Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[bruceha2000]

To isolate her because I think she should grow some feathers back would be an act of cruelty imo.

I agree. I don't suppose you could put an apron on her to save her feathers from Henry's claws?

 

[ManueB]

Well it makes sense that ex-battery and high production hens don't molt as regularly as other breeds, and don't always grow beautiful new feathers back- if I got it right it's more or less the same amino acids required to lay and to grow feathers.
I told @lightm some time ago that my ex-batts hadn't really molted last year. This year for their third winter, two out of four have had a real molt like expected (loosing feathers and growing back new shafts), one didn't show any sigh of molting but did grow back some feathers so she must have had a very light molt, and one is loosing all her feathers now but not growing them back. They also lay less and took a pause through winter, which wasn't the case the first two years.

Creative or sad ? We finally have a brand new french maker of recycled plastic coops...and it's a famous plastic toy maker that is diversifying it's activity. They probably saw on french forums that people were using their old toy houses as coops.
Like most premade coops it's way too small, has barely any ventilation and is too expensive for what it is. But what bothers me especially is the description of a fun coop that makes it sounds (willingly or not) as if chickens are a new type of dolls.

 

[lightm]

Henry's new legs look fabulous from here! I wish we could see a side by side photo of before and after! Wasn't this about a month or two of regular treatment?

Pretty Poopy! Since she is a lap chicken, I do hope that her habits have improved, for your sakes

I was also thinking how Henry's legs look much better.

Poopy is a wonderful chicken now. She can be mean to others at times, but not pooping on you and her butt is pristine.

 

[bruceha2000]

All of my chickens have come as day olds from hatcheries, no ex-batts. Some years they blow out as if they narrowly escaped a chicken plucker but don't have a major moult the next. When the 2 Anconas were alive they would annually lose their tails but their body feathers would be "drop and replace". I wouldn't really know they were moulting if it weren't for them tossing their tail feathers.

 

[lightm]

Well it makes sense that ex-battery and high production hens don't molt as regularly as other breeds, and don't always grow beautiful new feathers back- if I got it right it's more or less the same amino acids required to lay and to grow feathers.
I told @lightm some time ago that my ex-batts hadn't really molted last year. This year for their third winter, two out of four have had a real molt like expected (loosing feathers and growing back new shafts), one didn't show any sigh of molting but did grow back some feathers so she must have had a very light molt, and one is loosing all her feathers now but not growing them back. They also lay less and took a pause through winter, which wasn't the case the first two years.

Creative or sad ? We finally have a brand new french maker of recycled plastic coops...and it's a famous plastic toy maker that is diversifying it's activity. They probably saw on french forums that people were using their old toy houses as coops.
Like most premade coops it's way too small, has barely any ventilation and is too expensive for what it is. But what bothers me especially is the description of a fun coop that makes it sounds (willingly or not) as if chickens are a new type of dolls.
View attachment 3375019

What you have told me, about the ex-batt molting pattern, was very valuable information.

I watched so many chicken videos during my first year of chicken keeping (2021). I have realized that so many are repeats of each other and there is lots of misinformation. If they talk about molting, it is almost always no molt for pullets, and later molt every winter. Nobody ever talks about the molting pattern of these poor production birds, which surely are in many people's backyards.

I have learned way more on this thread, and a couple others.

 

[Iluveggers]

Reading all this about molting makes me glad I decided to stick with starter-grower feed with 20% protein & high lysine & methionine. I have contemplated switching to layer, but I am hoping the starter/grower will keep my girls healthy no matter what stage of their lives they are in. There is oyster shell available at all times, and I also feed back eggshells when I get a big batch. That is one of their favorite treats. Will be interesting to see how my heritage breed girls do when they start molting, most likely this coming fall.

 

[BDutch]

Well it makes sense that ex-battery and high production hens don't molt as regularly as other breeds, and don't always grow beautiful new feathers back- if I got it right it's more or less the same amino acids required to lay and to grow feathers.
I told @lightm some time ago that my ex-batts hadn't really molted last year. This year for their third winter, two out of four have had a real molt like expected (loosing feathers and growing back new shafts), one didn't show any sigh of molting but did grow back some feathers so she must have had a very light molt, and one is loosing all her feathers now but not growing them back. They also lay less and took a pause through winter, which wasn't the case the first two years.

Some of my chickens often molt light/hardly noticeable. It just takes several months to complete that way.

Creative or sad ? We finally have a brand new french maker of recycled plastic coops...and it's a famous plastic toy maker that is diversifying it's activity. They probably saw on french forums that people were using their old toy houses as coops.
Like most premade coops it's way too small, has barely any ventilation and is too expensive for what it is. But what bothers me especially is the description of a fun coop that makes it sounds (willingly or not) as if chickens are a new type of dolls.
View attachment 3375019

It cruel to put 5 hens in such a cage.

you can;

1. Contact the seller, say they should alter the design and info immediately! And why!
2. Contact animal protection, say they seller should alter the design and info immediately! And why!
3. Add this coop in the reviews on BYC and maybe a french forum? say it’s worthless, and even with more ventilation not large enough for 3 standard sized chickens.

I did 1 + 3 once too, seeing an awful coop for sale on the internet.

 

[Perris]

I've finished the goshawk book (Aldred, Goshawk summer), and incidentally learned a lot about all of nature in the New Forest during the first Covid lockdown in 2020. On goshawks specifically, there's an observation that the female returned and dropped dead pine needles on the back of the male while he was sitting on the eggs in the nest, for which the author has no explanation. He goes on to say that raptors often bring sprigs of greenery back to the nest to help control parasites, and that many conifers' foliage contains anti-bacterial compounds that actively disinfect the nest. But he couldn't imagine dead pine needles working thus, or understand why she dropped them on the male's back rather than in the nest or on the eggs. I was reminded of our (inconclusive, I think) discussion about why hens at lay sometimes sprinkle shavings or other nest material on their own backs. Explanation anyone?

 

[lightm]

I've finished the goshawk book (Aldred, Goshawk summer), and incidentally learned a lot about all of nature in the New Forest during the first Covid lockdown in 2020. On goshawks specifically, there's an observation that the female returned and dropped dead pine needles on the back of the male while he was sitting on the eggs in the nest, for which the author has no explanation. He goes on to say that raptors often bring sprigs of greenery back to the nest to help control parasites, and that many conifers' foliage contains anti-bacterial compounds that actively disinfect the nest. But he couldn't imagine dead pine needles working thus, or understand why she dropped them on the male's back rather than in the nest or on the eggs. I was reminded of our (inconclusive, I think) discussion about why hens at lay sometimes sprinkle shavings or other nest material on their own backs. Explanation anyone?

Very interesting!

For chickens, I've always guessed a bit of Camouflage is in play. It's my wild guess since it does not look effective at all.

 

[Molpet]

I've finished the goshawk book (Aldred, Goshawk summer), and incidentally learned a lot about all of nature in the New Forest during the first Covid lockdown in 2020. On goshawks specifically, there's an observation that the female returned and dropped dead pine needles on the back of the male while he was sitting on the eggs in the nest, for which the author has no explanation. He goes on to say that raptors often bring sprigs of greenery back to the nest to help control parasites, and that many conifers' foliage contains anti-bacterial compounds that actively disinfect the nest. But he couldn't imagine dead pine needles working thus, or understand why she dropped them on the male's back rather than in the nest or on the eggs. I was reminded of our (inconclusive, I think) discussion about why hens at lay sometimes sprinkle shavings or other nest material on their own backs. Explanation anyone?

Maybe pine oil from the needles repels mites or lice?