Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Shadrach]

Metaposting and stupid jokes tax: how many chickens are in these pictures?
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I can see four.

 

[Shadrach]

or they think it's natural, like youngsters fledging the nest to make a life for themselves elsewhere.

From my observations I think this is how it works. I've rarely noticed tribe members concerned about the loss of junior members or chicks; not even mums who have lost chicks as long as they have at least one chick left to care for.
As one might expect, long term members who have established friendships with others in the tribe have demonstrated behaviour that could be interpreted as missing their friend or sibling. I think that juniors leaving a tribe to set up on their own is normal and expected in many cases. Of course, the opportunity, space, other tribes etc, has a major impact on this. There isn't much point in leaving home if there isn't anywhere else to go and no other non tribe chickens to court and start family with.

With a loss of a long term friend things seem to be rather different and have seen on numerous occasions quite obvious signs of distress after a predator has taken a friend or partner.

An exception to this was when I killed Dig. Mow, Dig's sister, did show signs of feeling loss/grieving.

 

[Vulpes vulpes]

In my quest to finish this thread I came across an old conversation (read: do chickens wake up to poop or do they poop in their sleep) that sent me down a small rabbithole of chicken sleep habits. I learned some really interesting stuff about it, but the most relevant to that discussion is that I think they probably wake up to poop. It turns out they only sleep for around 30 minutes at a time. They then wake up for a few minutes, before sleeping for another 30. If I had to guess, I'd reckon that they poop during those few minutes of wakefulness

 

[Perris]

With a loss of a long term friend things seem to be rather different and have seen on numerous occasions quite obvious signs of distress after a predator has taken a friend or partner.

yes I've seen that too I think. That's why Janeka and Puffin had to go together.

 

[kattabelly]

My older Barred Rock pullet has definitely noticed B's absence - the two of them were inseparable. She hangs around with the others but she hasn't found another close friend yet.

yes I've seen that too I think. That's why Janeka and Puffin had to go together.

I did wonder if that was part of it with yours, that the ones who'd be most likely to notice had gone together.

Same here. Some of my tree huggers are early up, but others are the last to go, and barely see the branches when they do go; the odd squawk and screech indicates when they've missed their target as a result .

I've noticed that even when they're a part of the same group, sleeping in the same place, some of my younger / more timid / lower status birds will go to roost early to avoid the drama while everyone comes in and gets settled - whereas others prefer to sneak in last. Then there's a couple that seem to stay up late just as a personal preference and don't think twice before blindly launching themselves towards their preferred roosting spot, no matter who might be in the way

 

[Shadrach]

they all seem to go to roost at least half an hour before sunset, more if it's grey and rainy... is that normal, or do I have really early chickens?? They get up early too

Yup, normal within a range. As mentioned, bad weather, old age, moulting, can all make chickens decide early bed is advisable. Henry, for an example, in his final year often went to roost half an hour before the rest.

 

[Shadrach]

the mothers take the kids to roost earlier than the rest of the group.

Yup, I should have added this.

 

[kattabelly]

I've noticed all the cockerels I've had here want to roost earlier than the pullets. They will stay out with them, once they're old enough to start seeing that as their responsibility, but they seem to do it grudgingly and they're straight back to being early to bed if they're ever apart.

 

[Shadrach]

In my quest to finish this thread I came across an old conversation (read: do chickens wake up to poop or do they poop in their sleep) that sent me down a small rabbithole of chicken sleep habits. I learned some really interesting stuff about it, but the most relevant to that discussion is that I think they probably wake up to poop. It turns out they only sleep for around 30 minutes at a time. They then wake up for a few minutes, before sleeping for another 30. If I had to guess, I'd reckon that they poop during those few minutes of wakefulness

I think chickens have mastered the art of half conscious activity. From my observations they do not fully wake when they poop. I believe this from watching chickens in the nest box in my house in Catalonia. It's also how I found out they snore and fart.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

I need to catch up later because I have discovered the hard way how smart @Shadrach is Just found my feral game hen sitting on a clutch on the ground. I’ve had a rooster for a month. I have no idea how long she’s been there but she did kick a rotten one out which is how I found her. I have never candled eggs before but not sure if I should bother but maybe just let her do her thing?

Edit: had to look at a calendar to check how long I’ve actually had this rooster.