Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[RoyalChick]

I got a better photo of Frida's unibrow today
View attachment 3297588
As long as the crest doesn't grow much more, it shouldn't need trimming as it's not impeding her vision.
Fforest is colouring up nicely with rich mahogany shoulders; he has more of a mohican
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And Dyffryn doesn't have a crest at all; I think her plumage is exquisite
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All three are really beautiful.

 

[Shadrach]

Rain in the morning. Sunny spells this afternoon.
Matilda looking very fluffy as new feathers grow.

 

[ppruitt]

Do you eat them and do they taste different to store bought chicken to you?
I don't know exactly when it happened but a long time ago I decided that I didn't like the taste of store bought chicken and much prefered the taste and texture of fully free range chicken.

I finished processing the last of my roosters Tuesday. Made myself a big bowl of rooster noodle soup today and I am reporting back about the differences between mine and store bought.

The first thing I noticed, is that much like the darker yolks you see in home raised eggs, the fat on my roosters was a dark yellow, not the pale yellow of store bought.

The taste of the meat is stronger. Not off putting, just tastes more 'chickeny' than store bought. The texture is coarser than store bought, but not tough or dry. The broth is excellent and much heartier than what I would have made from store bought.

I did notice that after cooking the roosters, I didn't get that odd, almost rotten smell that store bought chicken sometimes gives off.

My chickens don't really free range. They have been living in my backyard with occasional forays over the fence to attack my garden. Since dispatching the extra roosters, that had stopped, but today I caught my rooster and one of his ladies in my raised bed garden. No excuse for it as they still had my runner bean trellises left to destroy inside the fence.

 

[no fly zone]

Three of Mr. Bumble's sons:

 

[Iluveggers]

Three of Mr. Bumble's sons:
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Gorgeous! Love the feather coloring!

 

[pennyJo1960]

Okay made it Back down like 4 days computer lost it's programming.
Me and computer tech from the computer shop did F12 reboot.
ta da I am back.

 

[BDutch]

Yesterday evening (just after 6 pm) Janice and Kraai already roosted in the tree.
Luring with scratch and dried mealworms didn’t do the trick and they spent the night outside. Stupid . Especially Janice. She’s not even ready with her moult.
In the night I woke up from a thunderstorm. But they seem unharmed.

 

[Perris]

Yesterday evening (just after 6 pm) Janice and Kraai already roosted in the tree.
Luring with scratch and dried mealworms didn’t do the trick and they spent the night outside. Stupid . Especially Janice. She’s not even ready with her moult.
In the night I woke up from a thunderstorm. But they seem unharmed.
View attachment 3298233View attachment 3298232

tree hugging is one of the behaviours about which I am most conflicted; on the one hand, I want the flock to live as naturally as possible, but on the other hand, I don't want them to be predated in the night or first thing in the morning. I don't worry about the weather when they're out, as it's never extreme enough here (and there, I imagine) to kill them, and if it makes their night out uncomfortable, then it discourages continuance of the behaviour, which is what I want. So I always worry if someone sleeps out, and it's always a relief to see them again the next day.

 

[Ladies-Eight]

Ex Batts good morning one and all!

65 sunny 50% humidity feels like 63 rain 0%.

Have a great day!

 

[BDutch]

tree hugging is one of the behaviours about which I am most conflicted; on the one hand, I want the flock to live as naturally as possible, but on the other hand, I don't want them to be predated in the night or first thing in the morning. I don't worry about the weather when they're out, as it's never extreme enough here (and there, I imagine) to kill them, and if it makes their night out uncomfortable, then it discourages continuance of the behaviour, which is what I want. So I always worry if someone sleeps out, and it's always a relief to see them again the next day.

We have a mild climate here. Not very different from the weather in southern and middle England. So normally I just don’t like my chickens roosting in the trees for the same reason as you describe.

But last night the weather was spooky. Heavy rain, lightning and thunder. That’s why I was not comfortable with it for 2 reasons. Especially for my moulting Janice.