Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Ladies-Eight]

This reply caught me right in the funny bone.

Typical.

 

[Ladies-Eight]

Ex Batts good afternoon one and all!

We are slated to get some of the blast this weekend.

Have a great day!

 

[Shadrach]

Is this typical rooster behaviour?

I don't think so but it might be immature behaviour and not having a senior rooster to show him by example.

I have a question for all those who do hatching at this time of year. Do you just let the broody warm the chicks, or do you keep them in a brooder with some form of additional heat ? Is it reasonable to leave the chicks in an outdoor setting with a broody when temps can still be freezing at night ?

What do you mean by an outdoor setting?

I've never used additional heat. I think it's a really bad idea all round. But, then again all the chicks bar Cheepy had mums and dads. My Uncle didn't use any additional heat either, but then again he would have cat fits of the very thought of slipping another hens eggs, or chicks under a broody hen.
I've had mums sit and hatch in March and earlier in Catalonia but they were in coops, be they their own coops, or one of the maternity units. I've not had a hen and sit in the wild this early though.

If the broody hen was able to feed well before sitting and gets off her nest daily of her own accord, and has access to feed the entire time she's off the nest, then I've found they just get on with it and what hatches hatches. I've never tried to maximise the hatch rate and I don't rescue part hatched chicks or sick chicks unless it's something like pasty butt.

Hens have been doing this for a long time and just like humans there are good outcomes and not so good outcomes. In the long run this is what you want. Nature will thin the chicks out.

 

[Shadrach]

Um, if the wild birds can't drink, neither can the chickens, right?

I don't want anybody drinking from it.There are sensible things one can do to lessen the risk of bird flu contamination. C/the plot holders and any interested parties put the whole allotment at risk by having the coops and runs for both geese and chickens in the state they were and are currently.
There are a few simple things like prevent the sharing of water and food that are niether hysterical nor particulalry difficult. This nonsense has been going on for ages.

 

[Shadrach]

The sun shone. The birds sang and for a while it was warm enough to think about spring.

Lima is cooking another egg. There is no shelled egg that I can feel. Hopefully she'll get it out.

I have no idea what happened here. It looks like some primeval spirit has been awakened in the compost heap.

They weren't overly bothered by not being able to get ate the rhubarb.

 

[BDutch]

They are both really beautiful. Ini Mini looks in great shape.
She has curled nails just like Chipie. Probably because they are a bit long.

Thanks for noticing I should do something about them.

I have a question for all those who do hatching at this time of year. Do you just let the broody warm the chicks, or do you keep them in a brooder with some form of additional heat ? Is it reasonable to leave the chicks in an outdoor setting with a broody when temps can still be freezing at night ?

Yes, the broody keeps the chicks warm in an outdoor coop. I never used a lamp or heat plate. Momma is the perfect source for warmth. After a week the chicks start to leave the broody more and more.
I believe the best time to hatch chicks is april or may. Springtime when most birds get offspring. The temp is agreeable in these months. And the chicks become full grown pullets/cockerels before autumn when the amount of daylight diminishes and there is less food to gather.

Also, I have another very basic question for those of you used to hatching from your own flock. Some months ago I posted this photo of a pretty roo from the village. I found out he belongs to some extended family of my partner (which was rather likely as I think he has some far related link to everyone born here). I've watched the rooster a bit and I like his behaviour. He has a good size, but the pullets he is with are smaller and sleek shaped. I'm thinking of asking them for eggs to hatch. Would there be more chance for the chicks be somewhere in between, or closer in body shape to the roo or the pullets, or is completely random ?
We would prefer bigger hens than the last ones we hatched, that turned out to be cross bantams...they are difficult to contain when we need to.

View attachment 3435225

Probably somewhere in between, with more variety as chicks from chickens without mixing breeds.
If you think it might work , I would ask for eggs, just try and see what the result will be.

PS. But you could get surprises too. I got 2 black chicks from a lavender mother and a pyle rooster.

 

[HiEverybirdy]

I agree.

Thank you!

 

[Perris]

They weren't overly bothered by not being able to get ate the rhubarb

you need an old fashioned forcer, then you'd get longer stems too
You've reminded me of Britt, one of my first 3 chickens

she used to stand on the top edge and inspect round inside for any creepy crawlies

 

[Perris]

I don't want anybody drinking from it.There are sensible things one can do to lessen the risk of bird flu contamination. C/the plot holders and any interested parties put the whole allotment at risk by having the coops and runs for both geese and chickens in the state they were and are currently.
There are a few simple things like prevent the sharing of water and food that are niether hysterical nor particulalry difficult. This nonsense has been going on for ages.

you might find this interesting
https://doi.org/10.1017/S1466252310000095
'Avian influenza: our current understanding'
It's from 2010, so 13 years behind now, but better than most things I've read on the topic.

 

[Ladies-Eight]

Ex Batts good morning one and all!

Our temperature dropped into the 40s last night.

Have a great day!