Birdlore: There Be Chickens!

At the World Bird Sanctuary, we share our home with eagles, hawks, falcons, cranes, pelicans, owls...you name it!

Perhaps, the fan favorite of little children and a bird most visitors might not realize we have onsite are the....CHICKENS!

At WBS the children are always fascinated by  the chickens (photo: Gay Schroer)

Why chickens?  That’s actually a pretty frequent question I get asked by visitors when I’m working on our public Display Line.  The very young children gravitate towards the chickens, because they can engage them, unlike the birds of prey.  They love feeding the corn to our chickens (hint: the Turkeys love it too!) and they can pet them when staff members take a chicken to a children’s program.

Chickens like the Bantam Cochin chickens are actually quite easy to train.  They provide a comedic element to the bird shows WBS presents at Zoos, theme parks and aquariums around the nation.  The chickens run like mad across the stage behind the show speaker.

A white Araucana chicken with tufts on either side of its face (photo: wikipedia)

The Araucana chickens are actually a pretty nifty breed.  They are characterized by three distinct traits; tufts on either side of the face, rumpless (no pygastyle, or bony structure that supports tail feathers), and they lay blue eggs.  Araucanas are a wild species that  originated from parts of Chile in South America, dating back before the arrival of the Spanish explorers.  They were bred from two distinct breeds of chicken kept by the Mapuche Indians, the Collonocas and the Queteros.

One of the WBS Araucana flock displaying the rumpless trait (photo: Gay Schroer)

The Collonocas breed carried the traits for laying blue eggs and being rumpless.  The Quetero were tufted and laid brown eggs.  Overtime, these breeds would mix bloodlines to create the Araucana breed of today.

This beautiful member of the WBS flock displays the odd tufted trait – the tufts take many forms (photo: Gay Schroer)

The Araucana tufted gene, in particular, is quite interesting.  Getting lightly into genetic terminology, when you have two alleles (a variant of a gene) of the tuft trait inherited from both parents, a lethal gene is created.  Meaning, the chick will never hatch if it gains two tufted genes from two parents.  So, living tufted Araucanas will only ever carry one tufted gene and have offspring that are both tufted and non-tufted.  Even with only the one tufted gene there is approximately 20% mortality in the developing embryo.

One short story from Greek mythology involves the secret love affair between the god and goddess, Ares and Aphrodite.  To protect their secret, a youth by the name of Alectyron, was tasked with keeping a watchful eye out.  Unfortunately, he fell asleep while on the job and Helios, the sun god, witnessed the scandalous affair and reported the event back to Aphrodite’s husband.  Angry, Ares turned the youth into a rooster to prevent him from failing ever again to signal the rising of the sun.

 

Submitted by Jessica Bunke, World Bird Sanctuary 

Double Trouble At The VIC- Jane & Adele

Few animals are as popular at the World Bird Sanctuary with children as those that they can actually touch.

We have several different breeds of chickens on display on our exhibit line, most with coin operated feeding stations nearby where you can feed the chickens.  For the children this is one of the most popular stops on our exhibit line.  So the recent addition of not just one, but two Bantam Cochin Chickens to our Visitor’s Information Center has received rave reviews from our young guests.  The chickens are siblings that were hatched right here at WBS. 

 Jane and Adele usually have free run of the Visitor's Center buildiing (photo by Billie Baumann)

We named the two resident educational chickens at the Visitor’s Center after characters in the novel Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte—Jane and Adele.  When the weather is too cold outside, you can find them running free, chasing one another around inside the Visitor’s Center building.  When the weather is nice enough, they go to an outdoor enclosure on the side of the building, where they can soak up some sunshine and dig around in the rocks and dirt for bugs and grubs.  They also love to take dust baths.  The two chickens are pretty much inseparable, and can be quite entertaining.

The Visitor’s Center (also called the Environmental Education Center) is really one of the most interactive areas to visit at the World Bird Sanctuary.  There is as much to see inside this little building as there is to see on the outside.  There are two different types of live snakes on display, as well as two different types of owls. 

A very interactive and hands on display is our “Touch Table” where kids can actually handle and learn about animal artifacts like a turkey beard, a deer hoof, different footprint molds, feathers, shells, furs, etc.  They can also pick up a free Activity Book of fun things that can be done at home.  Be sure to check out all of the cool and interesting displays on all four walls.

Egg display (photo by Billie Baumann)

You can see eggs from numerous species of birds....

Skull display (photo by Billie Baumann)

.... or skulls from various birds like raptors, parrots and even a pelican.

Tracks display (photo by Billie Baumann)

You can try and guess which tracks were made by what type of animal at one of the displays. 

Fossil display (photo by Billie Baumann)

There’s also a display featuring different types of fossils, and one that has different kinds of scat (a fancy way of saying, “wildlife poop”). 

Scat display (photo by Billie Baumann)

On the countertop there are several different nature books containing tons of facts and information about animals, the environment and more.  You can also check out our Adopt-A-Bird book and help sponsor the care of one of the permanent residents of the World Bird Sanctuary.

Just outside of the Visitor’s Center building there’s a weathering area in which you can see different live birds of prey from several countries up close, within a few feet. 

The weathering area (photo by Sandra Lowe)

Nearby there’s a water feature that has a few good-sized goldfish and it’s right next to one of our main songbird feeding stations.  If you sit quietly for just a spell, you’ll likely see several different types of woodpeckers, tufted titmouse, nuthatches, doves and more. 

Red-bellied Woodpecker (photo by Gay Schroer)

WBS is located in an area that is right in the path of migration for many species of birds, so depending on the time of year that you visit, you could also see warblers, bluebirds, cardinals and many more.

A lot can be learned in the little building that is the Visitor’s Center (or EEC).  We hope you’ll enjoy your visit!

Submitted by Billie Baumann, former World Bird Sanctuary Naturalist

It Started With The Humble Chicken

In this blog I wanted to write about my experience with birds, which actually started with the humble chicken.

 Me interacting with my chickens 

I’ve been around chickens since I was about 4 years old and my parents can attest to how I would treat them as my pets. I would carry them around the house and sit them on their back, often leaving them that way, but hey I was littleJ. One of my chores growing up was to manage the chickens. I didn’t see this as a chore, though, as I enjoyed just being around these birds. I learned that chickens could be seemingly very affectionate, which may surprise people.

Growing up with chickens taught me the power of imprinting on young birds, which means they recognize their caretaker as their mother. I raised several chicks to adults that would literally chase me down if I didn’t pick them upJ. I loved watching my chickens sunbathe or take dirt baths. Dirt baths become really hilarious if there are several chickens and they all keep kicking dirt into each other’s faces, but I don’t think they mind. Chickens were believed by Darwin to have originated in Southeast Asia from the red jungle fowl. People may be amazed at the wide variety of chicken breeds, comparable to the variety seen in horses, cats and dogs.

When I was eight our father brought home an emu. These were the most exotic birds I had ever seen; large and sometimes aggressive, but they did a great job of protecting our field from predators going after our goats. They are considered a pest of agricultural land in Australia, but apparently have a variety of uses including meat, hide used for leather and their feathers and egg shells are used for decorations and jewelry. People also use emu oil for both cosmetic and pharmaceutical uses.

 My parakeets, Blue and Odette

My experience with parrots began when I was 13 years old and I got my first parakeet named Blue (very original, rightJ). Later I got her a friend; a white parakeet called Odette. I always enjoy listening to my parakeets carrying on a “conversation” that always brightens the room.

A juvenile Red-Shouldered Hawk--my first encounter with a raptor before I worked for WBS

I’ve had a few run-ins with wild birds. I’ve been known to rescue baby robins before they could be discovered by our cats and dogs. I actually saw a raptor up close for the first time a few years ago when my father brought a juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk out from the rain. He looked stunned due to the hard rainstorm we had. After the hawk regained his senses, my dad released him near where he had found him. This was a pretty amazing encounter to me since I had never seen a raptor before then.

Of course, working for the World Bird Sanctuary has really changed that and showing people the wide diversity in birds of prey has been an amazing experience.

Submitted by Whitney Cowan, World Bird Sanctuary Grant's Farm Supervisor

How long can a Chicken live?

This question...I ponder every day that I work at our Environmental Education Center.

Dumpling, our 15 year old Cochin chicken

We have a chicken named Dumpling. She is 15 years old and counting. To my knowledge, we (World Bird Sanctuary) have never had another chicken live that long. I tell guests how old she is and the response is unanimous surprise. Wow! The guest then says "I had no idea that a chicken could live that long." I cannot believe it myself.

Do any of you "Show" chickens? And do you have a chicken that is older? Send us a picture of your chicken and it’s life story.  I have tried to find the longevity of chickens on the web...but cannot find a chicken that is older than 7 years.

We have 2 kinds of chickens on display at World Bird Sanctuary.  You can come in and pet Dumpling or Daisy our Cochin Chickens.  The chickens are a favorite with kids of all ages.  Actually, almost everyone loves to pet the chickens.  Usually they say "I didn't know that chickens were that soft".  The white feathers on Dumpling and Daisy are very soft.

What has funny looking cheek adornments, no tail, and blue feet? ...an Araucana chicken of course.

We also have Araucanas on display.  They are located down past the hospital beyond most of the Eagle exhibits.  The Arauacanas are here because they had been so intensely interbred with domestic chickens that they were in danger of being bred into extinction.  Our flock is a longterm program that is attempting to breed them back to the original species.   (This is a subject for another blog in the future).

Cochin chickens were originally raised in China.  Araucanas were originally raised in Chile.

Many of you raise chickens or have raised chickens.  Some of your parents or grandparents may have raised them.  Come in and see our chickens and tell us about yours.

Some one please tell me about chicken longevity...How long can a chicken live?

Submitted by Michael Zeloski, World Bird Sanctuary Naturalist

The Rookie Files: Black, Brown & Yellow

Warning: The following blog may contain an excessive use of puns.  Anyone sensitive to puns or fowl jokes should leave now…Ooops, too late!

Black, Brown & Yellow waiting to make their entrance

What’s black, brown and yellow, great at playing follow the leader, and Buddy the Double Yellow Headed Amazon’s best friend?  Our Chickens, aka Black, Brown and Yellow!  Yes these eggcellent little Bantam Cochin chickens are quite the crowd pleasers at WBS’s Milwaukee County Zoo bird show, not too bad for a trio of two year olds.

Black, Brown, and Yellow (yes those are their names) have been doing shows for their whole lives and each one has their own personality.  Black never bawks at a challenge and anytime she can jump on or squeeze under something for food, she’s all for it.  Brown is very quick at catching onto behaviors and does most of the egg laying in the group.  Yellow gets frightened easily and may appear to not understand a behavior right away, but she’s also the one who realized she didn’t have to follow us around the ETC, and that she could run back into the pen and wait for the food to return.  All three love to pile up together at night, and have recently discovered that fruit is tasty and not frightening.  Now we just have to introduce them to greens, which are a favorite of fellow Cochins Dumpling and Daisy.

Don't let that quizzical stare fool you--Brown is very quick to catch on!

Bantam Cochin chickens are a breed native to Asia, and many people keep them as pets.  After watching these three trail along after us I can certainly understand why.  They are great pest controls in gardens, eating unwanted insects with relish.  In fact they have specially adapted feathers that cover their feet (and look kind of like pantaloons) that help them to sense the vibrations of insects in the soil.  The Chickens are also prolific egg producers, usually laying one or two eggs every other day.  Not only do they produce fresh eggs, but they also produce some of nature’s very best organic fertilizer.  Best of all is the eggciting fact that chickens can be trained.

Close-up of a Bantam Cochin Chickens "feather duster" feet

Black, Brown and Yellow know a variety of behaviors.  They are great at following us between their indoor and outdoor pens at the zoo. Black and Brown can spin in circles on cue (in opposite directions) and Black will fly up to a trainer’s arm.  Last year, in the Milwaukee Count Zoo bird show, they had a fairly simple pattern.  They ran from one part of the stage, up a ramp, and back into their pen.  This year we are having a little more fun, although the basic A to B pattern is still there--we didn’t need to start from scratch after all.  In addition though, Black is also playing the role of our chicken hawk.  Imagine you are an unsuspecting child volunteer, waiting with arm outstretched to receive the chicken hawk you’ve been told is going to land on you.  Suddenly from out of nowhere there is a small black chicken on your arm eating grapes from the show speaker’s hand.  Pretty fowl right?  Black does an excellent job of surprising and then delighting children in shows while Brown and Yellow run around excitedly at their feet.  Then all three chickens run off the stage and back to their pen while the audience cracks up.

Black, our imposter chicken hawk, with Yellow looking on.

Many people love the Chickens, perhaps because they are small and run in an amusing waddling gallop.  Or maybe it’s because black jumps onto a child’s arm and the other two wait before all three leave.  For whatever reason, they are eggceptional people pleasers and definitely a lot of fun to work with and train. 


....AND THAT’S NO YOLK!

Submitted by Leah Tyndall