Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[fuzzi]

Sunny and warm. One chick was visable when I got there. The other appeared an hour later.
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Fret has pushed one egg out from underneath her so I take it that one isn't going to hatch.
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Henry keeps going around the back and listening under the nest box.
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Waiting in the sun while Fret gets on with it. Reminds me of waiting in the wating room at a hospital.
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Is Carbon going to have a go? In my experience broodiness spreads through hens. At least she isn't trying to lay in Fret's nest anymore.
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Chicks and rippening tomatoes. What more could one ask for.
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I laughed over the photo of Henry listening to the chicks!


Congratulations to all!

 

[TropicalChickies]

Sunny and warm. One chick was visable when I got there. The other appeared an hour later.
View attachment 3611059View attachment 3611061View attachment 3611060
Fret has pushed one egg out from underneath her so I take it that one isn't going to hatch.
View attachment 3611058

Henry keeps going around the back and listening under the nest box.
View attachment 3611054

Waiting in the sun while Fret gets on with it. Reminds me of waiting in the wating room at a hospital.
View attachment 3611055

Is Carbon going to have a go? In my experience broodiness spreads through hens. At least she isn't trying to lay in Fret's nest anymore.
View attachment 3611052

Chicks and rippening tomatoes. What more could one ask for.
View attachment 3611050View attachment 3611051
View attachment 3611053View attachment 3611056View attachment 3611057

Hurray! So beautiful. Chicks and tomatoes. Hope springs eternal.

 

[TropicalChickies]

For me it's a quiet triumph because so many people have believed this couldn't be done.

The quiet ones are the only true triumphs. The ones that aren't about a winner and a loser, but about the great river of life running on.

 

[fuzzi]

View attachment 3612019
They're both eating and drinking already! Precocious little buggers.

 

[Sally PB]

The quiet ones are the only true triumphs. The ones that aren't about a winner and a loser, but about the great river of life running on.

Very well said.

 

[TropicalChickies]

no; there's lots of possibilities with chicken genetics

I'm sure they don't have the exact same genes. You might find this site interesting
https://sorrychicken.com/chromosomes-chickens-have

@Perris, I read this and a few more of the articles linked in it. This passage got my attention:

"After the second and especially third generation, inbreeding can become a problem. Many breeders decide to switch out their roosters on an annual basis to prevent a rooster from breeding his daughters. You can slaughter your rooster, trade him with another breeder or simply keep him separated from the hens that are related to him. If you choose to sell your fertilized eggs or chicks rather than keeping later generations, you don’t have to worry about changing your rooster."

What are your thoughts on this? As one with multiple roos and free ranging chickens? I recall @Shadrach saying something about roosters mating with their daughters ... But don't recall specifically what it was or if there were ill effects.

I'd really like to know more. Is "second generation" the rooster father's daughter or granddaughter? I know @Molpet is experienced at separating different members of a group out for breeding... If anyone else would care to contribute insights based on experience, I'm taking notes!

 

[Shadrach]

Tina, the other broody hatched 2 out of 3 eggs yesterday morning. Both were out by 10am. She's a little over two years old and this is her second brood in five months. The two chicks look fine and healthy.

I just removed and chucked the 3rd egg. She had pushed it out to the front of the nest. No pip, no movement, and it was cold. It's been at least 22 hours since the two chicks hatched, so if 2 out of 3 is fine by her, it's fine by me.

Neither of the chicks is a carrioca like Tina (naked neck/Transylvanian) even though they were both Tina's eggs. I doubt Tina herself is a product of two Transylvanians. It's really a diverse bunch of genetics operating here. I doubt I will ever be able to breed for any particular characteristics with such a mixed bag. And that's fine. After my sad first experience with buying sick birds, I'm happy just to have healthy chickens with a shot at a better life.

Neither of Dusty's chicks are actually her offspring. When I gave her eggs to sit on, I wanted to give her the best chance of a hatch. I had watched Lucio mate with Dusty several times, and let's just say the affair did not appear successful most of the time. Dusty is very small, with a narrow back and short wings, Although she made a good attempt to crouch willingly, big gangly Lucio just couldn't get his balance and there was a lot of slip and slide and little actual contact of the, ahem, important parts.

Lucio is pretty adept at mating the other four hens at this point. They are all either stronger, broader, or lower to the ground (like Patucha) that makes for what looks to be more success. But he and Dusty don't match up, physique wise, so I gave Dusty 3 of Rusty's eggs and just one of her own for a what the heck/maybe.

The egg Dusty ate early on was her own. Perhaps she knew it wasn't fertile. So I think I made a good call
giving Dusty eggs with a better chance of being fertile.

Anyway, Dusty seems thrilled with her little foster babies and is mothering them very tenderly.

And that's another reason I'm hoping Dusty becomes the senior hen in the junior tribe. I can tell that young Tobias and Segundo are going to be smaller than Lucio and one of them might make a better match for her to mate more successfully.

Congratulations.

 

[BDutch]

@Perris, I read this and a few more of the articles linked in it. This passage got my attention:

"After the second and especially third generation, inbreeding can become a problem. Many breeders decide to switch out their roosters on an annual basis to prevent a rooster from breeding his daughters. You can slaughter your rooster, trade him with another breeder or simply keep him separated from the hens that are related to him. If you choose to sell your fertilized eggs or chicks rather than keeping later generations, you don’t have to worry about changing your rooster."

What are your thoughts on this? As one with multiple roos and free ranging chickens? I recall @Shadrach saying something about roosters mating with their daughters ... But don't recall specifically what it was or if there were ill effects.

I'd really like to know more. Is "second generation" the rooster father's daughter or granddaughter? I know @Molpet is experienced at separating different members of a group out for breeding... If anyone else would care to contribute insights based on experience, I'm taking notes!

I know that most breeders who enter contests choose to do some inbreeding to get the best results. They use a scheme to prevent nasty side effects of inbreeding.
If they keep on using relatives for too long without adding new blood, they might get health issues with their chickens. I don’t know the schedules they use.

There is a forum where you can ask opinions and I know one breeder who is carefull and might give you an answer or a link to more info. @abpatchy ?

 

[Perris]

@Perris, I read this and a few more of the articles linked in it. This passage got my attention:

"After the second and especially third generation, inbreeding can become a problem. Many breeders decide to switch out their roosters on an annual basis to prevent a rooster from breeding his daughters. You can slaughter your rooster, trade him with another breeder or simply keep him separated from the hens that are related to him. If you choose to sell your fertilized eggs or chicks rather than keeping later generations, you don’t have to worry about changing your rooster."

What are your thoughts on this? As one with multiple roos and free ranging chickens? I recall @Shadrach saying something about roosters mating with their daughters ... But don't recall specifically what it was or if there were ill effects.

I'd really like to know more. Is "second generation" the rooster father's daughter or granddaughter? I know @Molpet is experienced at separating different members of a group out for breeding... If anyone else would care to contribute insights based on experience, I'm taking notes!

It's late for me, and this needs thought, so I shall answer tomorrow, ok?

 

[Molpet]

@Perris, I read this and a few more of the articles linked in it. This passage got my attention:

"After the second and especially third generation, inbreeding can become a problem. Many breeders decide to switch out their roosters on an annual basis to prevent a rooster from breeding his daughters. You can slaughter your rooster, trade him with another breeder or simply keep him separated from the hens that are related to him. If you choose to sell your fertilized eggs or chicks rather than keeping later generations, you don’t have to worry about changing your rooster."

What are your thoughts on this? As one with multiple roos and free ranging chickens? I recall @Shadrach saying something about roosters mating with their daughters ... But don't recall specifically what it was or if there were ill effects.

I'd really like to know more. Is "second generation" the rooster father's daughter or granddaughter? I know @Molpet is experienced at separating different members of a group out for breeding... If anyone else would care to contribute insights based on experience, I'm taking notes!

I originally heard parent to child ok Siblings no.
Also have read after 7 generations of inbreeding time for new blood.

Link might help
https://www.rbst.org.uk/rbst-poultr...g – the practice of,used in the poultry world.