Kids' Questions

[pdblake]

My eldest took a look in the coop last night and saw all the hens sat on the perch, settling down for the night.

"How come they don't fall off in their sleep?"

I think it's probably some kind of reflex thing but I've asked Google and all I get is people wanting to sell me coops with perches in

Anyone know?

[Nicos]

Yup!!!

Like dolphins they can sleep with half their brain awake!!!

....here you go - just to show I'm not pulling your leg!!!

Birds sleep with half brain off and rest on | Independent, The (London) | Find Articles at BNET

[pdblake]

So they're literaly half asleep?

I take it they must swap sides half way through the night. Must be a bugger if they get woken up early and one half has had more kip than the other.

[Flummery]

Our budgie does the same. I think their feet sort of lock into position. Mind you half my hens kip in the nest box - idle bums!

[pdblake]

Just got to persuade the kids now

[Hilary B]

I know some small garden birds have 'locking' feet. The 'relaxed' position is with the toes closed around a perch (which is why if you find a dead bird in the garden it usually has its toes curled as if around a perch). I don't think chooks do it that way, they just have a relatively wide perch, and a convenient point of balance.

[lynda66]

if you've ever chopped a hens foot off ... you will see a long white tendon inside (kids love this bit) when you pull said tendon it makes the toes curl ...(goes down really well with the boys) so what happens is when they bend the leg as on a perch, the toes curl automatically round it, stopping them falling off

[hmk]

if you've ever chopped a hens foot off ... you will see a long white tendon inside (kids love this bit) when you pull said tendon it makes the toes curl ...(goes down really well with the boys) so what happens is when they bend the leg as on a perch, the toes curl automatically round it, stopping them falling off

DH did this over the winter with a pheasants foot. DS (aged 8, need I say more ) was fascinated and spent ages chasing his sisters with it...

[lynda66]

see told you tis a kid thing ... though i do ... nope tis a kid thing

[Hilary B]

see told you tis a kid thing ... though i do ... nope tis a kid thing

Kids come in all ages........ (me too)

[di]

I take it you wait til they're dead!!???

[sheena]

I take it you wait til they're dead!!???

I sure hope so... Can imagine a headless chicken, not a legless one!
Not unless they have been on the sauce of course lol

[lynda66]

I take it you wait til they're dead!!???

hmmmmmmmm yeah not too sure a chook will do terrirbly well with one leg

[Nicos]

hmmmmmmmm yeah not too sure a chook will do terrirbly well with one leg

well that was an invitation to Google wasn't it children???

Lily....
http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/200...NS_468x310.jpg

Peggy...
http://sugarmtnfarm.com/blog/uploade...ySide1337w.jpg

Eve...
http://oldstersview.files.wordpress....03/chicken.jpg

[pdblake]

Sorry but a chicken with one drumstick would only cause an argument