This winter has been so mild that the poultry think it’s spring. We have been getting one or two eggs a day (duck and chicken) all through January, now we’re up to about four chicken and two or three duck eggs every day.
And the turkeys are starting to mate.
Tom turkeys love to show off. They strut with all those feathers erected and do a little stomp dance and make a drumming noise. They hope this gets the girls interested. Sometimes it does, sometimes not so much.
They aren’t always too clear on which girls they want, though. They show off in front of chickens, ducks, geese,… and humans. In particular, a tom that was hatched in an incubator will imprint on humans and be confused when mating season comes around. One particularly persistent tom put on such a show while my lady friends were over for a picnic that one of them filmed him, and put him on YouTube with a soundtrack of “I’m too sexy for my shirt”.
Lots of bird species give the showy plumage to the guys and the camouflage to the girls. Sometimes everybody gets to be colorful.
Other times, the boys have to make something to show off their desirability as a mate. A bowerbird builds a dancing floor in the grass and decorates it with found objects, especially blue ones. THEN he does his come-on dance.
A weaver bird builds the nest he hopes to share with a mate before inviting her to take a house tour.
Happy Valentines Day to all the lovers out there!
Please to remember that Pootie Diaries post twice a day!
The regular Pootie Diaries post daily at 1:45 pm Eastern (on Sundays at 3 pm Eastern)
and the evening Open Thread Pootie Diaries post at 10pm Eastern
Please to show ‘em both some lubs!
PWBPeeps is a group that posts a daily diary and nightly open thread for animal lovers. We share photos, seek & give advice about pet health and behavior issues, support each other in times of sadness and stress, celebrate together when times are good, and on most days have an inordinate amount of fun.
You are welcome to join us!
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This is an open thread.