Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Nomadicus]

I've just come in from closing up the coops with more battle scars. First ever from an all bent out of shape 5 month old Dark Cornish pullet with to many Aseel genes active in her. The had decided to not roost with the rest of her bunch and was out in the wood pile. (logs). So I took the water hose to her from the distance and chased her back to her coop. The door was already shut as she was found on a safety check. I caught her in front of the coop when she decided to double back for the log pile and it got ugly quick. I've got 2 professionally applied bandages on my left arm. Pity the coon that should ever threaten a brood of hers.

 

[Perris]

Chirk is recovering slowly and steadily, so we went out for a bit of fresh air, sunshine, and physio on the grass earlier this morning. In due course Puffin appeared from under a tree nearby, and after a cautious few minutes (that included disappearing round a corner) and my retreat she came right up to him; he was chattering enthusiastically and pretending he had something tasty in the dirt box (though he can't put his head down in front when he's standing yet; he goes heels over head if he tries it) to such an extent I thought she was going to jump in with him Then in his excitement he capsized the box, found himself floundering around on the grass, and frightened her away But things are improving, that's the point.

I'm starting to think about how I can create a safe space for him to recuperate outside. He hunkers down when he hears the other roos and I don't want to cause him fear, but he needs to get out on the grass to build up his strength and mobility again. There is no secure pen here and I'm looking to improvise for this short-term need. Any suggestions anyone?

 

[ManueB]

In a way, I can understand that BHWT and other big associations want to save as many hens as possible even if that means taking them to less than satisfactory homes. If battery hen's end of life is as unpleasant in the UK as it is in France, that is. Long hours of transport and waiting, handling by people who have no notion of animal welfare, and a major stress before death. I read a vet memo focused on improvement for battery hens conditions and the conclusion was that the main thing to improve was this- not their life, but their last hours.

I donated once to a big animal welfare federation that is led by animal activists - in spite of that, as I don't like them a lot, but because I think this association does good work, mostly for wild life. So now I receive their news. They rescue a very small number of hens, that directly go to see a vet and get implanted. Those hens then either go to a shelter for life, and these are in fact volunteers who get rescues at home because they have the land and the time to do so, or are put up for adoption, with a cost of 120 euros to cover part of the vet's bill.

Not saying this is the right way to do things, just that it's a different logic. Of course not many people would pay that for a rescue hen, but then you would be sure that they would give her the best life they could.

@Shadrach How is Fret doing now she's back to laying ?
I've noticed my broodies all seem to have some difficulties for a few days when they make the transition back to lay.

 

[ManueB]

Chirk is recovering slowly and steadily, so we went out for a bit of fresh air, sunshine, and physio on the grass earlier this morning. In due course Puffin appeared from under a tree nearby, and after a cautious few minutes (that included disappearing round a corner) and my retreat she came right up to him; he was chattering enthusiastically and pretending he had something tasty in the dirt box (though he can't put his head down in front when he's standing yet; he goes heels over head if he tries it) to such an extent I thought she was going to jump in with him Then in his excitement he capsized the box, found himself floundering around on the grass, and frightened her away But things are improving, that's the point.

I'm starting to think about how I can create a safe space for him to recuperate outside. He hunkers down when he hears the other roos and I don't want to cause him fear, but he needs to get out on the grass to build up his strength and mobility again. There is no secure pen here and I'm looking to improvise for this short-term need. Any suggestions anyone?

That's wonderful news for Chirk !

Are you thinking secure from predators or from the chickens ? If the first, how about that structure you used last year for Eve ?
I now use two dog crates set together for something more solid and put pieces of plywood on the top as a cover.
But I'm thinking of making a small tractor that would be easier to move around. @GregnLety built one very recently I think, maybe he can help.

 

[Shadrach]

In a way, I can understand that BHWT and other big associations want to save as many hens as possible even if that means taking them to less than satisfactory homes. If battery hen's end of life is as unpleasant in the UK as it is in France, that is. Long hours of transport and waiting, handling by people who have no notion of animal welfare, and a major stress before death. I read a vet memo focused on improvement for battery hens conditions and the conclusion was that the main thing to improve was this- not their life, but their last hours.

I donated once to a big animal welfare federation that is led by animal activists - in spite of that, as I don't like them a lot, but because I think this association does good work, mostly for wild life. So now I receive their news. They rescue a very small number of hens, that directly go to see a vet and get implanted. Those hens then either go to a shelter for life, and these are in fact volunteers who get rescues at home because they have the land and the time to do so, or are put up for adoption, with a cost of 120 euros to cover part of the vet's bill.

Not saying this is the right way to do things, just that it's a different logic. Of course not many people would pay that for a rescue hen, but then you would be sure that they would give her the best life they could.

@Shadrach How is Fret doing now she's back to laying ?
I've noticed my broodies all seem to have some difficulties for a few days when they make the transition back to lay.

I read about this scheme or similar during the transition from Spain to the UK and didn't keep a link to the relevant net page. If you have any more details I would like to have them please.
One hundred and twenty Euros isn't a lot of money to pay for a pet. The ridiculous thing is it's an awful lot of money to pay for a pet that will help pay its way with eggs. I'll leave this to others to work out the logic in this.

What I would like to know is by how long is the life expectancy of an implanted hen extended.

Fret seems to be doing okay. Muolting and laying eggs, plus recovering from an unproductive sit, plus losing her foraging friend is bound to take a toll on her. These and other factors are in part what is making me delay any attempt to introduce any newcomers. The truth is the trio seem quite settled.

It's odd. My least favourite breed that have been at the allotments is the Crested Cream Legbar, but for the sake of an easier integration it looks as if for the short term at least, these are what I'm most likely to get.
Life trying to teach me a lesson possibly...

 

[Perris]

Are you thinking secure from predators or from the chickens ?

from the other roos. He can have one of the coops to himself overnight now I have 4 (isn't it funny how things work out? I got another coop to make room for chicks but this year hardly anyone's gone broody and the one that did was sitting on only 1 egg, and also oddly but in the other direction, we need an extra coop for one bird's safety).

I only have 1 dog crate; it might work; I could try it with the bottom tray out and some sort of cover for 2 sides so he can hide if Killay comes calling.

 

[Shadrach]

Chirk is recovering slowly and steadily, so we went out for a bit of fresh air, sunshine, and physio on the grass earlier this morning. In due course Puffin appeared from under a tree nearby, and after a cautious few minutes (that included disappearing round a corner) and my retreat she came right up to him; he was chattering enthusiastically and pretending he had something tasty in the dirt box (though he can't put his head down in front when he's standing yet; he goes heels over head if he tries it) to such an extent I thought she was going to jump in with him Then in his excitement he capsized the box, found himself floundering around on the grass, and frightened her away But things are improving, that's the point.

I'm starting to think about how I can create a safe space for him to recuperate outside. He hunkers down when he hears the other roos and I don't want to cause him fear, but he needs to get out on the grass to build up his strength and mobility again. There is no secure pen here and I'm looking to improvise for this short-term need. Any suggestions anyone?

You may have to build him a run. Great to read he's improving.
For a while at least I think you'll need to be with him when he's outside.

 

[Shadrach]

I've just come in from closing up the coops with more battle scars. First ever from an all bent out of shape 5 month old Dark Cornish pullet with to many Aseel genes active in her. The had decided to not roost with the rest of her bunch and was out in the wood pile. (logs). So I took the water hose to her from the distance and chased her back to her coop. The door was already shut as she was found on a safety check. I caught her in front of the coop when she decided to double back for the log pile and it got ugly quick. I've got 2 professionally applied bandages on my left arm. Pity the coon that should ever threaten a brood of hers.

The worst injuries I've had have been from broody hens.

 

[TropicalChickies]

Warm and sunny. Fret is back to egg laying.
View attachment 3568418

Off for a few berries and some bugs.
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On my plot.
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View attachment 3568425View attachment 3568423View attachment 3568422

By my chair.
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Supper.
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Gone to roost early again.
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This is all so lovely. Exactly what I would picture an English countryside garden to look like. I've actually never been to the English countryside, but did spend a year traipsing around Ireland in the mid 1990s (well before it became a theme park for rich people). But I have read "Watership Down" oh about two thousand times. Whenever I see your allotment pictures, I'm expecting to see the ears of Hazel or Bigwig or Dandelion or the dreaded General Woundwort sticking up through one of those vegetable patches.

That was also one of my favorite parts of @Perris article on feed: the list of the forage plants on his property read like a character list from that wonderful book.

 

[TropicalChickies]

Chirk is recovering slowly and steadily, so we went out for a bit of fresh air, sunshine, and physio on the grass earlier this morning. In due course Puffin appeared from under a tree nearby, and after a cautious few minutes (that included disappearing round a corner) and my retreat she came right up to him; he was chattering enthusiastically and pretending he had something tasty in the dirt box (though he can't put his head down in front when he's standing yet; he goes heels over head if he tries it) to such an extent I thought she was going to jump in with him Then in his excitement he capsized the box, found himself floundering around on the grass, and frightened her away But things are improving, that's the point.

I'm starting to think about how I can create a safe space for him to recuperate outside. He hunkers down when he hears the other roos and I don't want to cause him fear, but he needs to get out on the grass to build up his strength and mobility again. There is no secure pen here and I'm looking to improvise for this short-term need. Any suggestions anyone?

I'd make him a nice enclosure with plastic or wire screen, open on top so he can get sunshine and so he can see and feel his friends around him.

I did this for Butchie while she was getting better, mainly to protect her from Lucio's affections while she was outside. Her belly bloat makes balance difficult and while she is pretty mobile, when she goes down it's harder for her to get up. She would topple over when she tried to lift one foot to scratch her face, poor thing.

Btw, ever since I started giving Butchie the fermented feed mash (about a month ago), she has improved tremendously in such a short time. She still has a hard mass in her abdomen (probably a tumor or hernia), but the surrounding bloat has almost gone away completely, she's walking with her legs closer together, not waddling, and she even stood on one leg yesterday to stretch the other one. Actually, she went outside yesterday to dust bathe and Lucio got her good. I rushed outside to help her up, but she was already standing and shaking herself, little dazed but fine!

It's amazing -- she's been feeling ill for almost ten months, and even though I was only feeding her scrambled egg before, she wasn't getting better, she just wasn't dying. Now her poop is more solid, her energy is much better, her comb is standing up and she's a healthy red color for the first time in a long time.

Of course it's not a scientific conclusion, but I haven't changed anything but her feed...

I'm so glad Chirk is recovering. Sometimes the patience and fussing does pay off.