Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[MrsNorthie]

I feel the exact same way, everyone should have at least one male on their property. Most of the neighbours I've known all my life, so the complaints are more subtle, but I find the crow of a male one of the most beautiful sounds. TaxView attachment 3594691

My nearest neighbors also have roosters, so they crow, my cockerels crow and some cockerel about a quarter of a mile away chimes in. I love it, it makes living in a place that I don't love, feel much better.

 

[MrsNorthie]

Ex Batts good morning one and all!

Temperature is in the 70s.

Have a great day!

I can't wait to get down to highs in the 70's. How are you cooler in Florida, than I am in SC? LOL #WeatherEnvy

 

[MrsNorthie]

I'm giving this post a not because I love these facts, but because the observations are astute and concisely put. I've often thought when reading posts that start, "I went to Big Box Chicken Store and bought 10 EEs and 6 BRs and 8 RIRs ..." Like wth are you talking about? Wake up. That's like saying you went to the mall and bought shirts from Old Navy and the Gap and Zara and they're all made in the same Cambodian sweatshop.

Not everyone that gets chickens from a hatchery is like the twats that have to have designer clothes made in sweat shops. LOL For instance.. My chickens are hatchery chickens, but we didn't have a lot of choice when it came to getting started with chickens and I love each and every one of them. I spend a lot of time with them and they seem to have genetically retained a lot of their natural instincts, for foraging and their relationships. The US has almost completely moved away from the small family farm/homestead life, in lieu of big conglomerates as a way of control, but it is starting to make a resurgence, as the realities of the economy sinks in. The hatchery was the only we had to get chicks.

Going forward, of course, we will only have additions from our tribe. Additionally, we are producing almost all of our food at home with the exception of a few bits and bobs, that we cannot produce, yet, and of course the chicken feed, but we also buy that from a local company that will mill grains to your specifications. So, while not perfect, in a couple of generations it will be and we can help other people get started with chickens that we raised here, locally, but we had to start somewhere.

We also have my parents, that live on the other side of our property and with the economy getting worse by the day, there was a fear that they would not be able to afford food, and I know sometimes, they would have been going without food, had we not provided fresh veg, due to economic short falls, and with mine being the only income (and that may not last much longer as my company is moving jobs off-shore.), we needed to find a way to become more self-sufficient to help them and have our own security. Between the eggs and our garden, we can survive for a long time on what we can produce and we are expanding. We are going to get a couple of KuneKune piglets to raise to be a breeding stock (2 unrelated sows and one boar. We will limit them to 1 litter per year, to keep them healthy and the offspring will be raised for meat and some can be sold to make sure that we can feed my parents, help our neighbors and always have a way to pay our property taxes so we do not lose our home if things get worse. I am in my 50's and my husband is in his 60's, my 401-k (retirement fund) is basically gone, due to the economy, Social security, which I have paid into since I was 16, is going to be gone by the time I hit retirement age due to our thieving government, so it is a very real concern. I work at least a 16 hour day everyday during the week, between my job, chicken care, and the dogs, and at least 8 hours a day on the weekends to care for the chickens and the dogs, we never go out to eat, we don't buy fancy clothes or toys, go on holiday, and I get about 3 hours sleep a day. This isn't something that I did because having chickens is the in-thing at the moment, nor do I take lightly, it is my responsibility to make sure these animals have the best life possible for everything they do for us.

 

[TheFatBlueCat]

Hmm, eight to nine months seems to be the norm for the pullets and hens I have now. Our Butchie started laying at six months and laid nearly every day for 18 months, then became ill and stopped laying altogether. She's still with us, and gets around, but clearly has some internal problem. I had another hen who was an early layer, and she laid enormous eggs with double yolks, that caused her to prolapse repeatedly.

The girls I have now started later and seem to lay 4-5 times per week on average. They all go broody to some extent, so their bodies get laying breaks. They certainly seem healthier for it. I'm curious and hopeful to see if they live longer lives with fewer health problems if their bodies aren't so taxed from laying all the time.

In general my pullets start laying at around 7-10 months old. A few start laying earlier, but I find that they lay 14 eggs or so and then go broody, so I do prefer it if they wait a bit if it saves me the broody headache! I do appreciate the egg laying break that brooding gives them, I try to let each hen sit and hatch least once per year. We will see how that pans out now there are so many hens though! I find that the broody break is quite useful as it usually means that those hens won't have a full moult, and not all the hens will be moulting at the same time, and it can push their egg laying into the winter if they start up again before the days get too short.

As a kid I had fish. They seem to be excited to see me.. at least as the bringer of food.
Watched TV documentary about a scientist who took home a octopus to study. Her tank was in the living room. She played with his teenage daughter, watched TV and dreamed like a dog.

Plants being eaten by bugs spread pheromones specific to type of bug so neighbors spread chemicals that bug doesn't like to eat.

I wouldn't be eating anything if I let all this bother me. Something has to die for me to live. If I grow it I tend to eat less, because it's a lot of work.
I figured my animals have a better life than what I get in the store

I agree. I consider all life to be some form of sentient, because who am I to judge what that even means? I respect the plants in my garden, the trees, the insects, the wildlife.... meadow grass, I respect it all. That does not mean that I am not going to eat life to sustain my own life, or let it do whatever it pleases all over my yard. What it does mean is that the choices and actions I take as I go throughout my daily life, are influenced by this worldview. I looked into flame weeders, but I found it so very very violent. I am far more comfortable pulling and cutting what plants need to be controlled with my own hands, at a human scale, at a human pace where I am paying attention to all the aspects of the place that I am working in. I have learned a huge amount about nature and systems, and how things seem to work together by simply being with all the life that is with me. I am never lonely when I am outside, because I am absolutely surrounded by living beings.

 

[TheFatBlueCat]

My chickens are hatchery chickens, but we didn't have a lot of choice when it came to getting started with chickens and I love each and every one of them. I spend a lot of time with them and they seem to have genetically retained a lot of their natural instincts, for foraging and their relationships. The US has almost completely moved away from the small family farm/homestead life, in lieu of big conglomerates as a way of control, but it is starting to make a resurgence, as the realities of the economy sinks in. The hatchery was the only we had to get chicks.

Going forward, of course, we will only have additions from our tribe. Additionally, we are producing almost all of our food at home with the exception of a few bits and bobs, that we cannot produce, yet, and of course the chicken feed, but we also buy that from a local company that will mill grains to your specifications. So, while not perfect, in a couple of generations it will be and we can help other people get started with chickens that we raised here, locally, but we had to start somewhere.

We also have my parents, that live on the other side of our property and with the economy getting worse by the day, there was a fear that they would not be able to afford food, and I know sometimes, they would have been going without food, had we not provided fresh veg, due to economic short falls, and with mine being the only income (and that may not last much longer as my company is moving jobs off-shore.), we needed to find a way to become more self-sufficient to help them and have our own security. Between the eggs and our garden, we can survive for a long time on what we can produce and we are expanding. We are going to get a couple of KuneKune piglets to raise to be a breeding stock (2 unrelated sows and one boar. We will limit them to 1 litter per year, to keep them healthy and the offspring will be raised for meat and some can be sold to make sure that we can feed my parents, help our neighbors and always have a way to pay our property taxes so we do not lose our home if things get worse. I am in my 50's and my husband is in his 60's, my 401-k (retirement fund) is basically gone, due to the economy, Social security, which I have paid into since I was 16, is going to be gone by the time I hit retirement age due to our thieving government, so it is a very real concern. I work at least a 16 hour day everyday during the week, between my job, chicken care, and the dogs, and at least 8 hours a day on the weekends to care for the chickens and the dogs, we never go out to eat, we don't buy fancy clothes or toys, go on holiday, and I get about 3 hours sleep a day. This isn't something that I did because having chickens is the in-thing at the moment, nor do I take lightly, it is my responsibility to make sure these animals have the best life possible for everything they do for us.

I totally get where you are coming from, and many of your reasons are the reasons that
I am gardening, keeping the chickens, trying to help in my community etc etc. I don't expect a government retirement by the time I get there either!

Please be aware that kunekune pigs (We have them everywhere here, it's their country of origin) are lard pigs. While they make perfectly fine pork and all the rest, they will not at all be what you're used to from other breeds in terms of taste and texture. I recommend sausages. Of course you may already know this so forgive me I do not mean to be condescending. They also take a long time to mature. I am going to get some in the future, specifically because they ARE lard pigs and that makes them one of the best ways to get a steady supply of fat without having to keep a milk cow. They are also lovely pigs, don't need 'pig food' to grow and be healthy, and they're easy to handle.

 

[TropicalBabies]

Shad is a daddy!!

I heard the chicks this morning. When I went to check on them, I promptly got flogged by mom, lol, bless her heart.
She was trying to call them down from the roof and they were beeping away.

As it would lead to death or severe injury for the hours or day old chicks, I gave them a food and water station and promptly got flogged again for my efforts but momster settled after she got a few bites in her.

Checking on her this eve when I got home I was met with only a small growl. Looks like we are friends-ish again.

My littles were curious to know what all the excitement is about. I'm sure she will also flog them in the near future. Not tonight though.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Okay hello X Batts. We will see how this is going to work with the new Marans cockerel.
Think I will let Jake grow up away from Pete.

 

[ManueB]

Shad is a daddy!!
View attachment 3595809
I heard the chicks this morning. When I went to check on them, I promptly got flogged by mom, lol, bless her heart.
She was trying to call them down from the roof and they were beeping away. View attachment 3595805View attachment 3595807
As it would lead to death or severe injury for the hours or day old chicks, I gave them a food and water station and promptly got flogged again for my efforts but momster settled after she got a few bites in her. View attachment 3595808
Checking on her this eve when I got home I was met with only a small growl. Looks like we are friends-ish again.View attachment 3595810
My littles were curious to know what all the excitement is about. I'm sure she will also flog them in the near future. Not tonight though.View attachment 3595819

Do you think they will manage the way down soon enough by themselves or will you have to risk another flogging ?

 

[TropicalBabies]

Do you think they will manage the way down soon enough by themselves or will you have to risk another flogging ?

Going to look for a piece of wood tomorrow. It may help... but hoping she stays put for another day or 2.

 

[Perris]

from feeling the nest it's probably unecessary

I suspect the type of plastic used on yours and mine are very similar if not identical, and there's no added insulation here. I have many times found eggs resting directly on the plastic in the middle of a nest of shavings, with no obvious ill effect on hatching. Hatching rates have varied but the causes have not been identified, except infertility; maybe that is one, so I'll keep it in mind henceforth.

I guess her, or Carbon accidentally carried it out at some point.

Oddly almost the same thing happened here in on day 5; I found Venka's egg on the floor in the middle of the coop, and Ystrad had added another to the clutch (so the number of eggs was the same) and must have gone in to lay when Janeka was off. Venka's either was carried out under a wing, or it might have rolled out the front edge and Ystrad laying was just coincidence; but I've since put a bit of cardboard across the front lower edge to raise it a bit to prevent further such losses.

Note this nest box would be on the tight side for a large hen

It certainly is for Janeka who's a chunky welsumer And she's on an upturned turf, so is raised nearer the roof and her tail feathers pay the price. She doesn't seem to mind though. She'll moult soon enough.

I can't see these tomatoes rippening with the overcast and wet weather forcast for this month.

I was expecting the same with outdoor tomatoes and basically the same weather here, yet I ate my first red tom yesterday and another is orange on the plant that was bought started and went in first. So sunshine and warmth are not essential it appears. Those I grew from seed are about the same stage as yours, and I've got my fingers crossed for them. They're a Czech variety called Stupice that is supposed to be good for outdoor conditions. The bought one is Gardener's delight.

Shad is a daddy!!

Adorable