I suppose this is the best forum for this
thread, though it could probably live happily in multiple others.
I want to make this a sort of compendium of Things Animals Do (subtitled, perhaps: As Witnessed By Their People). The focus will probably be livestock, though it need not be exclusive.
What I specifically have in mind are behaviors of animals that one is unlikely to read in any book. Behaviors, specifically, that indicate some sort of function, and that relate to how we care for, or can care for, our animals. Behaviors that are probably only witnessed through long observation and interaction.
It would be ideal that things mentioned in this thread apply to animals, plural. While it might be interesting that you had one (and only one)
chicken that did X, it may not be relevant. Use your judgment.
I think behaviors listed might most usefully include a few points: 1. A description of the behavior itself; 2. A suggestion of the reason behind the behavior; 3. Possible ways in which we can use these behaviors to our advantage.
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I'll start with a couple examples.
1. We have an alleyway that connects our main pasture to our barn lot which consists of an old woven wire
fence, grown up in brush and eastern red cedars, and paralleled by two strands of hot wire about 12 feet from the woven wire. Over the years, I have noticed that the cows tend to move down the alleyway at a brisk trot, and they tend to hug the
fence line, brushing past the cedar branches as they go.
My suspicion has always been that they do this to dislodge flies. It was always only a suspicion, however, until this spring. I was bringing in one Jersey, just before sunrise, from a different pasture, through a makeshift alley comprised of a boundary barbed wire fence and a single strand of hot wire. The boundary fence is almost entirely clear, with the occasional bit of brush and one or two spindly cedar
trees. The cow walked comfortably down the alley, then broke into a run just as she reached one of the cedars, brushing through the branches. I was in the perfect position, and the early morning light was perfect, to see a cloud of flies dislodged and hanging there in her wake.
I always knew the cows were knocking flies off, but I could never tell, until this instance, just how effective this behavior was, nor if the effects were sustained or temporary.
The eastern red cedar is a tree well suited to this behavior due to its springy branches and dense leaves/needles. I also wonder, though, if the insect-repellent properties of cedar might also come into play. Folks line closets in red cedar to repel moths, and I've read of beekeepers using cedar
wood and oil to keep varroa mites under control. (Edited to add:) I can often smell the cedar when the cows brush past it, so perhaps enough aromatic oils are released onto the cow (or simply into the air) to serve as a sort of insect repellent?
There are many benefits to an overgrown fencerow. This is one more.
2. I've only ever raised pigs behind hot wire. I don't know if this holds true for other fencing methods, but with hot wire the first thing the pigs do in a new paddock is root around the perimeter. The rate at which they root around the perimeter and the rate at which they root around the rest of the paddock are far from equal; they seem to simply spend more time on the edges.
As I thought about this, I began to suspect that this is done for two reasons: 1. To understand just what their limits are; and 2. To establish a sort of tactile and visual warning, not unlike the warning track on a baseball diamond. This allows them to presumably reduce their anxiety, knowing they don't have to worry about accidentally bumping into a hot wire unexpectedly. When they get to this tilled (and re-tilled) area, they know they're close to potential pain.
As far as how to put this behavior to use, it seems far preferable to divide a paddock into the smallest practicable pieces, if one is trying to clear or work up an area. More perimeter fencing (through subdivisions) means more and quicker and more thorough rooting behavior. So if one has, say, a 1/4
acre paddock to clear, it would be far preferable to divide it up into four or more sections rather than enclosing the entire 1/4 acre at once.
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There were some interesting, fitting observations in the In Defense Of A Rooster thread, but I'll leave it to the individual authors there to add them here, if they're so inclined.