Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[MaryJanet]

I forgot to say I would also love to see old photos of Skeksis any time .

 

[Shadrach]

Four hours today. Rather a pleasant afternoon. Warmish with a light breeze.
More or less ready to move the coop.

Eager to be out.

Busy day tomorrow. Not expecting to get home.

 

[Little Tala Bug]

It's been a month since Skeksis died. I have never cried so much in my life. I've been pretty depressed, to the point my wife suggested I seek professional help. Which I am not going to do because I feel psychology is a sham, plus even if it was legit, no one outside of a community like BYC understands, and I will not be judged by someone from the Skeksis was "just a chicken" crowd. I have owned some 250+ animals in my life, and while I have cared for all of them, none were like Skeksis. I have never bonded with a living creature like that. From the moment I took her out of the incubator and she imprinted on me, it was a love that was pure and good. I will always miss her.

It's a shame so many people can't understand how deep the bond can run between someone and their animal, no matter what species. I have grown so attached to our rooster, William. I never expected to grow so fond of chickens, I never even thought I would have them, but now there's literally a perch set up in my house just for him. He makes me so happy every day and I dread the day he leaves this earth. My heart goes out to you in your grief.

Part of the problem may be the number of people that see all the cutesy chicken pics on FB and decide that they want chickens too, but they just don't understand that this takes work. There are a lot of people that just don't want to have to put any effort into anything, and the minute they realize that it is much more involved than throwing a little food around, they lose interest.

This is basically how I have come to love my chickens so much... a man and woman who used to live out here on my homestead with me wanted to get chickens. They each had relatives who have chickens, so they only saw a superficial "cutesy" side to the care, time, and expense that goes into keeping a healthy flock. They convinced me to green-light rescuing a flock of 6 from an elderly lady who couldn't manage their care any longer.

I said, yes you can, and I will contribute to their care, but you have to be the architects of the chicken plans and the managers of their health, housing, cleaning, etc. If you delegate jobs to me or make a rota that's fine, but I haven't done enough research to feel comfortable taking on that responsibility. They agreed, and within days it was clear that they had no intention of taking responsibility.

Meanwhile I was the only one checking on the birds every day, making sure they were fed, watered, in their coops on time, coops were cleaned, housing was adequate. The man who brought them to the homestead had them roosting and laying eggs in filthy tyres, an unsecured stick was their only roost bar and it fell down every night. I built them a functional home and continuously improved upon it. I sat with the ill and dying when they needed care, frantically researching solutions into the night. I hand-fed homemade remedies to chickens with sour crop, made makeshift chicken hospitals, researched healthy feed options, and spent time observing and learning about their behaviours.

Those people don't live here anymore, and I have them to thank for introducing me to such lovely animals. I have 26 chickens instead, just under two years after our first batch of 6 arrived.

We do our best to only buy meat from pasture raised animals. Seafood must be wild caught.

When I started homesteading I started buying pasture-raised, local meat. I have done cow-shares and bought whole animals off of neighbouring farmers, or gotten fish off of neighbours who fish them from the lake near our house. I still get supermarket meat every once in a while and every time I regret it. Cruelty tastes bad.

We get an organic, locally-grown veg box and local, organic, unhomogenised milk in glass bottles which we return every week. The funny thing about all of this seemingly posh food is that our monthly food bill had actually stayed the same or even gone down. We hardly ever eat takeout anymore, don't get random sweets and junk from the shops as often, don't binge on terrible foods all the time. Most importantly, we make sure to use every single morsel of what we get, whether it is making stocks, pickling, fermenting, making kefir, you name it. Our food waste has gone down significantly since we started sourcing food that was farmed with care and respect.

 

[no fly zone]

I forgot to say I would also love to see old photos of Skeksis any time .

Skeksis & her old frenemy Liz

 

[Molpet]

This is true about people in general. The shelters are full of not-so-cute-now adolescent cats, dogs, as well as elderly pets who need a little extra assistance and don't understand why they've been abandoned. Florida is fighting against exotics that have been dumped. Many lakes and other waterways are full of goldfish that were too much trouble. Sad to say there's a famine of empathy and selflessness all over.

Cleo, an owner-surrender we adopted at 7, and Debbie, abandoned at 4 weeks by her feral mother. Best Buds.
View attachment 3588951

Nursing homes have a lot of people who no one comes to see, thrown away because kids are too busy to take the time to visit

 

[kcan2]

My only confort is that the gang of destruction looks kind of nice in garden pictures .

What an amazing view! And of course the mountains in the background are nice, too

A scurrilous rumour madam entirely without foundation. Through some little understood genetic accident the presbyterian rigours of my ancestors arrived in me at birth and while I appreciate the finer qualities of Scotlands finest export I imbibe the fine spirit rarely and when I do, I'm in no condition to advertise the fact.

What a truly poetic response to those scurrilous rumours

Which I am not going to do because I feel psychology is a sham, plus even if it was legit, no one outside of a community like BYC understands,

We certainly do understand, and you are loved! Personally I don't think we are built to process loss, but if nothing else, please know that grief isn't who you ultimately are. Skeksis was definitely a special girl, and most truly YOU are one of those special owners whose relationship with her is a joy for others, too - her pictures always make me smile!

 

[Ladies-Eight]

I forgot to say I would also love to see old photos of Skeksis any time .

Yes, any time.

 

[MrsNorthie]

Ex Batts good morning one and all!

I am still mourning for my doxie that I had to put to sleep.

Temperature is in the 80s.

Have a great day!

They leave such a big hole in our hearts.

 

[MrsNorthie]

Personally I don't think we are built to process loss, but if nothing else, please know that grief isn't who you ultimately are.

I agree. I can compartmentalize really well, to get on with what needs doing, (work, chores etc..) but the heart ache never really heals.

 

[MrsNorthie]

This is true about people in general. The shelters are full of not-so-cute-now adolescent cats, dogs, as well as elderly pets who need a little extra assistance and don't understand why they've been abandoned. Florida is fighting against exotics that have been dumped. Many lakes and other waterways are full of goldfish that were too much trouble. Sad to say there's a famine of empathy and selflessness all over.

Cleo, an owner-surrender we adopted at 7, and Debbie, abandoned at 4 weeks by her feral mother. Best Buds.
View attachment 3588951

"Excuuuuse me, while you are cleaning your paw, could you get that spot on my head??" I had a cat that loved his dog siblings too. I am a sucker for all animals.. I just love the. I have even had snakes (they were rescues, 2 boas and a ball python. LOL)