What did you do with your flock today?

[PopoMyers]

I had to cleanup the porch behind a few that didn't go in a coop last night... I'm hoping that they are not repeat offenders.

For real, as long as you don't have predators that may eat them at night if they are not in a protected spot in your porch.

 

[PopoMyers]

We are looking at a freeze warning, so need to go out and turn off the chicken's water and detach the hose. Glad the 5 gallon bucket stays full, so they should be good until this goes away.

I have another issue now. There is no food in the coop, but I keep finding rat in 2 of 5 of the nesting boxes, which are just below the roosting bars in the coop. Why would they go in there when there's no food? Could it be for sleeping?

 

[Nomadicus]

An interesting article on the subject of 'Does a rooster have self awareness?'
https://www.uni-bonn.de/en/news/189...440&utm_medium=email&utm_placement=newsletter

That's interesting. I have a big mirror. I think I'll put it in a run and see who runs and who fights.

 

[Nomadicus]

For real, as long as you don't have predators that may eat them at night if they are not in a protected spot in your porch.

I lost about 4-5 pullets and one rooster off the rail. After the shrubs were trimmed back all is good. As quickly as I can get a communal house built there will be none and then I can get a good coat of porch and deck paint put on it. The ones remaining are to stubborn to go into any of the coops.

 

[ValerieJ]

An interesting article on the subject of 'Does a rooster have self awareness?'
https://www.uni-bonn.de/en/news/189...440&utm_medium=email&utm_placement=newsletter

I always figured they crowed because they woke up and realized they are still a rooster. Kind of like screaming.

 

[Nomadicus]

I think maybe the crowing is to claim the hens near them???

 

[fuzzi]

Just a couple pictures from today and yesterday:

"Hail, hail, the gang's all here!"

What a fluffy butt!

 

[ChicksnMore]

An interesting article on the subject of 'Does a rooster have self awareness?'
https://www.uni-bonn.de/en/news/189...440&utm_medium=email&utm_placement=newsletter

I enjoyed that.

I put a mirror in one of my coops at ground level and I really enjoyed watching the chickens reaction to it. The first bit they showed curiosity and no attempts to go after their reflections like they would strange live birds. They stared and stared though! It certainly seemed to me like they were trying to figure out what they were seeing, and knew it wasn't stranger chickens at any rate.

Later I was up on the porch and I started hearing periodic thumps. At first I thought it was my horse, Jasmine kicking something wood. That's what it sounded like....loud thunk sounds like back hooves hitting wood. I went to explore and discovered a yokohama roo trying to attack his reflection, and because the mirror was attached to the wooden coop walls, it was making quite a big sound. He was flying up and hitting with his feet trying to spur. Funny thing is I've never had the yokos do that to each other, but here this one was trying it on the mirror reflection.

I have to say I've often wondered if my yokos gentleness is because they're a couple cards short of a full deck in the IQ department though! So doubt it means anything other than I had a less then brilliant rooster . The mirrors still there though and everyone ignores it now, but when it was new they were fascinated with their reflections.

 

[ChicksnMore]

Just a couple pictures from today and yesterday:
View attachment 3669774
"Hail, hail, the gang's all here!"

View attachment 3669775
What a fluffy butt!

A beautiful fluffy butt!

 

[ChicksnMore]

We are looking at a freeze warning, so need to go out and turn off the chicken's water and detach the hose. Glad the 5 gallon bucket stays full, so they should be good until this goes away.

I have another issue now. There is no food in the coop, but I keep finding rat in 2 of 5 of the nesting boxes, which are just below the roosting bars in the coop. Why would they go in there when there's no food? Could it be for sleeping?

Stealing eggs?