Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Marie2020]

Yes, in so many ways.

Heartbreaking for the chickens.

Heartbreaking for the utter disrespect of what Shad's done to improve the lives of the hens.

Heartbreaking that C can't recognise the limits of their abilities/availability and relinquish control to others. Imagine how relieved C would be if they let others take over.

From what I'm getting from this C, I doubt she'll give it a second thought.

Some people

 

[Marie2020]

Yes
It will either be a social thread or die a natural death.

This thread has be informative and helpful.

 

[Perris]

C has decided to re-home the geese and chickens. This may change, but I think it’s going to happen.

A lot depends on what their new homes are like but this hopefully will be a good thing.

C has said they intend to keep two, or three chickens in their back garden.

I’ve been asked by one group member and one other so far if I would be prepared to help with their chickens a couple of days a week.

Today sunrise was at 8am and sunset at 4pm. It just isn’t possible for C to feed the chickens twice in the daylight which is when most of them will eat even if the shift is a day shift. Nobody in the group is prepared to do it.

From this combination of comments I take it that C and other group members still like the idea of keeping chickens, and some already have some in their gardens. But even those people won't promise to come to the allotments to feed the crew in the morning and the afternoon when you can't. Have I got that right?

Apparently the smallholder who is found to be in breach of the new regulation risks having their smallholding license revoked. This would put the field back into council hands and they want to build on it.

There are three different things here. Have you seen evidence of any or all 3 of them being statements of fact, or are they just speculation?

I can imagine the last two being enough to damage the mental health of anyone with an allotment or a house backing onto the allotments, but I can't see how a revocation in these circumstances (assuming it is possible), could concern more than the livestock keeping part of the licence. Someone may be scaremongering to try to leverage their point of view. Isn't one of your relatives a lawyer? Have you run this threat past them?

 

[BDutch]

What are you going to do with yourself when there are no more chickens @Shadrach? They have been a big part of your life for so many years.

I do hope Shadrach or people from the allotment group will find a home for these chickens, where he can help and visit.
And where the coop he build can be transported to on healthy soil.

Of course it won’t be easy bc it’s not possible to add them to an existing flock with the parasites the flock is struggling with. But maybe someone who has a large gaden will enjoy a rooster and about 6-10 hens (depending on C).
And visits from some kind of vagabond (looking as one) who is pleased to help on many days. And top of the cherry cake, I’d like it if its somewhere pretty close to the flat, so travelling won’t be an issue anymore.

It’s going to be Xmass soon, so do make you’re wishlist in the WhatsApp group Shad. Not mine for you but you’re own and don’t hesitate to ask. I’m sure you have a couple of real friends in that group. Or make a new group and invite all the people you like/gave you some money to help with the costs.

 

[RoyalChick]

C has decided to re-home the geese and chickens. This may change, but I think it’s going to happen.

In C’s words, “they are too much bother and expense.”

A lot depends on what their new homes are like but this hopefully will be a good thing.

My View.
If one is going to keep chickens then they should be kept to some kind of standard. If you can’t achieve the standard then don’t keep chickens.
Even with the work, time and money I’ve put in we are not achieving even a minimum standard of care.


These are all Ex battery and rescue chickens apart form Fret who C paid for. The Ex Battery hens are in my view retirees and/or palliative care patients. The standard of care for them should be set higher. These are, as someone in the group put it, retired hens. Retirement should at least mean (being retired I have a view on the subject) free from hunger and cold, adequately housed, provided with medical care etc.

At the moment even with my bag a month, more recently every six weeks, they are not getting properly fed. I pointed out the maths of this to the group. C told the group they buy 3 bags of feed a month. C complains about that. Then I did the maths and on the minimum recommended quantities from the feed manufactures we were two bags and a bit short; closer to 50% short in fact if my contribution is deducted. Then there is the problem of what they get fed.

I showed the group what 26 chickens in the old coop looked like at roost time. It makes battery conditions look spacious. Apparently they were a bit shocked. It shows just how little any of them have to do with the chickens. It was C’s partner who took care of the chickens until three years ago and from the pictures that were posted on the fields website the stocking density and keeping conditions they did a reasonable job.

When one adds the state of the run, C’s complete lack of construction skills and their lack of chicken knowledge right down to not knowing where a hens crop is and outright refusal to use vet care for any problem, health care didn’t feature until I went there. A couple of group members in the past have pointed out the chickens and coops had mites and C had the usual meltdown response. Not really what one wants as a retiree chicken. It’s not like they have nice pointed beak to pick them off with because they had their beaks cut.

I’ve been told by most of the members that if C was to hand over the field to the group or another competent member they would participate in the care of the field and any livestock. Most of them live within walking distance. While C is there those that last more than a year either leave the group, or just don’t bother with anything other than their own plot.

I could and would and am doing so, make up any feed shortage but what I can’t do is make sure they get fed it.

With the current state of the run, I was asked to cost what it would cost to make the run rat proof so feed could be left out all day. Nobody liked the sound of that.

C works shifts. They travel on public transport. Sometimes the journey time to and form work is an hour each way. The shift lengths vary from eight to twelve hours. Today sunrise was at 8am and sunset at 4pm. It just isn’t possible for C to feed the chickens twice in the daylight which is when most of them will eat even if the shift is a day shift. Nobody in the group is prepared to do it. A few have in the past that I know of.

An added problem is none of the group I’ve spoken to trust C. They have been concerned about financial accountability for some time. I think that if the field group had control of finances and took the what to spend on decisions most of them would happily donate as my fundraise for the woodchip demonstrated, which I’m refunding due to the change in circumstances.

I spoke to a couple of the group members this evening when I took their donation refund round. They think under the circumstances it is cruelty to keep the chickens and geese in the current circumstances.

I can’t help but agree with them. Before I arrived the chickens might have got out for a few hours at the weekend if C was working in the allotments. Now they are out two hours or more daily. Even at my most optimistic I can’t see anyone standing out in all weathers for a couple of hours a day governed by the movement of the sun. It’s just not going to happen. As C pointed out in their rant, you would need to be a halfwit to do such a thing. I think they were referring to me.

Finally, the DEFRA recommendations are going to be tightened up we are informed and while pets may be given exemptions, registered smallholdings with declared livestock will not be. The field is a registered livestock smallholding. This will mean at the bare minimum the livestock confined to a covered run if not confined to the coop. Apparently the smallholder who is found to be in breach of the new regulation risks having their smallholding license revoked. This would put the field back into council hands and they want to build on it.

Even with my new coop alterations keeping 19 chickens in that space is as bad as battery conditions.

I know some of the group have been talking to C and have concerns about C’s mental health. Perhaps C has been made to accept the reality of the situation.

C has said they intend to keep two, or three chickens in their back garden. They do have enough space.

All I can hope for is the chickens go to someone who will care for them properly. Of course I will miss them but if they have even a chance of a better life than they have now it must be a good thing.

As I stated at the beginning of this thread Pear Tree Farm who “rescues” these spent hens should never have allowed C to have them in the first place.

I’ve been asked by one group member and one other so far if I would be prepared to help with their chickens a couple of days a week.

I’m going to think about it.

I imagine it will take some time to re home them so there will still be chicken pictures and news from me for a while.


Should I keep the thread going once this is all done?

Goodness. I am struck dumb and not sure what to think about this.
Just for clarity, the two people who have asked you to help care for their chickens, those are different chickens that they already have in their gardens? Or are they saying they will adopt some of the allotment chickens?
I honestly don't know whether I feel sorry or relieved about the direction - but I know it must be quite disturbing for you personally so I feel for that, and of course am anxious for Henry and his gang.
If C totally melts down is there any way to get the smallholding license into someone else's hands?
What a mess.

 

[Ladies-Eight]

Ex Batts good morning one and all!

What a drastic decision C has made.

Is she serious or is she just threatening.

57 fog 91% humidity feels like 57 Rain 1%.

Have a great day!

 

[Solanacae]

I’m really sorry for all of this drama. Getting rid of the chickens and geese seems like a knee jerk reaction to your going and asking for (and succeeding in) getting funds to make further improvements for the chickens’ situation. Having seen various forms of mental illness in my family, I can see how that would have really set C off. To be clear, I don’t think you should have done anything differently, I’m just not surprised that it happened.

If you have access to someone with legal experience, I’d be curious to get their take on the situation. If the field has some sort of protected status that is holding off the land from getting developed, then surely there must be some sort of bylaws that would indicate how the land is to be managed. More specifically, if one person (C) is allowed to make the decisions or if it should be done by consensus.

While I doubt at the moment that C would be willing to consider this, if the number of chickens could be reduced so as to bring the fields back into compliance with regulations, that would be worth considering. Not only will it be difficult to find homes for these chickens, it will also be incredibly stressful for them. Rehoming roosters is potentially more difficult than an old hen, poor Henry. C was the person who made the decision to take on more birds here than was allowed, which makes me wonder why she decided to do something like that in the first place.

What will come of the coop and other materials? If they were donated, will they be returned to the donors? Will they be sold? Who will get the money and what will it be used for if they are sold? When C is forced to confront these questions, I wonder if she will change her mind.

Other questions I have: who will decide where the chickens are rehomed to? Does the ex-batt rescue organization take chickens back? Will a Shadrach without chickens to care for be happy? The last one is the question that hurts my heart the most, because I know how much you love being around chickens. On top of your family being sick with Covid, this is a tough blow.

I have learned so much (chicken and off-topic alike) from this thread, I would be sad to see it end.

 

[Cat Ballou]

New chicken keeper here lurking. I found this thread and it’s fascinating! I’m up to page 39 lol

@Shadrach I keep thinking about the 400-year-old colony of now-feral Spanish chickens at Saint Augustine, FL. I lived there 2017-2019 and they were just running wild in a couple of neighborhoods.Don’t know who here is aware or interested in old stock & their behavior.

Here is my tax: Honey the EE Welsummer? cockerel at 2 m.o.

 

[Shadrach]

What are you going to do with yourself when there are no more chickens @Shadrach? They have been a big part of your life for so many years.

I've got a very long list of things to do, most of which don't involve standing outside in all weathers for two or three hours.

 

[Shadrach]

Well, that sucks. Hope all the chickens find good homes, especially Henry.

I am particulalry concerned about Henry.