Chicken bald back

[patsylabrador]

I've found their reactions to other animals very interesting although I don't always understand how they make decisions. Several cats try to pass through the garden and they all get hysterically shouted at except for one which is the same colouring - black and white. This cat understands it is accepted and now strolls past them whereas before it would take the long route, hunkered down. I'm not sure who trained who.

We've got builders here this week and they've got a beautifully trained Labrador with them that I said could play in the garden. The chickens have never seen a dog and we were slightly concerned that they might mistake it for a fox. Apart from a brief OMG moment they didn't react at all. How do they know on first meeting that a fox is dangerous but the dog wasn't. The dog went excitedly up to the WIR similar in demeanor to how I've seen a dog fox. Similarly the chickens ignore wood pigeons trying to get food that's been kicked out but will challenge a crow or magpie. I've seen Persephone beak to beak, eyeballing a magpie through the wire.

I think it's fascinating that they are hardwired to survive. I know there is a biological term for it, but I cant remember it, it's to do with experience being genetically passed down although I think some scientists question that.

[Olly]

Mine will tolerate my two cats, but shout when they see another one - even though the most frequent intruder into the garden is black and white and very similar to one of my own cats, they seem to know the difference. Fascinating, isn't it!

[zakjon-98]

I keep my chickens and dog separate with a wire fence as he loves to chase and the dog always has his face against the fence watching them. They are not scared of him in the slightest and will peck his nose if he gets to close My smallest hen is always on the look out for crows too and will charge at them and go to pull their tail feathers if she gets close enough even if they are a fair bit bigger than her

[Tweety]

There was a programme on TV a couple of years ago about chickens, and they were put through several tests. One of these had to do with putting a stuffed fox on wheels, and pulling it past the chickens to see their reaction. They were completely unfazed by it, so clearly realised that it was not a threat to them - quite amazing.

Mine hate crows and magpies, and have never got used to our cats who just ignore them, but are fine with the pheasants that live in the garden.

[zakjon-98]

I watched that too I think it was called the private life of chickens

[Griffin]

We've got 6 cats, 2 rabbits and 3 dogs and all are ignored. My chooks have never to my knowledge seen a fox but when our third dog arrived in March, who looks like a fox, they re-acted as if she was and screamed hysterically I am sure from their reaction they didn't see her as a dog. She wanted to play, they were terrified, she got excited and this went on for a week or so until everyone calmed down.

 

Honey, our Finnish Spitz, cunningly disguised as a fox

[Cheeky Chooky]

Oooh Honey is gorgeous Griffin (I love foxes too ). My girls are used to Coco, Eddie and Lola and there is peace and harmony when they're outside, wandering around the garden having a mooch. However something spooked Alice (one of my Australorps) at 5.24 yesterday morning which had me leaping out of bed Luckily none of the neighbours complained

[MissPug+Chooks]

Our chooks - 2 and a Pekin Bantam are totally fine with the Pug and the cat....and the Pug and Cat are great with them! Yesterday the cat was sat in the garden and the pekin sat right next her....the cat looked round....tail swished....and then.............

 

 

THE CAT RAN AWAY!!!

 

So I think I can confirm that my chooks defo rule the roost!!

[jimnpaula]

My ferrets are pets and not used for rabbiting. Pearl was a large white Sussex hybrid.

Pearl was indoors while we kept an eye on her prolapse and trying to keep it in. She was sitting in the dining room perched on the edge of her cage. The ferrets live in the front room in their cage. I'd opened the ferret cage to do something and Sunny slipped out, skittered across the room and out the door and round the corner following his nose to the dining room. Pearl spotted him, stood bolt upright and clucked the alarm call loudly at him. He froze, and looked at me: "What was THAT mummy?! Erm, am I in trouble? What do I do now...?" I put him away quickly.

 

Pearl 1, Sunny nil.

 

P

[Gertie]

My cats are very wary of the chickens! The chickens can get within about a foot of the cats before they run away. The hens stare the cats out! The chickens were scared to go near a horse who stopped in the gateway. Today they were bokking madly for about an hour. I couldn't see anything to be alarmed about and was out there gardening with them. Then a massive buzzard flew out of a tree at the bottom of the garden. They knew it was there!!

[Saronne]

My hens generally ignore the cats and most birds - though they once went berserk when an exhausted racing pigeon ended up in their pen.. and they take notice of low-flying planes!

[zakjon-98]

Mine also squawk when planes and helicopters fly over I have one screechy hen who sets all the others off. She also was the only hen who was mean to our guinea pigs when we let them run around the garden together once and she's the smallest!

[mollyripkim]

My chicken girls are all quite happy FR with my dogs and cat but go berserk if a strange cat comes in. Picked my ducks up on Saturday, they are in a new separate run which the chickens gave a wide birth to but today I noticed them coming and just having a good look, there's been no animosity so I guess they don't see them as a threat.

[HennyPenny59]

My lot saw a Raven for the first time over the weekend .. They stood bolt upright and froze until it flew away. I think they have seen every bird there is to see by now, but was only spooked by this Raven .. I wonder why??

 

What really sets them off is when my neighbour pops his head over the fence to look at them .. They all sound the alarm call, and it takes them at least 15 minutes to calm down .. I usually end up having to go into their run to pacify them.

[Saronne]

Does your neighbour look like a fox?

[HennyPenny59]

He acts a bit like one

[The Dogmother]

Mine do the same too; they have both of my (evil hunter) cats in line and most of the other neighbourhood cats beaten into submission too (we are talking about wee bantams here ), however they sound the alarm with some new cats but not others. It's their instinct and excellent reading of body language I think.

 

My dogs, for instance, will do the same, especially Ruby; she can pick up a drunk or threatening hoody from 100 metres away and will watch them avidly, growling gently in warning if they come too close to her 'mum'. Some dogs they ignore, others they watch avidly and will react towards, they pick up things that even we don't. One of LBB's dogs (Dylan) is excellent at this and will display calming signals towards a nervous dog that even my eejit ginger dog will pick up. Dylan is a very good teacher-dog.