Eclipse reactions?

[littlecowfl]

Hi. I thought I'd start a thread for those who will be able to observe their animals reactions to the eclipse. My son will have a half day so we can be on hand to observe. Farmers in other parts of the world have said their animals bed down when it gets dark during an eclipse. I wonder if it will get dark enough to make the chickens roost?

[otf]

I'd like to observe the animals on Monday, but we have a doctor's appt. an hour away at 3 PM, so I can't promise! Will be interesting though.

[littlecowfl]

I'm logging their normal behavior at 1:00, 2:00, 3:00 and 4:00pm so I have something to compare with Monday's behavior.

[otf]

Aha, the scientific approach! I know their behavior here....in this heat they're in the woods! They usually come out for a drink around 2 PM then head back to the woods, then out late afternoon to graze. Please share your herd's reactions?

[littlecowfl]

Ours alternate between chewing cud in the shade and grazing. We also have sheep, horses, chickens (will they go to roost?), bee hives, and wild critters to watch (sandhill cranes and cattle egrets).

[littlecowfl]

So far....

0445:

-All animals sleeping in typical locations except the cattle. They normally bed down in the pine trees at the back of the pasture. Early this morning, they were laying down right by the main gate.

0645:

-Horses are resting in the shade, as usual for this time of the morning.
-Chickens are scratching and foraging normally.
-Sheep are waiting for morning hay.
-Bees gathering water and foraging as usual.
-Cattle are grazing mid-pasture, with one strange behavior. Fiona, who was nursing her four month old calf, Joel, called to me continually until I was out of her sight. She usually doesn't call unless it's near feeding time and she rarely ever calls while nursing (oxytocin usually has a calming effect).

[littlecowfl]

Not sure if anyone is still interested, but here are the remaining entries:

1350-

-Crows cawing. Large group calling and circling. Unusual this time of day.
-Chickens not foraging, but still relatively active.
-Sheep standing and quiet. Need reassurance (petting).
-Bees are fetching water normally.

1400-

-Cattle by the gate again. Need reassurance.
-Horses standing in shade, calm.
-Songbirds are quieter.
-Cattle egrets not in the pasture.
-Sandhill cranes not in the pasture.

1410-

-Horses grazing calmly.
-Bees active.
-Dogs normal (making the rounds with us).
-Cats oblivious.

1420-

-Cattle grazing after more reassurance.

1424-

-Songbird calls are those normally heard at dusk. All regular songbirds quiet, including mocking birds.
-Cattle are clustered and restless, but foraging.
-Horses are grazing.
-Chickens are in the yard but clumped together and not foraging. Starting to look like a predator reaction.

1435- (Appears to be peak darkness).

-Chickens are very still. definitely reacting as if to a predator. No noises, alert, and all heads up. Still clumped together under a tree in their yard.
-Cattle are restless. Fiona calling again.
-Horses are fine.
-Birds are quiet.
-Bees foraging as normal.
-Dogs fine.
-Sheep standing in stall begging for food.

1444-

Appears to be past darkest point. The eclipse boxes we made worked well. Some clouds cover, but we had good views of the shadow cast on the sun by the moon through our boxes. We thought it might get darker than it did, but the animals reacted in interesting ways, nonetheless.

1450-

Came inside to darkened house. Had to turn on lights to type up observations.

A few notes regarding observations:

*Our animals are normally fed around dusk. I think the sheep looking for feed was based on level of light and association with feeding.

*Cattle were needy. This was unexpected.

*Horses didn't seem disturbed at all. This was also unexpected.

*Chickens did not go to roost, like I expected, but had a predator reaction instead. They sought shelter from a tree, held very still and quiet. This is what they do when they detect shadows from flying predators (ground predators cause them to go higher; flying predators cause them to seek shelter from above). Their reaction was a logical one to a change in shadows.

*No cattle egrets or sandhill cranes. These two species spend their days in our pastures. The usual count is 2-4 egrets and 13 cranes. I expect them to return tomorrow. Since they did not appear at all today, how could they have detected the change? Does it have to do with their unique brain structures used to help them migrate?

*Songbirds reacted as has been widely reported during eclipses throughout the world.

[otf]

Interesting! When you say cattle were "needy," what do you mean? Restless or something? Very interesting about the egrets and cranes!

Strangely enough, I was at the eye doctor with my husband yesterday, and they had the special viewing glasses to share with the folks in the waiting room so I got to see it out of a 3rd story tall window. Pretty neat, orange and black.

[littlecowfl]

Our cows cluster and moo by the gate during feeding time. There is a lot of movement as cows jostle for prime positions near the feeders. There is more motion and mooing as we go in to fill the feeders. Everyone is probably familiar with those behaviors.

However, if something is bothering them, they come to the gate and look for us (strange dog nearby, for example). The difference is that they face the gate, clump closer, and mostly stand still. Their heads are higher than normal and they are tense. They are usually quiet, with the exception of Fiona (her mother was like that, too). To reassure them, we go in the pasture and move among them petting and talking to them. Then, they relax and move off to graze again. Yesterday, they were tense and looking for us. We went in to reassure them twice until they went off to graze again. Their grazing yesterday was near the gate all day, instead of foraging further away where the grasses are better.

[legendrockranch]

We had only 61% of coverage for the eclipse However in 2024 we're in the direct route to see a total eclipse. That is if we live that long
You better believe I'm getting my glasses early.

Barb