Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Perris]

the boys, meanwhile, are taking it easy on the other side of the lawn (Killay is standing guard near Zimmet, and taking a few seeds himself)

I think it's clear to see that the flock has settled nicely into the new order, and peace and harmony are restored. And 2 roos should settle any back tax I owe for veggie and other chatter

 

[HiEverybirdy]

I'm reading but I don't generally have anything to add to the conversation
View attachment 3559370

What a gloriously robust rooster! And a lovely hen.

 

[HiEverybirdy]

the boys, meanwhile, are taking it easy on the other side of the lawn (Killay is standing guard near Zimmet, and taking a few seeds himself)
View attachment 3559783
I think it's clear to see that the flock has settled nicely into the new order, and peace and harmony are restored. And 2 roos should settle any back tax I owe for veggie and other chatter

Amadeo

 

[TropicalChickies]

I thought it was only one scientist?

Well, usually for a research study like this there's a head scientist who is the spokesperson for it and a team under him/her who collects and analyzes data. Looks like they tested cortisone levels in multiple environments so very likely it was a team project.

 

[Iluveggers]

I do what I can to give my flock space, as we are not “supposed” to let chickens go at large in my village. So I have 2 large 6ft fenced in areas off of the run, that I open up whenever we are home. In the summer that is pretty much all day every day unless we are running errands or visiting friends. We try to let them free range with supervision when we can be outside to make sure they don’t wander over to the neighbors or in the front yard, where we would be in clear violation of the “at large” piece.

Good news though…we might buy the strip of woods behind our property. It is not zoned for my village, so if we can, I think we can get a rooster! May set up a second tribe back there, although will have to predator proof it better as my dogs do not patrol that far back.

 

[TropicalChickies]

I'm reading but I don't generally have anything to add to the conversation
View attachment 3559370

Those are beautiful birds.

 

[TropicalChickies]

I do what I can to give my flock space, as we are not “supposed” to let chickens go at large in my village. So I have 2 large 6ft fenced in areas off of the run, that I open up whenever we are home. In the summer that is pretty much all day every day unless we are running errands or visiting friends. We try to let them free range with supervision when we can be outside to make sure they don’t wander over to the neighbors or in the front yard, where we would be in clear violation of the “at large” piece.

Good news though…we might buy the strip of woods behind our property. It is not zoned for my village, so if we can, I think we can get a rooster! May set up a second tribe back there, although will have to predator proof it better as my dogs do not patrol that far back.

Good luck with the acquisition!

 

[TropicalChickies]

I believe I'm the only Australian reading this thread at this time. The wider regulatory context is missing from the discussion.

Australia is transitioning to 100% free range egg production, see https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-04-26/new-free-range-egg-laws-come-into-effect/9696146

In such a context, of course there is discussion on all sides of the argument. No wonder the study on stress in caged birds found its way to the public discourse.

The important point: In a few years all eggs produced in Australia will be free range.

Eggs are already more expensive in the shops and the price rises are likely to continue as egg farmers adapt their infrastructure.

This article on cage eggs (where you can virtually tour a facility) states that 40% of eggs in sold Australia are from caged farms, 47% from free range. But that the demand for free range eggs has increased rapidly over the last 15 years.

So we're likely to see the narrative that caged hens are happier and healthier pushed more strongly as that sector of the industry loses market share.

 

[Iluveggers]

Good luck with the acquisition!

Thanks! It may be a year or so, but that’s ok! Will give me something to look forward to.

 

[TropicalChickies]

I really appreciate all the comments and photos posted about the cage/free range hen issue.

But I started to read about this issue because I am very curious about the perception that confined (not necessarily caged) hens lay more eggs per year. Let's assume they are all about the same age. The country people here in Ecuador usually confine their "ponedoras" -- best egg layers -- to a pen or outbuilding because they believe it makes them lay more. In my opinion, it probably just makes the eggs easier to find while the chickens running loose in the villages probably lay wherever they feel like it.

I'm curious as to what this belief is rooted in.

But when I searched the topic "Do confined hens lay more eggs?"
I couldn't really get an answer. Mostly what I found were articles like the one I shared promoting the well being of caged hens. Or the studies saying it's about short term vs long term.

@Perris, you've said in a comment on your homemade feed article that you can't "have both" -- maximize egg production with foraging and homemade food. That the way to maximize production is "the commercial way." Do you think that confinement could also have something to do with that? That perhaps a foraging hen is a busy hen, less inclined to lay, where a confined hen is a bored hen and really has nothing else to do?

My beautiful Cleo, with her first egg coming out of her third year molt. Geez, I miss her so much.