majuka Posted July 17, 2010 Share Posted July 17, 2010 Not seen it is it on I player or equivalent I caught it on i player as I was out on Thursday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue-DiamondChick07 Posted July 17, 2010 Share Posted July 17, 2010 If the cockerel near us is anything to go by, they can start crowing from 4am onwards in the summer! (So do my girls... ) My girls started at 4.30 this morning. Was a brief ruckass though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken Mad Posted July 17, 2010 Share Posted July 17, 2010 Have to confess - I was surprised they recognised the shapes. Aaaah but did they? Or could they just smell the worms? Or sense their movement? Very true! They should have tried them with dried mealworms and other treats to make sure its not the movement or smell but the shape! My girls try it on/go insane then ever any of us have a mug in our hands even though I only bring them treats in the big black one with red polka dots! But I still would like to think it was the intelligents! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenNutter Posted July 17, 2010 Share Posted July 17, 2010 [ He thinks i'm the only one, He doesn't believe there are other chicken nutters out there. Chicken Nutter? Somebody call? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mollie333 Posted July 17, 2010 Share Posted July 17, 2010 Isn't it scary how foxes can get through a tiny space.. Im so paranoid, even know my girls run is fox proof. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capper Posted July 17, 2010 Share Posted July 17, 2010 I have recorded and watched this programme a couple of times -I got my girls through BHWT so very close to my heart and bald bums/bellys/necks, no leg muscles are pretty standard - it doesn't really affect the ladies in question but it does look uncomfortable when they are trying to sunbath and their bones are visible. The up side is that its easy to check vent/necks for mites/louse as its so visible! I would have loved Lloyd to have been a chicken first and then morphed into a cockeral - pity that doesn't happen in humans as well! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helen1962 Posted July 18, 2010 Share Posted July 18, 2010 I did manage to watch this programme and it really was very good. It showed how chicks learn from mum which brings me to Easter when I bought two chicks from Happy Chicks in Preesall (they are excellent by the way as Sarah is extremely knowledgeable and helpful). Anyway as the weather was roasting I would let them in the back garden (they were living in a hamster tank in the middle of the lounge floor at the time!) The two would watch the older ex-batts for ages and would try to mimic them. They even tried to approach them as a child would its mother but the older ones would have none of it! Watching them in this way made me realise how much these chicks needed a mother. I kept saying to Tom (my other half) how sad it was that they were not being raised by a proper mother hen. Unless you witness hen behaviour you don't appreciate their dependency. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LimeChicken57 Posted July 18, 2010 Share Posted July 18, 2010 I found this program very interesting I really liked the bit where they were seeing if the chickens could recognise the shapes. Oh and the part where the two chicks were learning by watching the mother was good as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted July 19, 2010 Share Posted July 19, 2010 I only ever hatch with a broody hen; the little ones learn so much from watching them, and it is so endearing seeing them learn to scratch and forage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burtie14 Posted July 19, 2010 Share Posted July 19, 2010 I watched this last night too - really enjoyed it. It did confirm my growing suspicion that my chickens are actually training me, rather than the other way round... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jomeena Posted July 19, 2010 Share Posted July 19, 2010 This program proved what we all knew, our chickens are smart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted July 19, 2010 Share Posted July 19, 2010 I only ever hatch with a broody hen; the little ones learn so much from watching them, and it is so endearing seeing them learn to scratch and forage. I'm getting in a couple of weeks .......... such exciting possibilities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted July 19, 2010 Share Posted July 19, 2010 now that is one handsome cock OSH - what's going on there then? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted July 19, 2010 Share Posted July 19, 2010 Vorwerks. I'm getting two hens and a cockerel. My poor hubby is fed up with the long road to choosing what breed I wanted but it's done Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted July 19, 2010 Share Posted July 19, 2010 Wooo hooo! he's a handsome lad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftyhunnypie Posted July 19, 2010 Share Posted July 19, 2010 I watched this last night on iplayer. What a brilliant programme. It tore at my heart strings & we are now determined to have some ex batts. Oh & we were in love with the 2 little cockerels - they grey / white one, with the shrill little voice! What breed were they - Dutch Bantam / Serama - something like that? Chickens really are intelligent - the shape test was brill! Emma.x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docsquid Posted July 19, 2010 Share Posted July 19, 2010 We loved those little bantam cockerels too! And dear Lloyd who didn't quite know what to do because he thought he was a hen! We really enjoyed watching this programme - confirmed that chickens are pretty smart and very adaptable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gongladosh Posted July 19, 2010 Share Posted July 19, 2010 it's about to be repeated on BBC2 again in 40 mins! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gongladosh Posted July 19, 2010 Share Posted July 19, 2010 it's on BBC2 in 35 mins Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gongladosh Posted July 19, 2010 Share Posted July 19, 2010 oops, sorry for the repost Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted July 19, 2010 Share Posted July 19, 2010 Oh & we were in love with the 2 little cockerels - they grey / white one, with the shrill little voice! What breed were they - Dutch Bantam / Serama - something like that? Emma.x One was a silver Dutch, I cant remember what the other one was Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snoxy Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 must admit I now have a little craving to get some ex batts...no room at the moment...but fingers crossed in the future Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beulah59 Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 I only ever hatch with a broody hen; the little ones learn so much from watching them, and it is so endearing seeing them learn to scratch and forage. I'm getting in a couple of weeks .......... such exciting possibilities. I'm jealous ... won't have a cockerel here, but longing to see the girls in a hareem! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hen_Pecked Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 It was a fabulous programme, now all our friends are asking us about our chickens and demanding to come round and see them! We've become the chicken experts despite only having ours for a month so far! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkBevBen Posted September 28, 2010 Share Posted September 28, 2010 Did anyone else see the programme recently 'The Private Life of Chickens' that was on BBC? http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00t3tl1 Have to say, even though at the time we didn't have our lovely girls I found it truly fascinating - even kept it on our Sky+ thingy Now that we've had our girls coming up for a month, have to say I find them so much fun to sit and watch. They definately have their own little personalities and have even spotted our Dottie has her own little routine of a morning! For instance, she's always first out of the Eglu and straight to the grub, where she stands and eats for a good while, then at around 10am she goes to the nest box to lay an egg regular as clockwork! They seem to be really inquisitive about everything too - for instance, when they're free ranging in the garden, if I go out for whatever reason, they'll come over to me (looking for treats probably ). Last week we had a lovely sunny day and I bathed Ben (our doggy) outside and there they were with us watching and splashing in the water! You know how they say a doggy year is seven to a human's one, how does that work for chickens? Do chickens 'live in the moment' as doggies do? I'd love to chat more with all the Omlet forum newbie and veteran chicken parents to get a sense of how you see the psychology of our beloved girls and boys. Looking forward to hearing from you all...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
