So many times in any given week,
I wish I knew more about animal behavior.
You would think with as much time as I spend with them,
I would understand them better.
The dogs are no problem....
I understand them perfectly.
The horses and goats...
don't often confuse me.
But, the birds???
I just don't get it.
So many times their behavior just makes no sense to me.
Take for example the ducks....
Presently our pond is frozen, and has been for about 2 months.
There are two unfrozen puddles, kept liquid by two aerator pumps.
One of the holes is twice as large as the other.
The smaller hole holds all 18 ducks, with little room left over.
For weeks, now, the ducks have been staying in the larger opening.
Then all of a sudden, 2 days ago they moved to the smaller hole.
And the funny thing is...
they all move together.
They never split up...
which would make sense....giving more room for them to swim.
No, they move en mass from hole to hole.
Why?
I haven't a clue!
Then there are the guinea fowl.
If you have ever raised guineas, you will know
that they are not the sharpest tool in the shed....
impossible to train.
Two summers ago I ordered 30 guinea keats.
I tried every trick in the book to teach them to roost in a henhouse
at night (protection from predators).
Short of picking them all up each night and placing them in the house,
nothing worked.
Even their favorite treat of white millet was not enough to entice them.
And so, over the following two years, their numbers dwindled.
We have 3 left....and we have had just these three for over a year now.
Each night they roost in the 200 year old pine tree by the barn.
Yesterday, for some reason, they decided to join the ranks
in the chicken yard....
their leader flew to the top of the chicken yard door
and hopped right in.
This of course caused quite a stir amongst the hens.
"Hey, whose ugly cousin came to visit?" I heard one cry.
I opened the door, and the other two followed suit.
With a severe ice storm threatening us,
I thought it was a good place for them to spend the night....
in the warmth and shelter of the henhouse
(figuring that they would follow the hens into the henhouse
when the sun set at night)
Wrong.
They sat out on the fence
in the freezing rain
with no protection
just out of reach
dumb
guineas
!!!!!
(I fear they will be ice balls when I find them this morning.)
So, if any of you can shed some light on bird behavior for me
I would greatly appreciate it.
Because as far as I am concerned,
for the most part,
they just never make much sense.
Except for chickens.
Chickens
are
savy
!!!
Why?
I haven't a clue!
Then there are the guinea fowl.
If you have ever raised guineas, you will know
that they are not the sharpest tool in the shed....
impossible to train.
Two summers ago I ordered 30 guinea keats.
I tried every trick in the book to teach them to roost in a henhouse
at night (protection from predators).
Short of picking them all up each night and placing them in the house,
nothing worked.
Even their favorite treat of white millet was not enough to entice them.
And so, over the following two years, their numbers dwindled.
We have 3 left....and we have had just these three for over a year now.
Each night they roost in the 200 year old pine tree by the barn.
Yesterday, for some reason, they decided to join the ranks
in the chicken yard....
and hopped right in.
"Hey, whose ugly cousin came to visit?" I heard one cry.
I opened the door, and the other two followed suit.
With a severe ice storm threatening us,
I thought it was a good place for them to spend the night....
in the warmth and shelter of the henhouse
(figuring that they would follow the hens into the henhouse
when the sun set at night)
Wrong.
They sat out on the fence
in the freezing rain
with no protection
just out of reach
dumb
guineas
!!!!!
(I fear they will be ice balls when I find them this morning.)
So, if any of you can shed some light on bird behavior for me
I would greatly appreciate it.
Because as far as I am concerned,
for the most part,
they just never make much sense.
Except for chickens.
Chickens
are
savy
!!!
Comments
The Guineas... Cant say.
I know, it does not make any since. I cant explain but it did make for an interesting read and it truly got my mind working.
I house my chickens and guineas together in the winter. If I throw scratch on the outside of their pen-on the opposite side from the open pen door, the hens in the pen know to turn away from the scratch that they can see through the screening and to go out through the door and run around the outside of the pen to get to the scratch.
The guineas will walk back and forth along the back side of the pen as if they are waiting for a door to magically appear for them in the screening to get to the scratch.
Even our turkeys are way smarter than our flighty silly guineas.
Heather in PA
I showed my husband the duck pictures, and he said, "Even ducks like variety." So there's your answer! :-)
You don't suppose they think they know better and you are just to pushy? Ha!
Maura :)