Raising Chickens/Other information
 (Discussion) |
Starting Up:
Building a shelter |
Building a pen
Choosing a breed |
Pen Maintenance
Finding a Hatchery |
Local Regulations
Taking care of your Chickens:
Chicks |
Feeding |
Watering |
Winters
Dealing with death |
Butchering Chickens
Keeping your chickens happy
Other:
In this section you will find information that doesn't fit anywhere else. Feel free to add your own information here or in the Discussion Page for this section. If you have any questions post them in the discussion page.
Rooster Crow Distance
[edit | edit source]A fully grown rooster's crow can be heard miles away.
How to Hypnotize a Chicken
[edit | edit source]You can easily put most chickens into a trance. This strange animal behavior is officially called 'tonic immobility', a natural state of semi-paralysis that many animals exhibit when under threat. There are two main chicken hypnotizing techniques:
- pet the chicken to calm it, then lightly restrain it and gently lower its head down to the ground, holding its beak on a coin or a rock that contrasts with the surrounding ground; hold the chicken's head in place for about 30 seconds, then slowly remove your hand.
- pick the chicken up and lay it on the ground on its back, stretching out its neck. With your finger, slowly draw a line in the dirt straight out from the chicken's beak about 1 to 2 feet, then slowly remove your other hand from the chicken. Once hypnotized, the chicken will typically remain physically frozen until it is touched or startled.
It may seem cruel to toy with a chicken's brain this way. However, if you need the chicken out of your way for some reason (while you service its pen, for instance) and you don't have anywhere else to put it, this is a useful technique.
- "Note: When I was little I remember my brother and I would use a technique similar to those described above in order to 'hypnotize' our chickens. It was very entertaining for us as children, and was fun to show to our friends, but I seem to recall our father (who was a farmer) being irritated at us for bothering the chickens in this way. If I remember correctly, he claimed it made the chickens uneasy and negatively affected their egg production. However, I have no idea whether or not this is true. In any case, I would guess that if you have to chase your chickens all over the place and pin them down before you can hypnotize them, it probably is more cruel than anything. On the other hand, if they are 'pets' and trust you (if they are handled easily), it may not have any adverse effect. This is, of course, only in theory."
- -Anonymous
Random Facts
[edit | edit source]Chickens know an item still exists even when it is out of sight.
When a chicken softly chirps/clucks around you it is happy
When chickens run away from your hand they think they are more superior than you and therefore do not want to be petted (you can easily force pet them of course) ...vice versa if the chicken lets you pet them
Good Entertainment
[edit | edit source]Keep wild bird feed outside your house and watch your chicken befriend the birds... or chase away the poor bird visitors!