Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[GregnLety]

Roosters suck too, because they make too much noise when people try to sleep.

But of course I wish all the best for Henry and his remaining flock too.

12 roosters and I love them all because of their crowing. I can pick them out at a distance because of their unique sounds. Not to mention they each are handsome in their own way. But we live in a rural area where a lot of people have a few acres and some chickens. Some people can't appreciate being woken at 4 AM by loud crowing, lol.

 

[Solanacae]

She is what I have termed an "emotional vegetarian". Some are vegetarian because they think it is more healthy. She is because she won't eat anything that an animal had to die to provide. Not even cheese made with rennet. She would like everyone to do the same but knows that won't be happening here. She wouldn't eat a fertilized egg because it COULD become a live animal if given the chance.


I do, even DD1 does. She chooses to ignore what happens to most of the male chicks. I don't know how nasty the gender selection processes is, seems pretty fast and is non invasive.

Why not raise my own chickens? Because roughly half of the chicks would be roosters. And the shipping is, well, necessary. There are no hatcheries within driving distance, not within many hundreds of miles. I figure they are like locally raised meat animals that have many good days and a quick bad one day. The chicks have a couple of bad days (travel in the mail) followed by as many good days as they stay alive in my barn and the 1 acre fenced pasture which they have access to all day every day. The last of my original 12 died this past March, she would have been 10 years old in June. My oldest 4 are now 7.5 years old. I'm sure they have forgotten their 2 bad days.

I’m surprised she’s not fully vegan, if that is her approach, maybe except for eggs from your hens and wool. What happens to calves in the dairy industry is just as horrific as the commercial poultry. Though there are places that use vegetarian rennet and treat their animals well, that certainly is the exception.

I think that’s an interesting perspective on shipped chicks. A couple of bad days followed by a lifetime for good days.

 

[lightm]

Pffttt...the roosters crow is a lovely sound to wake up to.

Amen

 

[pennyJo1960]

I agree love a rooster with a good sound.

 

[ManueB]

Pffttt...the roosters crow is a lovely sound to wake up to. When Cillin was convalescing in my house, a couple of metres away from my bed 30db reduction earplugs did the job.

I love waking up to multiple roosters sounds.
But I've noticed it can go the other way round as well. Roosters around here usually wake up around 5.30 or 6. Two days a week my partner gets up at 4.30 for work and he systematically wakes the rooster up. He crows when he hears my partner coming downstairs, and again when he leaves the house at 5. And that gets other roosters to answer .

Wet and windy. All looks a bit empty doesn't it.
View attachment 3362262

Lima. She always wants to go outside and have a forage.View attachment 3362263View attachment 3362265
View attachment 3362261

This is getting close to four square feet per bird in the coop. The coop bedding is dry now despite the wet conditions.
View attachment 3362260

So do you mean that the coop that was sold for ten is suited for five ?

I had a long conversation with C the other day.

They haven't had any farm or smallholding experience since they were five years old. They have had a number of allotment plots over the years.
C's partner was the chicken and livestock person, not C.
C knows a bit about the breeds common in the UK but very little about chicken health care diet and good keeping practices.

I know C listens to what I say because they repeat it elsewhere and I get asked if it's right by others. I'm left with trying to teach C some basic chicken care especially if Henry and 4 hens are moving to their garden.

I'm not sure I understand if you are pointing out C. total lack of knowledge, or that they will listen and eventually learn from what you tell them ?

I started with how to tell if a hen is laying; pin bones and vent shape. C isn't comfortable holding chickens and in the past C has grabed them by their legs and carried them upside down. I have pointed out the dangers in this.

That is fine, once the chicken has been dispatched for the table!!!

Maybe they were more used to carrying sheeps than chickens.

 

[Perris]

how's this as an ad for roos? (snapped through a window this morning, so apologies for awful quality). Chirk in the centre, Amadeo and Killay on point, and Fforest bringing up the rear; hens neatly collected in the middle. They don't normally bunch this close and they're alert but not alarmed; I've no idea what they heard/saw to cause this.

 

[Marie2020]

12 roosters and I love them all because of their crowing. I can pick them out at a distance because of their unique sounds. Not to mention they each are handsome in their own way. But we live in a rural area where a lot of people have a few acres and some chickens. Some people can't appreciate being woken at 4 AM by loud crowing, lol.

A darkened coop may help

 

[GregnLety]

A darkened coop may help

It doesn't bother me. And we have 6 different coops.

 

[RoyalChick]

how's this as an ad for roos? (snapped through a window this morning, so apologies for awful quality). Chirk in the centre, Amadeo and Killay on point, and Fforest bringing up the rear; hens neatly collected in the middle. They don't normally bunch this close and they're alert but not alarmed; I've no idea what they heard/saw to cause this.
View attachment 3362750

That is wonderful! Precise military maneuvers!

 

[Ladies-Eight]

Ex Batts good morning one and all!

64 raining off and on 96% humidity feels like 62 thunderstorms 65%.

Have a great day!