Turning into a Chicken Behaviorist 😁

[ssferret]

Interesting! But this all happens so fast! Slo-mo would be really cool, but I don't suppose ....

I was thinking of slow mo so your wish is my command. Just need to learn how to do it.

 

[centrarchid]

I think the rear right pullet is the subject of interest. She clapped her bill several times in rapid succession. Pullet foreground right also submissive after brief encounter did display same behavior. Looks to me like something irritating mouth or throat of subject.

 

[aart]

Interesting! But this all happens so fast! Slo-mo would be really cool, but I don't suppose ....

There is a 1/4 speed choice under the settings in youtube vids.

 

[centrarchid]

There is a 1/4 speed choice under the settings in youtube vids.

View attachment 2222726

Slowing things down makes me think throat irritation very likely.

 

[ssferret]

I think the rear right pullet is the subject of interest. She clapped her bill several times in rapid succession. Pullet foreground right also submissive after brief encounter did display same behavior. Looks to me like something irritating mouth or throat of subject.

I thought about throat irritation but I kept seeing this behavior during the same circumstances too often. Actually I do remember me doing something like this while I was sitting with them on my lap when they were 4 weeks and younger. I don't know if I learned it from them or they learned it from me. I'll do some more observations to see if there is a possibility it's only irritation. But I swear, Colonel became more friendly towards me after I used the "beak kiss". It could have been just coincidence though. Just because I am well versed in many animal behaviors doesn't meant I'm close to having a handle on chickens which was another reason I started this thread: to get feedback from the experts.

 

[centrarchid]

I thought about throat irritation but I kept seeing this behavior during the same circumstances too often. Actually I do remember me doing something like this while I was sitting with them on my lap when they were 4 weeks and younger. I don't know if I learned it from them or they learned it from me. I'll do some more observations to see if there is a possibility it's only irritation. But I swear, Colonel became more friendly towards me after I used the "beak kiss". It could have been just coincidence though. Just because I am well versed in many animal behaviors doesn't meant I'm close to having a handle on chickens which was another reason I started this thread: to get feedback from the experts.

I am not an expert in a legal sense. Still very interested in the behavior of chickens. It is apparent not everything is known. Too few serious scientist give chickens much of a look because they are not exotic or pure enough.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

There is a 1/4 speed choice under the settings in youtube vids.

View attachment 2222726

Thank you. I'll check it out.

 

[Dhkoenig]

I have twelve 13 week old Light Brahmas I love to death. I can spend hours watching them interact. Before I knew it I had them all named. It's hard not to when each one is so different.

Last week my cockerel, Colonel, started being agressive towards me. He never did like to cuddle but now he became very nippy to the point that it hurt.

I couldn't accept that one of my little ones didn't like me, cockerel or no, so I started imitating what I call a beak smack since it seems to have the same meaning as a lip smack for monkeys, submission or solicitation. That started 3 days ago. Today, he couldn't seem to get enough of me, sitting on my lap as I stroked him. He even started doing beak smacks towards me. I never really thought it would work so well. I just wanted him to stop being so skittish and relax around me.

I just had to share this with you guys. I'm in heaven. I don't know if this would work as well with any of the others but Colonel's attitude towards me is night and day.

This is so interesting! Can you explain how to do that?