Just saw a bunch of chicken "Action" outside. When I went to check it out, they were playing tug-o-war with a mouse. And of course, there was a lot of sharing! Yes, that was a sight to see!!
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Must be their nature, my RIR is definitely the beta tester in our group. The BYB (big white bird - I have no idea what she is) is apathetic and the Fayoumi is afraid. Of everything. EV-er-ry-thing!
Those Fayoumis are just weird birds aren't they? Mine are always yelling and running around about something, while everyone else just looks at them like they are crazy. I haven't decided if I like them or not.
Are my chicks the only ones that do not like boiled eggs? I tried for the second time and after a few tentative bites, they kept looking at me as if to ask - Are you kidding us? That's our treat??
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OMG I love my Fayoumi! She's the oddest little bird I've seen. As far as chickens go, she's rather pretty with her roadrunner-looking stance. But yes she is the most skittish animal I've ever been around. I could talk about her for days. But I will give you that -- she is LOUDEST little thing on the planet. She literally makes more noise than any rooster my neighbors have ever had, so we win the noise ordinance competition in the neighborhood. Peculiar is the best word I've found to describe her. My Fayoumi is the one that goes broody a few times/year and when she's sitting on the nest it's a complete 180 in her personality. You go to get the eggs from under her and she makes herself twice her normal size, fluffs her neck out, squawks, hisses like a goose, and bites. (Not pecking. BITING) My husband and child are afraid of her when she's broody. (uummmmm -- she weighs two pounds. You weigh 250. Pick her up off the nest already!) I've finally gotten to where she'll holler and peck for a minute then give up and let me pick her up and get the eggs. But then she chases me to the house, yelling the whole time, and she stands there in the middle of the back yard staring at the bay window cussing me out. (Seriously, it sounds like she's yelling 'f**k off!" I've heard that as a breed they don't like to be handled and she bears that trait too. If she thinks you may touch her in the next month or so she'll start hollering and flapping. Last winter I had her to where she'd ride from the perch to the coop on my arm (like a falcon!) but that's it for the touching! Not too long ago I was watching the birds and pointed out Diddabird - morphed from "Little Bird" - and said "You know, I wouldn't mind a whole flock of those, She's very peculiar." Not five minutes later she hopped up on the roof to the run and flew into the holly tree (she spends a good number of nights in that tree because I can't reach her) and started squawking and carrying on. It was so funny, I've never known her to be THAT loud. I took video and when I played it back, she started in again, joining in with herself. It even made the others start. Sooo funny. I have video of "The Evil Hen from Hell" (broody) on Facebook, I need to put the video of the amazing squawking tree. You can't see the chicken, just the tree with all of this noise coming out of it. I do have to look at her sometimes and tell her "You know, you're an odd little bird." She is a challenge and my husband cannot figure out why I am so determined to make her like me. Our other hens are social but this one - no way she's going to 'bond' with us. Yet still I try...
I have four of them. I call them the hospital kids because as 3 day old chicks they pecked holes in each others craws. HUGE holes. I tried to get my husband to put them out of their misery and he refused, so I set up a hospital ward and they lived. They holes were so big that everything they ate and drank fell right out. I was completely surprised at their recovery. They taught me a lesson to never give up on a bird! They are definitely strange. They scream ALL the time. You are right about them being louder than any rooster! Mine haven't started laying yet, they are 23 weeks old. They are showing signs of starting anytime.
You know they're not known for their laying, don't count on anything regular. Mine lays for a while and then when something bothers her, she'll stop for a couple of months... When she first started laying you could put her egg next to that of the RIR and the RIRs egg was twice the size of Diddabird's egg! They were the cutest tiniest eggs! My husband an child said they were richer in taste too. All of my birds quit laying after the earthquake in Mineral, VA. We're pretty far away from Mineral so I was surprised it bothered them like it did. Of course they typically don't go broody either. Good luck with your loud birds! OK sorry. Won't put anything else OT.
I love your signature about the neighborhood ordinance. I also live in an area where "fowl" are prohibited. Bring it on I say! My neighbors have horses, cows, etc.