Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[MrsNorthie]

Well, in that case he'd still have to physically pick up a piece of concrete to feed it to the hens. He doesn't. And even if he did, the hens don't appreciate it. Whenever he tidbits on the concrete one or two come, look at the ground for a second, then give him a look and leave. The sad part is there are fallen figs right next to him

I always look at, what is mostly little flowers, that they offer me and tell them they are good boys and say thank you. LOL

 

[fluffycrow]

I always look at, what is mostly little flowers, that they offer me and tell them they are good boys and say thank you. LOL

I always pick up and say thank you to Big Red, whatever he tidbits for me (not that he gets what I'm saying). The girls...well, they're not as easily amused

 

[BDutch]

Maybe Chef and Abby feel still too insecure ? Would there be a problem leaving them in their own small coop ?

Think so.
The small coop is perfect for the pullets. Only problem could be a nightly predator that finds a way to enter the run. The run was made more safe, after a fox entered the run 1+ years ago. So I try to trust it being a Fort almost Knox.
I installed a light with a sensor to scare of any predator before attempting to get in at the weakest side, for a little extra security.

However, I do not have significant predator pressures. That is a major factor.

Behind our garden (not fenced) is a small piece of greenery with blackberries , a few trees and and high growing herbs. Behind the greenery is a small stream where all kind of animals appear. Very nice sometimes. Over the years we saw, : pheasants, woodpeckers, a kingfisher, a fox, salamanders and frogs, rats, wild ducks, herons, neighboring cats, a squirrel, buzzards + I know that a polecat lives in the neighbourhood, who already killed a few rabbits.

I’m a bit behind on reading. But wanted to react / explain. Also time for a little tax: Abby and Chef just before they went in the tiny coop to roost.

 

[TropicalChickies]

My dominant, who as been known to try to flog me on occasion, will also start offering me treats when I catch him about to be naughty

So your dominant tried to flog you -- I take it by "try" that he didn't succeed. What did you do on these occasions to thwart his attempt?

 

[TropicalChickies]

Prima takes cover while Segundo peers out to see if the threat has passed.

Tobias stands his ground, prepared to give life and limb to defend his siblings.

The fierce "predator" -- it's Toucan Sam!

Note: to their credit, toucans are not the nicest of birds. They are mainly fruit eaters, but they will take the eggs of small birds out of nests. However, they do not and cannot attack a chicken or carry off a chick.

 

[MrsNorthie]

I always pick up and say thank you to Big Red, whatever he tidbits for me (not that he gets what I'm saying). The girls...well, they're not as easily amused

I try to be encouraging. Rewarding them for learning to be big roosters.

Today, my sweetest cuddly pullet, Gracie, was on the roost where I was working (she follows me everywhere, my little lap chicken.) and my Spud boy jumped up to join her, and he started to lean in to preen her, but then stopped, so I started preening him then her and gave him a lecture about how if he is nice to the girls, they will be nice to him..LOL Him looking at me, cocking his head and listening intently, making eye contact, was so adorable. (I almost believed that he took in every word I said.)

 

[MrsNorthie]

So your dominant tried to flog you -- I take it by "try" that he didn't succeed. What did you do on these occasions to thwart his attempt?

Before I knew better, I just stuck my foot up (I always wear my wellies when I am out there.) and let him attack it while telling him no and he would give up pretty fast, but I learned that that was just making a show of aggression back reaffirming his feeling that I was a threat to him. There is so much bad advice when it come to cockerels.. Now I can tell just by his body language and that look in his eyes, and as soon as he starts for me I say his name firmly and step towards him and then talk to him and then he starts tidbitting. He really has gotten better with the preening and the treat/food distribution changes, he will even take food and treats from my hand again.

 

[TropicalChickies]

the old handbooks recommend old (lime) mortar as a source of calcium

I plaster all of our cob and earthbag walls with a mix of 2 parts sand, one part clay (subsoil), and 1 part slaked hydraulic lime. I also use a straight lime/sand mixture without clay as a stone mortar. Whenever I had a hen in the "hospital unit" which is plastered with this mixture, I would find holes pecked in the walls. Originally, I thought they were just pecking for grit, but they were getting calcium too.

 

[MrsNorthie]

Prima takes cover while Segundo peers out to see if the threat has passed.
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Tobias stands his ground, prepared to give life and limb to defend his siblings.

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The fierce "predator" -- it's Toucan Sam!
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Note: to their credit, toucans are not the nicest of birds. They are mainly fruit eaters, but they will take the eggs of small birds out of nests. However, they do not and cannot attack a chicken or carry off a chick.

Mine do the predator alert when the sparrows pop in to steal some grain..lol I have noticed that when a hawk or the vultures are over head, the predator alert is much lower, so they can tell that there is real danger, versus an annoying little scamp pinching their food.

 

[fuzzi]

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.
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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.
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Although it isn't clear, this chick is having a dust bath. It didn't make much dust but it had a good try.
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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.
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Auntie Carbon is allowed to be close to the chicks now.
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Fret took the chicks onto the allotments for a while.

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Carbon after raspberries.
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Henry sunbathing while Carbon laid an egg.
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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.
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Fret and chicks outside the coop run. This is one of their favourite spots.
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