023Reading time: 4 minutes
Anne Hofstra (30) creates theater for chickens. Noticeably for, not with, like Wim T. Schippers did with dogs in his legendary 1986 production "Going to the Dogs." The chickens are the audience. In her performance, "Kip" (Chicken), Hofstra makes music and dances, tailored to what chickens might appreciate. The provocative question posed by "Kip," which can be seen at the Amsterdam Fringe Festival next week, is: What do chickens find beautiful?
The inspiration for "Kip" stemmed from a societal issue that Hofstra contemplated: why do humans take center stage on Earth, rather than nature? Shouldn't we shift from anthropocentric to ecocentric thinking? Hofstra worked as a concept developer at Mediamatic, an institution focused on new developments in art and culture, particularly in biotechnology and bio-art. However, she wanted to explore whether artists could produce knowledge themselves.
The first step was quitting her job. "Because of that, I also had to give up my home. I completely changed my life to be able to create this theater performance for chickens. I thought: if I can succeed in making theater for chickens and thus make chickens marvel at art, that would truly be ecocentric."
She embarked on research. "For six weeks, I lived among the chickens at Doornburgh estate in Maarssen. I was there from early morning until late at night, but I slept elsewhere because these chickens sleep in trees. I sang songs for them, played music, danced for them, showed them colors, and let them smell scents. In addition, I conducted regular research, talking to scientists and chicken keepers."
How was it to live among chickens?"It was quite sad to be alone among chickens for so long as a human. I have never felt so distinctly human."
Why did you choose chickens?"The first reason is that I found chickens to be very unintelligent. They are a sort of not-quite-a-bird but still a bird. I thought: if I can make theater for chickens, then it can work for all animals. Additionally, chickens are close to humans. There are more chickens on Earth than humans, so everyone can relate to a chicken. Also, I had to be able and willing to be with those animals for six weeks, and strangely enough, chickens fit that bill."
What's funny about chickens?"It's funny how little expression they have. It's incredibly difficult to humanize them. With dogs or cats, and most mammals, you sometimes feel like you see a smile. Not with chickens. That's why you rarely see them in cartoons."
What did you learn about chickens?"I quickly discovered that chickens are much smarter than we think. Research by biologists shows that chickens have an understanding of numbers, so they can do some basic counting, and logic, at the level of a seven-year-old human. Chickens have a sense of time, knowing past, present, and future. Moreover, they see more colors than we do and have a wider field of vision, up to about 300 degrees. They can also detect magnetic fields, which helps them orient themselves.
"And it's not like they're just clucking randomly. Meaning can be distinguished in their communication. For example, they have specific sounds for certain predators. They have a kind of happy and a kind of scared."
So chickens have emotions?"Absolutely. According to a researcher, chickens can become depressed. And it looks very similar to how it does in humans: they move less and cluck less. And if you give them an antidepressant, it works."
How did you investigate whether they like theater?"I performed certain rhythms and movements and noted their reactions. Is there a pattern, a code? Calm, small movements worked well."
Did your chicken suit help?"They did come up to me sometimes. Often, they would stand and watch. But that could also be because I sometimes gave them food. It's super difficult to distinguish whether they find something beautiful or ugly or whether they even care. But there is a chance that they appreciate what I'm doing."
What is your conclusion?"My question was: can chickens experience wonder and find art beautiful? And there is reason to believe that they can. But the naive me who started with this plan had to mourn the fact that you can never be sure."
Read also: Interview with Mystha Mandersloot, featuring her 'Abortusverhalen' at the Fringe.Why do you choose to present this to a human audience?"An important step was taking chickens seriously and forming a connection with them. That's a story I want people to experience as well."
Does this approach succeed in conveying that an ecocentric way of life is possible?"That's a difficult question. The performance is not primarily for people. On the other hand, the performance is mostly about me. So, that part didn't work. But it's a step.
"I was afraid that 'Kip' would become a gimmick, but there are so many philosophical questions that arise. How do you navigate things you don't know? What is connection? What do you know about the other, what don't you know? And what are your methods of communication? Additionally, I hope people learn something about chickens: that they are not dumb animals but have their own lives and inner worlds."
What will the performance look like?"The venue has two opposing stands, one for people and one for chickens. I'll perform in between, with my back to the people. There is also a coop for chickens that don't want to come watch.
"In the structure, we aim to create an arc for the chickens: from a sort of euphoria to a valley where things are tense and a bit scary. But it will turn out well."
Sounds like a romantic comedy."Perhaps. It will be difficult for people to grasp the arc. But the goal is to bring something beautiful to the chickens."
What if all the chickens aren't interested?"I won't force them. Just as I don't force people to come watch. But I hope the performance is enjoyable enough that they want to see it."
"Kip," by Anne Hofstra. With Willem Wits and Doke Pauwels. From September 8 to 17 at the Amsterdam Fringe Festival. Info: amsterdamfringefestival.nl.
Mornings have always been tough with our cockerels. They're extra pushy on the coop ramps. Many outgrow it, I guess? Three-year-old Stilton does a couple wing drops at the bottom of the ramp before strutting off to explore the yard. But 2-year-old rooster Merle Hagbird is still a bit much in the a.m. We have him leave the run first thing so the girls can greet the day sans harassment.He's much better. I think the combination of losing an older hen (Butchie) and the lice I treated had really made him extra edgy for a week or so. I repeated the lice treatment a few days ago to kill any hatched nymphs and gave the coop are a cleaning and sulfur dust treatment as well.
I'm extra busy foreman-ing a building project so to break the two broodies I had to completely close off their laying area (which was in a really stupid spot right behind our outdoor shower anyway). Yesterday Lucio gallantly showed Frida, the only layer right now), where she could put her eggs, in a much more appropriate spot -- the nest next to their coop I provided! Thank you, Lucio!
But with four hens of his harem not mating with him right now (2 mothering 3 week old chicks and 2 broodies I'm trying to break), in the early mornings he's quite desperate to mate. There's a lot of chasing and running about at the crack of dawn, and at this point I know if he doesn't get one of them, I'm next...
He hasn't flown at me or tried to flog or shown any real aggression since I treated his lice and he stopped looking for Butchie. But in the mornings I'll sometimes get a mating charge. Which I understand is not aggression, but it's not really the first thing Im looking forward to at 6am. So the best deterrent I've found is an empty plastic water bottle. When he charges me, I stand still and make a racket beating the empty bottle against the palm of my hand. This seemed to register to him that "hens don't make that sound."
I felt sort of absurd being so noisy, but it worked. Now he just sees the bottle and walks away.
Here's a video [I've posted before] of his morning roo-tine.
He's perfectly pleasant after stomps & shuffles are out of his system. However, as a youngster, he'd charge in the morning if I accidentally crossed his invisible-to-me boundaries.
One morning on a reflex, I dropped the coop keys in front of him. Merle pulled up short, and we both learned jingling keys were a great way to startle him out of a charge.
I only had to drop the keys 2-3 times. Now he charges around me. Or he'll stop suddenly, look embarrassed, and do a U-turn and charge the other direction. Your water bottle noise might be in the same genre, since hens don't jingle keys any more than they slap water bottles.
Merle's something, though. Of all the chickens, he's been the easiest to train. Not that I usually intentionally train chickens, beyond getting them to run to me for treats, but I've done training a few times with Merle.
He went through a bad biting phase. At a loss as to how to deter the behavior, I found myself booping his beak with each peck. At first, he treated it like a game (no problem as long as I remembered to wear thick pants). He'd walk up, regard my leg, then rear back and slam. My index finger was at the ready to tap his beak, just hard enough to push his head down slightly. We'd do this 2 minutes a stretch: BITE, boop, BITE, boop, BITE, boop. Then he'd wander off. Within 2 days, he was no longer a biter.
I've never seen a cockerel give up on aggression so quickly so tried something else for kicks: clicker training. It only took him 60 seconds to learn to peck a target for treats. The only other chicken who's wanted to try clicker training took 10 minutes to get the same concept.
I won't call Merle "smart" because of how rapidly he chooses to respect what a human asks, but it's a helpful trait. And he's handsome to boot
Keep up the good work with your water bottle, and hopefully Lucio will observe your boundaries on the long term.
This article is amazing. Thank you for sharing.
I feel seen!
Though I might say consciousness boosting instead of sad.
Very weird!
Especially quitting the job and getting rid of the home.
Dancing for chickens is strange too. I have been known to dance for wasps in the poultry yard LOL
https://fb.watch/mVRKHxLUG4/?mibextid=NnVzG8
Dancing chickens... Ballet people in costumes
Dancing chickens... Ballet people in costumes
- Thread starter
- #17,539
It did and quite quickly.
- Thread starter
- #17,540
Some humans have the intelligence of a 7 year old, but most chickens manage to achieve this with ease.
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