Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[BDutch]

Baking is not necessary but it does make them easier to crush into pieces for the chickens to eat.
If I were you I would let dry in the sun before crushing. I think it will be easier.
I put mine in the oven whenever I use it and after I turn it off.

Is the baking really necessary? I don't have an oven, well, I do, but it's a wood burning earthen oven and I don't use it very often. I've just been rinsing the egg shells well, pulverizing them, and letting the fragments dry in the sun.

I put the egg shells with raw egg white lining 15-30 seconds in the microwave. After cooling they are easy to cut/crush. I like to use a scissor.

 

[townchicks]

@TropicalChickies I'm so sorry that you lost Butchie. You did well by her for her whole life and you were so brave to learn how to help her at the end.

 

[Shadrach]

I'm not sure I've followed the current conversation regarding high production hens v heritage breeds properly. My understanding of the main difference between the two is not one produces more potential eggs in the infudibulum but the hens rate of ovulation has been increased. The other major change is smaller hens, requiring less feed have been bred.
I'm sure I've mentioned this before but a hens egg capacity hasn't changed much,it's the rate at which they lay that's changed. I don't know how this has been achieved. It's why the high production breeds die so much earlier. They are spent with regard to their egg laying capacity.
I believe it's correct that a simplistic view is one can have say 100 eggs a year over nine years, or 300 eggs a year over three years but the total number of eggs that hen can lay is the same.

 

[Shadrach]

10.30am to 7.30pm today with an hour and a half off for lunch. Rain on and off throughout the day. Everybody seemed more relaxed today. Them because they're getting used to the chicks being about; me because I decided to forgo the tent and concentrate on getting better quaility weed.

There has been a job needing doing since the new coop got put in place. I've dug all around it but underneath I had planned to do when the coop got moved.
The chickens go under the coop when it rains and apart from the rocks protruding the area had become a bit of a mess.
There were a number of large rocks, a foot times six inch sort of large under there, plus a lot of smaller but equally uncomfortable pieces of rubble. I took the back of the coop stand off and with the aid of a mini pick axe dug out the rocks, broke the ground up and added a wheelbarrow full of compost.

Henry christened the job.

I dismantled the nest box Fret sat and hatched in and gave it a proper clean with disinfectant and filled the base with new shredded paper and after cleaning the coop floor added a nice confy pile of shredded paper in the corner Fret chose to sleep in last night.
Fret showed her appreciation by going to roost in the other corner.

Although it isn't clear, this chick is having a dust bath. It didn't make much dust but it had a good try.

Eating is becoming more sociable. The chicks think dads cool but dad has to be very carefull where he treads. I like this picture. It shows the size difference between Henry and the chick well. The chick can walk underneath Henry's spurs.

Auntie Carbon is allowed to be close to the chicks now.

Fret took the chicks onto the allotments for a while.

Carbon after raspberries.

Henry sunbathing while Carbon laid an egg.

This evening Fret put some work into showing the chicks how to climb the ramp.
She's got most of the idea but instead of waiting at the pop door and calling she comes back down the ramp too quickly and the chicks don't get they have to go to her. I put the chicks at the top of the ramp this evening and they made it through the pop door under their own steam.
Henry and Carbon waiting out of the way while Fret tries to get the chicks onto the ramp.

Fret and chicks outside the coop run. This is one of their favourite spots.

 

[Sally PB]

Absolutely loving the tales of Fret and the chicks.

 

[RoyalChick]

10.30am to 7.30pm today with an hour and a half off for lunch. Rain on and off throughout the day. Everybody seemed more relaxed today. Them because they're getting used to the chicks being about; me because I decided to forgo the tent and concentrate on getting better quaility weed.

There has been a job needing doing since the new coop got put in place. I've dug all around it but underneath I had planned to do when the coop got moved.
The chickens go under the coop when it rains and apart from the rocks protruding the area had become a bit of a mess.
There were a number of large rocks, a foot times six inch sort of large under there, plus a lot of smaller but equally uncomfortable pieces of rubble. I took the back of the coop stand off and with the aid of a mini pick axe dug out the rocks, broke the ground up and added a wheelbarrow full of compost.
View attachment 3614376

Henry christened the job.

I dismantled the nest box Fret sat and hatched in and gave it a proper clean with disinfectant and filled the base with new shredded paper and after cleaning the coop floor added a nice confy pile of shredded paper in the corner Fret chose to sleep in last night.
Fret showed her appreciation by going to roost in the other corner.
View attachment 3614375


Although it isn't clear, this chick is having a dust bath. It didn't make much dust but it had a good try.
View attachment 3614379

Eating is becoming more sociable. The chicks think dads cool but dad has to be very carefull where he treads. I like this picture. It shows the size difference between Henry and the chick well. The chick can walk underneath Henry's spurs.
View attachment 3614385

View attachment 3614386

Auntie Carbon is allowed to be close to the chicks now.
View attachment 3614378

Fret took the chicks onto the allotments for a while.

View attachment 3614383
Carbon after raspberries.
View attachment 3614382
Henry sunbathing while Carbon laid an egg.
View attachment 3614381
This evening Fret put some work into showing the chicks how to climb the ramp.
She's got most of the idea but instead of waiting at the pop door and calling she comes back down the ramp too quickly and the chicks don't get they have to go to her. I put the chicks at the top of the ramp this evening and they made it through the pop door under their own steam.
Henry and Carbon waiting out of the way while Fret tries to get the chicks onto the ramp.
View attachment 3614377

Fret and chicks outside the coop run. This is one of their favourite spots.
View attachment 3614380

Love that picture of Henry looking down to see where the little chick got to!

 

[Shadrach]

Love that picture of Henry looking down to see where the little chick got to!

He was in fact eating. The chick kept diving through his legs to snatch a piece. It is funny watching him when the chicks are close. He isn't comfortable because he can't see them when they are underneath him. He sort of checks both ends before he takes a step.

 

[RoyalChick]

He was in fact eating. The chick kept diving through his legs to snatch a piece. It is funny watching him when the chicks are close. He isn't comfortable because he can't see them when they are underneath him. He sort of checks both ends before he takes a step.

The picture does look like he is checking where it went so he doesn’t step on it! I think it is. Adorable even if not quite the truth in that moment.

 

[MrsNorthie]

Is the baking really necessary? I don't have an oven, well, I do, but it's a wood burning earthen oven and I don't use it very often. I've just been rinsing the egg shells well, pulverizing them, and letting the fragments dry in the sun.

I have heard differing opinions on this, so I just stuck with the baking. I thought it might have something to do with bacteria.

 

[MrsNorthie]

@TropicalChickies I am so sorry that you lost Butchie. It is always a blessing and a curse to love an animal. They bring us such joy in their existence, and rip our hearts out when they pass.