Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[BDutch]

Speckled Sussex, bantams.

Rahab is on the left, Martha is on the right.

I love the colouring.

Thats one of the reasons why I bought bantam Red Speckled Sussex hatching eggs.
This is what the bantam Sussex look like when they are young.

The person I bough the eggs from suspects that the first photo is of a cockerel wit a perfect comb. The second a pullet.

 

[ManueB]

The term coop almost always needs some clarification. I've always built what I describe as coops. The recycled plastic construction I now have is a coop. Some other people have constructions that could be described as aviaries. Some people have buildings that may be better described as sheds, or outhouses. When I write about coops I have a quite specific construction in mind. Royalchick for example has what I would describe as an aviary. You have an outhouse. It's a definition problem. Perhaps the easiest resolution to the inaccuracies of language when it comes to coops is to take the chicken bit out of the description and consider what it is one has left.

Interesting perspective. You're right that we are probably comparing things that shouldn't be. On the other hand one of the first very good advice almost always given on BYC to people who ask about coops, is to take into account their climate and local setting before deciding what will be the right coop for them.

The problem I have with being an idealist is everything falls short, including myself. There is no acceptable way of turning back, Pol Pot had a try and despite what some may consider his initial good intentions, he's remembered by history as a bad thing.

Hi @ManueB, thanks for the mention... I just want to say I don't mean to come off as all 'woke" and "virtuous" over here on my off grid mud house. There's nothing worse than sanctimonious holier-than-thou posturing on the internet. Our lifestyle isn't perfect. We have a jeep, for example. Living out here without a vehicle would be more difficult than I can handle right now. I use the internet. In many ways, I have to in order to keep the farm going by having visitors and programs to supplement our income. But I also use it recreationally, and thank goodness I'm limited by the sometimes poor satellite connection. And after living like this, in relatively splendid isolation for seven years, I'm not sure I even could go back to urban or "normal" life, not without some serious psychological problems...

But, yes, the way my partner and I live is very different. I'm not optimistic that we can really change the destructive trajectory humans are on, but perhaps we can leave a roadmap for future generations to say, "ah now, these people were on to something..."

I don't think people in rich countries will necessarily be completely sheltered from climate crisis. But they can certainly act like they are "in their bubble" for a longer time. Just the other day I saw a photo of a suburban house renovation underway in California USA with an eerie orange sky in the background from an approaching wildfire. I mean, who does this? Comfortably middle class people who don't think this crisis will touch them.

For people in Southeast Asia and Central America, however, it has already begun in earnest. Over a billion people have already been displaced by rising ocean levels, heat, and drought. Mexico has its own border crisis as people from Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala flee their scorched farmlands. Cities in SE Asia now have new ghettos of refugees whose homes are underwater. These stories don't often make the news, but they are happening.

Plus, to be honest, I have reasons for living like I do, and not all of them are altruistic. I like animals, trees, and books more than people. enjoy the satisfaction of building structures with dirt, pulling food put of the ground. Hand washing clothes, not so much. But it's part of the package. And I don't overestimate how much individual actions like mine can really impact the situation. The nefarious actors, the big banks, the multilateral institutions, the mega corporations, the one percent -- they are a much bigger problem than your plastic freezer bags or my Jeep. We need a real uprising, a revolution, and the people willing to go to the front lines.

I apologize if I sounded ironic or judgemental, english isn't my language and I guess what I write doesn't sound exactly like what I think. I sincerely admire what both of you are doing in your different ways, and I believe if more of us acted in accordance to our beliefs like you both do, things could get better. I'm just feeling totally despaired and angry and also guilty as to why our specie has such a tendency to do everything to destroy the world we live in. And I don't want to look at the splinter in my neighbor's eye, ignoring the log in mine .

Oh boy my chickens were nervous this morning. The chicken door didn’t open up automatically.

6 adults and 9 chicks is toooooo much in such a small coop ( 2,5 m2 floor space + 2 laying nests + 2 small platforms/roost areas.

After work I tried to fix the problem.

My Chicken Guard finally broke down, Thought the batteries were empty last evening. The door closed only half and the red light for trouble was on.
Changed the batteries. Closed the pop door. But the door didn’t open again this morning.
Did another calibration. But the system didn’t work again. After the calibration the door wont open as it sais in the manual.

While I worked on the chicken guard I let the chicks out on the grass. 5 of them managed to escape. The rabbit fences are easy peasy to jump over now.

View attachment 3539027
MDH: “A giant chicken in the coop”
in the coop trying to fix the chicken guard.

View attachment 3539028
The results of no mow may is too nice to mow now it’s June.
The chicks in the background (photo taken yesterday).

What a day, sounds like you all had quite the adventure ! I'm sure the chicks enjoyed it if not the adults.

Warm with a bit of morning rain. Had domestic stuff to do today and only managed two hours at the allotments. What's more I was busy and then chatting to one of my favourite plot holders and forgot to take pictures until the chickens were heading for home.

I've got a friend coming to stay for a couple of days and my spare bed is out on loan. It's coming back tomorrow but at an unspecified time in the afternoon. Hopefully it will be early and my friend and I can go and talk chicken at the allotments with time to spare. The bed is particulary important because I'm the one going to be sleeping on it. My friend is disabled so he gets my bed. He's a chicken keeper with two tribes.

View attachment 3539420View attachment 3539419View attachment 3539421View attachment 3539417View attachment 3539414

Stuff is still growing. The recent rain has made a difference.
View attachment 3539415

Well, let's hope the bed makes it on time, by whatever means of transportation it intends to reach your place . Nice that you have some visit of a chicken keeper friend. Maybe you'll tell us more about it.

Am I seeing an attempt at growing a few tomatoes ?

Preening mamma tax

Mr Grumpy.

 

[BDutch]

…

I've got a friend coming to stay for a couple of days and my spare bed is out on loan. It's coming back tomorrow but at an unspecified time in the afternoon. Hopefully it will be early and my friend and I can go and talk chicken at the allotments with time to spare. The bed is particulary important because I'm the one going to be sleeping on it. My friend is disabled so he gets my bed. He's a chicken keeper with two tribes.

View attachment 3539420View attachment 3539419View attachment 3539421View attachment 3539417View attachment 3539414

Stuff is still growing. The recent rain has made a difference.
View attachment 3539415

Enjoy this day with your friend. Maybe he can make some nice pictures of you holding Henri and your other tribe members.

After reading about boiling water for tea: I have an electric water kettle that lasts for at least 10 years now. Because it has a flat bottom , it can cook one cup of water. It’s 1,7 liter, switches of automatically. Brand Tefal (imported stuff and labeled as if it is Dutch). I bought it in a housewares shop.

Also use it to boil water for (pre)cooking because we have many solar panels and its better (cheaper) to use that energy, than it is to use fossil gas.

Furthermore about A-mazon: I never buy from A.mazon because the company is too big, the owner spills his money on fossil fuels to go halfway to the moon and labourers are underpaid. My husband did buy something from Bezos once because it was so cheap compared to other sellers - but it had no warranty and it broke down within 2 years. … fourth reason. It sells cheap crap.

 

[BDutch]

Interesting perspective. You're right that we are probably comparing things that shouldn't be. On the other hand one of the first very good advice almost always given on BYC to people who ask about coops, is to take into account their climate and local setting before deciding what will be the right coop for them.



I apologize if I sounded ironic or judgemental, english isn't my language and I guess what I write doesn't sound exactly like what I think. I sincerely admire what both of you are doing in your different ways, and I believe if more of us acted in accordance to our beliefs like you both do, things could get better. I'm just feeling totally despaired and angry and also guilty as to why our specie has such a tendency to do everything to destroy the world we live in. And I don't want to look at the splinter in my neighbor's eye, ignoring the log in mine .
View attachment 3539809

What a day, sounds like you all had quite the adventure ! I'm sure the chicks enjoyed it if not the adults.

Well, let's hope the bed makes it on time, by whatever means of transportation it intends to reach your place . Nice that you have some visit of a chicken keeper friend. Maybe you'll tell us more about it.

Am I seeing an attempt at growing a few tomatoes ?

Preening mamma tax

View attachment 3539811
Mr Grumpy.
View attachment 3539810

Great reactions/comments. And so recognisable. Except that your English is way better than mine.

I have to confess I’m not consequent in my choices at all. Live becomes impossible if I want to live without polluting the earth.
Sometimes I try. At other times I choose a life of luxery (being a Western European spoiled brat) or it’s just too complicated to think about all the choices you can/ have to make.
At least I often try not to make things worse. In the meantime I’m longing for more worldwide laws to get in control of the earth. Because my believe in humanity as a whole has fallen to pieces in the last decade. Glad to see that some people in charge in governments are trying to do what they can to save the world . Personal initiatives are good, but I don’t believe they can make the difference we need, with so many ignorant people.

 

[Perris]

A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step (Tao Te Ching). I focus on the 'reduce' bit of reduce, reuse, recycle. I really believe that if we individuals stop buying stuff we don't need to impress people we don't like with money we don't have, it will make a difference. The economy rests on individual people making individual decisions to buy or not buy stuff.

Tax for preaching: Fez is 2 weeks old today.

He and mum are in great condition because the forage is excellent. There is a reason why wild birds breed at this time of year, and not in Dec-April.

 

[MaryJanet]

A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step (Tao Te Ching). I focus on the 'reduce' bit of reduce, reuse, recycle. I really believe that if we individuals stop buying stuff we don't need to impress people we don't like with money we don't have, it will make a difference. The economy rests on individual people making individual decisions to buy or not buy stuff.

Tax for preaching: Fez is 2 weeks old today.
View attachment 3539833
He and mum are in great condition because the forage is excellent. There is a reason why wild birds breed at this time of year, and not in Dec-April.

Are they still sleeping out?

 

[saysfaa]

Great reactions/comments. And so recognisable. Except that your English is way better than mine.

I have to confess I’m not consequent in my choices at all. Live becomes impossible if I want to live without polluting the earth.
Sometimes I try. At other times I choose a life of luxery (being a Western European spoiled brat) or it’s just too complicated to think about all the choices you can/ have to make.
At least I often try not to make things worse. In the meantime I’m longing for more worldwide laws to get in control of the earth. Because my believe in humanity as a whole has fallen to pieces in the last decade. Glad to see that some people in charge in governments are trying to do what they can to save the world . Personal initiatives are good, but I don’t believe they can make the difference we need, with so many ignorant people.

So often the attempts via laws make a bigger mess.

Shipping asparagus from the southern hemisphere to the northern hemisphere for example. Asparagus is among the top 20 vegetables eaten in both North America and Europe.

I did a research paper on this in college. The US government choose a new tactic in the war on drugs in the 1990s. They wanted to give the people living in Peru an alternative crop to raise instead of cocaine. So they paid to source, ship, and plant crowns of the new, much more productive, still patented varieties of asparagus to the areas. Also provided and set up the latest cultivation, irregation, and harvesting equipment, processing facilities, transportation systems including an airport capable of shipping the crop. Also set up housing for the workers and training for all aspects of the industry.

It devastated US asparagus production. Among other reasons, few could do more than upgrade varieties or equipment a little at a time. It also barely, if at all, affected cocaine production because asparagus grows in a much different climate than cocaine. I'm not sure what it did to European producers but Europe was also a primary producer and is also a primary market.

A more current example is Lithium from Patagonia for the batteries required by nonrenewable energy.

Edit to add tax.

And source of chart. Published 2017. https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/top-asparagus-producing-countries-in-the-world.html

 

[Perris]

Are they still sleeping out?

Yep.

 

[MaryJanet]

Yep.

I'm amazed they haven't been found by Mr Fox.

 

[Perris]

I'm amazed they haven't been found by Mr Fox.

And they're at ground level. I think she's got a lot of game-type genes in her background (Penedesenca). She's certainly breaking new ground here on living as nature intended.