The hens survival strategy

[Shadrach]

Interesting argument.from both sides. Does anyone have links to the studies for further reading? I can't claim any personal knowledge in the matter. But I would definitely be interested in more information.

Centrachid is unfortunately right, there hasn't been much research done on chicken behavior. Understandably most of the research into chickens in general was in response to a growing population and the food shortages, post second world war and of course this research concentrated on maximizing meat and egg production.
There is a lot of knowledge in rural areas in the heads of people who have kept chickens for generations and this knowledge got passed down through the family. Much of this rural knowledge got ignored and/or superseded by modern biologists who are required at phd level to publish papers pre and post degree. Of course, these papers need to reach a certain academic standard and "i know this old geezer on a farm who says he has a crowing hen" doesn't quite meet the standard even thought it may be true.
I have a couple of papers somewhere, or at least links to them but they reside in various university libraries and I think these days you must either pay to view them or have a university pass to access them. I'm fortunate in having a pass.
I'll have a look when I get time and point you in the right direction if I can. You will have to wade through loads of really dull and pointless academic text and experiments so basic you'll laugh.
I'm interested in what Centrachid has to say because he is one of the few people here who is interested in chicken behavior at a depth beyond "why isn't my chicken laying eggs?"

 

[centrarchid]

All of my hens will crow when certain conditions met. The behavior appears biologically significant.

Something else. I am using new glasses to work with LED setup for new aquaponics system in lab. It makes me more error prone when typing.

 

[Shorty22366]

Could hen be squatting to make smaller target for predator? Just a thought..

 

[centrarchid]

Could hen be squatting to make smaller target for predator? Just a thought..

That is I think part of what is going on. When I see what I think is the same, the bird is not squatting in a sexual manner, rather it is settling low to ground. Sometimes laying flat like a killdeer chick if predator does not have bead on target. Hens can give a call that causes chicks to lie flat at pancakes. Another call I think that is different calls chicks up under her skirt and yet another that tells chicks to get into bushes. I have had individual hens capable of all three. I do not know how calls differ because even I can not get close enough to make them out. It is not a call that carries well so intended for close range communication.

 

[Shadrach]

Could hen be squatting to make smaller target for predator? Just a thought..

It's possible, but it's not working out very well.
Given a hawk can strike and pick a mouse without stopping the hen would need to be awfully small to cause the hawk to misjudge enough to miss.

 

[Shadrach]

That is I think part of what is going on. When I see what I think is the same, the bird is not squatting in a sexual manner, rather it is settling low to ground. Sometimes laying flat like a killdeer chick if predator does not have bead on target. Hens can give a call that causes chicks to lie flat at pancakes. Another call I think that is different calls chicks up under her skirt and yet another that tells chicks to get into bushes. I have had individual hens capable of all three. I do not know how calls differ because even I can not get close enough to make them out. It is not a call that carries well so intended for close range communication.

But these are hen warning calls and that is a different subject. I don't disagree with you, in fact I still can't work out which call from the hen sends the chicks away from her and which calls them to her. I think I've got the hide call.

 

[centrarchid]

But these are hen warning calls and that is a different subject. I don't disagree with you, in fact I still can't work out which call from the hen sends the chicks away from her and which calls them to her. I think I've got the hide call.

The calls are in lock step with what hen does. The hunkering down is not proper squatting like to solicit mating in either American Games or American Dominiques. I have seen is many times but never recorded it. Would like require having a falconer come over with bird to provide stimuli. I know a couple that could be asked for next year.

 

[centrarchid]

Are we discerning hens with respect to stage in reproductive cycle?

 

[Shadrach]

Are we discerning hens with respect to stage in reproductive cycle?

I'm not really in a position to set controls, or criteria.
It's an observation and logic problem.
I have something for you to consider which I will post later. It's probably nonsense but I think it's worth some thought.

 

[townchicks]

I'm wondering what difference the why makes. When you start to hypothesize why, it becomes very easy to anthropomorphaise. In dog behavior circles, which may or may not be relevant to this discussion, the behaviorists have stopped asking why, but focus on what the dog is doing. This is with intent on modifying the behavior, of course, but still, it really isn't possible to know why. Making a best guess, seems like narrowing the focus to what you think or want it to be, thus possibly missing or dismissing relevant info. Animals don't always do what would seem to be in their own best interest. Take deer freezing in the headlights, for example.