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Behavior & Psychology
BREED CHARACTERISTICS
All chickens are basically friendly, smart and incurably curious. You won't be able to complete any project in the yard without the chickens coming over to supervise and 'help', Heaven help you! As a rule bantams (the small chickens) are known to be wicked clever, fast, sometimes prone to run wild and/or roost in trees, 'lay away' (hide nests), entertaining and uppity. Banties are a lot of fun and will quickly become some of your favorite birds, as well as being excellent mamas. Banty roos are heroic and protective, and often join in the egg laying cackling of the hens at a fevered pitch that is truly hilarious.
In standard size birds there are egg layers such as White Leghorns and Rhode Island Reds which tend to be not too personable and skittish, but great egg producers. Rhode Island Reds have a reputation for being mean in groups--they tend to 'pack up' like wolves and pick on some of the other more docile breeds. Meat bird breeds such as Cornish Crosses are docile and are basically meant to be butchered out at around 8 weeks of age and be dinner. To raise Cornish Cross birds to adulthood can result in cruel, crippling leg failures as the birds' body gets far too heavy for it's legs to support it.
The remaining larger, standard size birds can be divided into two groups, the 'lighter' breeds such as Polish and the 'heavy' breeds such as Orpingtons, Cochins, etc.
The lighter breeds are basically ornamental fowl, lay a respectable amount but rarely set on a clutch of eggs. They have a reputation for skittishness which I believe is due in large part to their large crests and an inability to SEE anything until it's right up ON them--heck, I'D jump, too if something suddenly appeared right next to me! I've found that when I keep my Polish and Silkie's eye feathers trimmed so that they can see properly, any skittishness evaporates and they are calm, friendly birds. Light breeds are energetic, curious, nutty and friendly--the bird that follows you around the yard and is at your heel.
Heavy breeds are large, fluffy and LOVE to go broody and set on a clutch of eggs. Cochins in particular make great moms, as do Silkies. Most heavy breeds are docile, sweet and calm and will allow you to pick them up, although you will have to walk over to THEM to do it.
Americaunas (also known as 'Easter Eggers' for the beautiful pastel green, blue and pink eggs they lay) fall somewhere in the middle, behavior-wise. Some of mine go broody, others don't all are great layers. They are friendly and comical, with sweet and loving dispositions. People tend to confuse Americaunas--which lay the pastel eggs, have facial tufts and beards, and heavy cape feathers--with the much more rare Araucaunas, which are true rumpless birds (no tails) and have HUGE facial tufts that are almost wings.
Red jungle fowl-type chickens are the kind you think of when you think of cockfighting--and they have been bred over the years to bring out those aggressive qualities, so I would avoid them in your flock.
There are, of course, exceptions to EVERY rule--you may own the world's sweetest jungle fowl, the world's dumbest banty or the world's most hyper Buff Orpington. Use your best judgement and gut instinct when choosing which chickens to take home with you, and take a few minutes to sit with them, watch them and make your decision. It's worth the investment of your time to choose your new friends.
THE FLOCK DYNAMIC AND WHERE YOU FIT IN, AND THE WEIRD THINGS CHICKENS DO
If you are going to be closely involved in your flock of chickens and not just keep them as barnyard animals, be prepared to be regarded as a member of the flock, and also be prepared to take and maintain the Head Roo position--whether you are male or female makes no difference. This is a position your chickens, as flock animals, will naturally place you in as All-Powerful Giver Of Food And Chickeny Goodness.
Sometimes roosters will cautiously greet each other (or you) with direct
eye contact and a slow, languid flap or "wave" or their wings. The Lesser
or Beta Roos wave first at the Head or Alpha Roo. This is a way of
saying, "Hi, I'm friendly and mean you no harm, please don't kick my butt!"
Some hens will do this as well. If a hen is feeling especially perky, she'll stand on her tiptoes and
greet you with a faster flap of the wings, but the primary flight feathers
actually make a 'clacking' sound as she whacks her wings together over her
back. Kind of like a human clapping their hands.
In the pecking order, there is usually the Head Rooster (YOU!), then the actual rooster Head Roo, the Head Hen,
then the Beta or secondary roo or hen and so on down the line. The birds
will work out the pecking order themselves, and every time you add new birds
to the mix the new birds will have to spend a certain amount of time getting
pecked, sometimes just cerimoniously, by the birds that are above them in
the heirarchy. One of your jobs as Head Roo is to put a quick end to any excessive bullying--usually just stepping between two combatants is sufficient along with a sharp "No!". Don't try to break up a serious chicken fight (they are rare) with your hands, get the garden hose instead and spray them down. If that doesn't work it may be time to rehome one of your birds.
The friendly hen that comes up to you, stands on your foot with her chest against your shin and gently pecks and tugs at your pants' leg isn't being mean, however--she is most likely asking to be picked up and petted. We have several that do this. Don't be surprised if while you are holding and petting one hen and another hen (who is higher up in the pecking order) notices, the one on the ground will give the hen you are holding a jealous stare in the eye and a warning whine, as if to say, "Oh no, you DIDN'T!" This is usually enough to send the one in your lap scrambling to get down before she gets in any more trouble. Hens lower down in the pecking order don't do this to the higher up hens, and hens don't warn off the roos in your lap. Hens of equal status will attempt to share your lap at the same time, so if you are sitting down, relaxing and stroking your favorite hen in your lap, be prepared to have chickens leaping into your lap. Catch! :)
Every so often there will be a small squabble if one of the
lower birds gets too big for her britches or tries to move up in the order. There can also be a reshuffling of the pecking order when a pullet comes into lay and attains Egg Laying Hen status, or when a hen goes broody and attains Broody Hen status (everyone just plain RUNS from her). If you keep your birds long enough and have more than one rooster, there can also be the sad day when your long-time Head Roo tumbles from his top spot via a thrashing from the challenger beta roo. Sometimes the old Head Roo regains his status, but most times he's down and out, and the fall from grace can be shockingly fast, bloody and painful as some of the hens have a go at him, too. Sometimes the new Head Roo is beneficent and gracefully allows the old roo to stay on as beta roo, sometimes he won't tolerate him around at all and you have to choose which roo has to go.
The Head Roo and Head Hen eat first, can run anyone else out of a dust bath
and take it over, etc. They peck everyone else and no one pecks them. The
Head Roo does most or all of the mating duties and will chase off the lower
roos when they try to mate. Remember in your flock that YOU are the
Head Roo and/or Head Hen--more on why this is important later.
In the absence of a rooster, you may discover that one of your hens--usually the Head Hen--takes on certain roosterly characteristics and duties. She may 'mate' other hens (especially egg laying hens), call them to a goodie she finds, do the 'Hey, baby!' dance and even crow! Some hens will even do this when there IS a rooster present, and may sometimes pick a fight with him. Some girls are just a little more 'butch' than others, it happens. It does not mean that the hen is changing sex, she cannot actually fertilize the other hens. She's just going through the motions. I've even had a hen that had tiny spurs, a trait which has been handed down to her daughter--both mom and daughter were and are very tough cookies. Some broody hens will also maintain a very maternal attitude towards other adult hens, call them to food, snuggle them under their wing at night, etc.
I have noticed some interesting differences in small flocks (3 to 8 birds) versus larger flocks (20 to 40 birds). Small flocks tend to be more tightly knit and laid back, with less fighting and more sharing of food. Larger flocks tend to be the opposite, with more 'cliques' within the pecking order, which is more rigidly enforced also. ALL chickens are lovers of routine and order, however. If you break your regular routine in some small way with your chickens--collect eggs before you feed when you usually do it the other way around, for instance--observe how freaked out your chickens look, and the noises they make to express their confusion. We normally have very quiet neighbors, but if suddenly one of them is out doing yard work, getting ready for a backyard party, etc. our chickens get upset with them for daring to break the routine and come crying to us about it. If their routine is changed or upset enough and stresses them, it can even cause them to slacken or cease egg laying until they get used to it.
By the way, chickens don't know from vacations to Hawaii. To a chicken, you gone=you DEAD and gone, forever. Chickens can, do and will mourn your 'loss' and may even seem depressed, stop or reduce eating, etc. Don't be surprised if you check in with the neighbor who is tending your flock while you are away and he reports this kind of behavior. Sometimes it helps to have the neighbor come over a time or two before you leave, and you both hand out goodies together to get your flock used to another person. When you return they will be joyous at first and run to you begging for attention--THEN you will be in trouble as they realize the dirty trick you pulled on them and they will openly pount, shun you to punish you and maybe even give you a light peck or two. They are displaying the human 2 year old child intelligence and emotional level again. In this respect they are much like cats, who treat their absent owners much the same way upon their return. Chickens won't pee in your shoes to teach you a lesson, though. :)
copyright 2003-2013 by Velvet Sparrow