Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[MrsNorthie]

Thank you; this is really interesting! I figured that at some point, cockerels might start getting the stink-eye from the senior hens, but I had no idea how it would play out.

And it never made sense to me that male baby chicks were being “friendly”! I just figured that they were being inquisitive, and that got anthropomorphized into affectionate.

Note: I am hoping to take Avian Ecology and Behavior, taught by my advisor, next spring (and final) semester. This is all getting me a jump-start on things.

We have 6 males, 2-2y/o roosters(Spud and Goldie), 1 - 18 months(Squeaky) (there were 2 others in this group that were not compatible with a harmonious tribe, nor were they tolerant of us (mostly the TET who still has scars.) doing any thing, like clean up, feeding, water filling, etc.) and 3 - 8 months, (Tater, Walnut and Gin Gin).

The 3 oldest were purchased as part of 2 separate straight runs as 2-day old chicks, the first 2 groups were raised in my office until they were fully feathered. The 3 cockerels were hatched here last year and raised by the tribe, we were almost completely hands off with this group. All 6 are extremely tolerant of our presence, they are comfortable eating out of our hands. Spud and Gin Gin are cuddle bugs, the others like to hang out with us and will join the girls in roosting around me when I sit down there, but they don't want to roost on me or have a lot of physical contact, but they will "Chat" with us and are very calm and secure in our presence.

We have groups of girls from the same 3 age groups, they are not afraid to spurn the advances of any of the boys and are all very friendly with each other and they love the evenings when I go down and just sit on one of the out door roosts, they join me and coo and socialize. There isn't any "pecking order squabbles", maybe because they have enough room to really spread out to different areas, and swap groups freely. The boys work together and independently to make sure that none of the girls are out on their own and they take turns answering the escort calls and supervising egg laying. (and they all join in singing the Egg Song.) All the boys supervise the girls eating and wait until the girls go off to lay their eggs in the morning or chill with me on the roosts to take turns eating. All the boys work to find treats and tidbit the girls. Even now, with spring-madness, it is very zen in chicken land.

Even though the oldest and the youngest were raised very differently and have individual personalities, they all get along. I loved watching Spud take the juveniles under his wing and teaching them and he is still teaching them, mostly gently, when they get a little pushy with any of the hens. All the hens crouch when Spud walks by, but if any of the other lads tries to mate with the hens, as long as it isn't grabby, Spud does not intervene. If it gets a little grabby then all the boys intervene to protect the hen I think the dominant's personality and leadership style has a lot to do with the behaviour and acceptance of the cockerels. (yes, I do adore the boys. I love them all but the boys are special.)

 

[ChaosMom]

We have 6 males, 2-2y/o roosters(Spud and Goldie), 1 - 18 months(Squeaky) (there were 2 others in this group that were not compatible with a harmonious tribe, nor were they tolerant of us (mostly the TET who still has scars.) doing any thing, like clean up, feeding, water filling, etc.) and 3 - 8 months, (Tater, Walnut and Gin Gin).

The 3 oldest were purchased as part of 2 separate straight runs as 2-day old chicks, the first 2 groups were raised in my office until they were fully feathered. The 3 cockerels were hatched here last year and raised by the tribe, we were almost completely hands off with this group. All 6 are extremely tolerant of our presence, they are comfortable eating out of our hands. Spud and Gin Gin are cuddle bugs, the others like to hang out with us and will join the girls in roosting around me when I sit down there, but they don't want to roost on me or have a lot of physical contact, but they will "Chat" with us and are very calm and secure in our presence.

We have groups of girls from the same 3 age groups, they are not afraid to spurn the advances of any of the boys and are all very friendly with each other and they love the evenings when I go down and just sit on one of the out door roosts, they join me and coo and socialize. There isn't any "pecking order squabbles", maybe because they have enough room to really spread out to different areas, and swap groups freely. The boys work together and independently to make sure that none of the girls are out on their own and they take turns answering the escort calls and supervising egg laying. (and they all join in singing the Egg Song.) All the boys supervise the girls eating and wait until the girls go off to lay their eggs in the morning or chill with me on the roosts to take turns eating. All the boys work to find treats and tidbit the girls. Even now, with spring-madness, it is very zen in chicken land.

Even though the oldest and the youngest were raised very differently and have individual personalities, they all get along. I loved watching Spud take the juveniles under his wing and teaching them and he is still teaching them, mostly gently, when they get a little pushy with any of the hens. All the hens crouch when Spud walks by, but if any of the other lads tries to mate with the hens, as long as it isn't grabby, Spud does not intervene. If it gets a little grabby then all the boys intervene to protect the hen I think the dominant's personality and leadership style has a lot to do with the behaviour and acceptance of the cockerels. (yes, I do adore the boys. I love them all but the boys are special.)

This is amazing; thank you so much!

I’m still OK with the fact that I won’t have roosters, due to city ordinance, but I’m fascinated with the different roles that hens and roosters play. I was telling my husband that despite the active roles that roosters play, it doesn’t seem patriarchal. Each sex has its role and its power, and they work together for the overall good of the flock. That’s pretty irrelevant I suppose, except that I’ve had folks (all men) tell me that roosters running everything with always-deferential hens is what God intended for all. I’m amused to see how wrong they are.

I’m very happy to not be a chicken, lol, but it’s very interesting to see how different societies have evolved different roles for males and females.

 

[thistlewick]

This is amazing; thank you so much!

I’m still OK with the fact that I won’t have roosters, due to city ordinance, but I’m fascinated with the different roles that hens and roosters play. I was telling my husband that despite the active roles that roosters play, it doesn’t seem patriarchal. Each sex has its role and its power, and they work together for the overall good of the flock. That’s pretty irrelevant I suppose, except that I’ve had folks (all men) tell me that roosters running everything with always-deferential hens is what God intended for all. I’m amused to see how wrong they are.

I’m very happy to not be a chicken, lol, but it’s very interesting to see how different societies have evolved different roles for males and females.

The different roles are to control reproduction in one way or another.

Even in humans.

I've got what looks to be 4 young cockerels growing up in the flock right now - only 1 big daddy Rooster who is great. Will be interesting to see what happens, we'd like to keep them for breeding Olive Eggers but who knows what will happen! I hope none of them are aggressive.

They are all the boldest and bravest chicks.

I observed the oldest one (all of 9 weeks old) chasing one of his 8 week old 'hens' to collect her back to the flock this afternoon. It's wonderful how they just know what they're supposed to do, for the most part.

 

[Perris]

@Perris (when it is daytime for you) - about 4-5 evenings ago, the girls started hanging out on the coop (Nestera) roof. The last three days, it’s been every afternoon-evening.

I don’t mind, except that the roof has become Poop City! I have to use the garden hose to shoot off the droppings, which makes the litter below soggy, and off we go.

Have your flocks ever done this?

If so, any idea what prompted it?

And after the above, any idea how to stop this nonsense, other than raising the coop platform so high that it’s uncomfortably close to the hardware cloth “ceiling”?

some of them do it occasionally, and the Dom sometimes crows from there when a hen is laying inside, but generally it's not an issue here. You could try giving them alternative higher perching options; mine have favourite trees with low horizontal branches.

 

[ChaosMom]

some of them do it occasionally, and the Dom sometimes crows from there when a hen is laying inside, but generally it's not an issue here. You could try giving them alternative higher perching options; mine have favourite trees with low horizontal branches.

Oh, of course; I didn’t think of the height part.

Off to find more branches!

 

[ChaosMom]

^^^ The coop is sitting on a platform 2.5' (0.75m) above the run floor/ 2' (0.6m) above litter level. They've got a few branches that height, but nothing higher.

So adding in the height of the coop (~2.5 ft/80 cm)... ok, mount the new perches 4.5' above litter level... OK, their tiny little heads should easily fit below the 7' (2+m) hardware cloth ceiling!

The city has fortunately/unfortunately done a great job at clearing off most of the remaining downed trees from Helene (last Sept 28), so the new perches will probably be southern yaller pine 2.4's. If they want branches, they can perch lower, dammit.

 

[Shadrach]

This is amazing; thank you so much!

I’m still OK with the fact that I won’t have roosters, due to city ordinance, but I’m fascinated with the different roles that hens and roosters play. I was telling my husband that despite the active roles that roosters play, it doesn’t seem patriarchal. Each sex has its role and its power, and they work together for the overall good of the flock. That’s pretty irrelevant I suppose, except that I’ve had folks (all men) tell me that roosters running everything with always-deferential hens is what God intended for all. I’m amused to see how wrong they are.

I’m very happy to not be a chicken, lol, but it’s very interesting to see how different societies have evolved different roles for males and females.

The top hen is usually the boss. They are also the most stabilizing influence in the group. Roosters aren't in the pecking order when in a mixed flock. The rather poorly named pecking order is testimony to the species intelligence. It doesn't really exist in jungle fowl because there usually aren't enough hens to build an order bar parents and offspring.

 

[Shadrach]

01/05.
Three hours of warm and sunny.

 

[Shadrach]

^^^ The coop is sitting on a platform 2.5' (0.75m) above the run floor/ 2' (0.6m) above litter level. They've got a few branches that height, but nothing higher.

So adding in the height of the coop (~2.5 ft/80 cm)... ok, mount the new perches 4.5' above litter level... OK, their tiny little heads should easily fit below the 7' (2+m) hardware cloth ceiling!

The city has fortunately/unfortunately done a great job at clearing off most of the remaining downed trees from Helene (last Sept 28), so the new perches will probably be southern yaller pine 2.4's. If they want branches, they can perch lower, dammit.

High coops, low perches is what I've done in the past, but the coops have been small, not like some of the major constructions I've seen on BYC.

 

[ChaosMom]

High coops, low perches is what I've done in the past, but the coops have been small, not like some of the major constructions I've seen on BYC.

Part of me is jealous of these huge and magnificent structures, but at least as big a part is delighted with the snug Nestera. And more importantly, so seem the birds to be as well.

- altho I am still irked at all the chicken doots on the roof