[hillfooter]

You may have read my post a few weeks back about the sad demise of my Orloff hen Alexandra, lost to a fox.  Well the little bantams had learnt to limbo under the bottom strand of the electric net which enclosed their run and were spending their day ranging the garden and vegatable patch.   As well as begging for their pellets and corn at the conservatory door.  With the loss of Alexandra there was just Anastasia (Alexandras daughter) to accompany Nicholas II and Boris but this last week my Cream Legbar matron hen has been invited to join them on their jaunts round the garden.  

Although my Orloffs have names thanks to Carole, who was about to depart on a trip to St Petersberg and was reading Russian history at the time they arrived,  only my cockerels have names.   So I'm going to have to refer to my CLB hen as Gay after the person I got her from but that's another story.

Here's a photo of them taken this morning.  I actually grabbed my camera when I noticed that they were also accompanied by two male pheasants which typically disappeared as soon as I came out.  Left to right Boris, Nicholas II, Gay, and Anastasia.



What's curious is that Gay has been happly in a netted run (regularly moved) but always protected by an electric energiser for four years plus.  She's in her 5th year now, and has never learnt or had the urge to wander further afield.  However since Alexandra has gone she has obviously been "taught"  how to get out without an electric shock and invited to accompany the others.  I can't help thinking that chickens are much more intelligent than we give them credit for and they have the ability to learn and communicate in a more sophisticated way than we might think.  They certainly understand that humans have the power to protect them and provide care and food.

Here's a couple more shots of the wanderers in the garden 'jungle'.

Nicholas II



Anastasia



Gay



HF

[joyfull]

lovely photos HF 

[wildwitchy]

lovely looking birds, especially nicholas ll

[katey]

Gorgeous! 
 

[New shoot]

Lovely photos 

I think some chickens are more intelligent than others. Certainly some of mine have worked stuff out and the rest just follow their lead, but it doesn't always put them high up in the pecking order. 

My elderly Vorwark hen has always been smart and top hen but is very stand offish. My black & red Yokohama is also no thickie and has always been bottom of the pack, but will wander off from the rest when free ranging to be with me if I am out in the garden. 

Alphie my white serama boy is fairly bright but Foghorn the ginger hooligan is thick as you know what    but Alphie was the one ejected from the big run when it all kicked off 

[LittleRedHen]

Your birds are beautiful!  Isn't wonderful when they have a day out like that?  They'll think of this day while huddled up in the winter!