Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[MaryJanet]

I wouldn't mock her but I find it slightly irritating that she would have people believe it seems she has discovered all these facts about chickens from spending six weeks with them.

I put links up to these two particular study summaries in the hope that people will read not just the summary, but also follow the links to the original studies.
Science has known chickens are intelligent creatures for many years now. Old School Chicken keeping enthusiasts could have and maybe did broadcast this news long before the behaviour studies became more common reading.

If you haven't already take some time out to read the papers.

This is an old paper 2012.
https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/...kgo.com&httpsredir=1&article=2005&context=bts

A more recent paper.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10071-016-1064-4

Each time a study on other creature intelligence gets done, it becomes apparent that it isn't the subject's intelligence we are testing but our own lack of it in many cases to devise the experiments and set up the conditions to attempt to measure these creatures intelligence relative to the world they encounter. We measure for example their ability to count because some of us can do that. More difficult but far more revealing is their ability to recognise individuals in a group and the information they may use to make such recognitions.
The problem of flight, even at chicken competance level requires a vast amount of calculation which we, humans, cannot manage and cant even get the best computer fight navigation systems to manage to achieve the manouvers many birds can.

You'll get no argument from me on those points.

 

[ManueB]

I wouldn't mock her but I find it slightly irritating that she would have people believe it seems she has discovered all these facts about chickens from spending six weeks with them.

The last three years and 8 months I have spent more time with my chickens than with anyone else including my partner if we don't count sleeping hours.
I began knowing nothing about them and I didn't make any assumptions from all that I observed simply because I have only ever seen chickens in one environment, the one I provide for them. How can I know if the behaviour I observe is significant of chickens in general or of this environment only ?
That's where BYC is useful and where people like Shadrach with a life full of chickens experiences are invaluable.

30C grey and sticky. 5 hours split shift. Everybody came out both morning and afternoon and nobody looked very comfortable even in the shade of the tree. Fret found a spot in the fruit bushes and Henry and Carbon headed for the shade box after a brief forage.

I've got a bit of a problem that in other circumstances might be an opportunity.
When it gets close to dusk, I refill the water bowls and the feed holders if necessary so everyone can top up before going to roost. The chicks are used to this routine and are even used to me sitting in the chair throwing rocks at the rats who come out at this time.
Yesterday evening and this evening and the evening I posted the chick tree hugging, the mostly white chick has jumped onto the chair I sit in. The first time I went the cute route and thought no more of it. Yesterday I thought a bit more about it because the chick settled on the arm of the chair and Fret sort of fretted around the chair until the chick jumped down. This evening the chick jumped onto the chair and then on to my lap.
It took until this evening for me, human, to reach that 7 year old intelligence barrier.
Pushing my intellect to the absolute limit (maybe eight years old) it occured to me that the chick has been watching bucket boy, knows bucket boy is the main provider of food, touches mum, Carbon and Fret without anyone breaking into hysterics, helped them up the ramp for the first few days and is possible the one to emulate. Big bucket Boy chicken roosts on chair; that could be the spot. I did with a lot of luck get a picture of the chick getting down. When I move more than breathing or a bum shuffle it's off.
Having reached the lofty heights of eight year old intelligence I thought I would attempt to do what humans have massive problems with and that is put the scorecard intelligence to some practical and positive use. I excelled myself even if I do say so and went and sat on the extension roost bar. Bugger me if the chick didn't hop up beside me.

Being of a scientific bent and of a rationalist nature I reasoned that if I got into the coop and onto one of the roost bars; even if I just perched my bum on it, then perahpps the chick would follow suit. Unfortunately while I could just get in the coop, mostly, there is no way I could get my bum onto the roost bar.
Needless to write I'll be apply for my MENSA membership at the earliest opportunity.

This is the chick circling around the chair looking for the best flight path.
View attachment 3630392
This is the chick jumping back to the ground when I moved to get the camera in position.
View attachment 3630388
This is both chicks who have hopped off the roost bar onto the ramp at the insistance of mum Fret.
View attachment 3630389

The rest of the day.
View attachment 3630387
View attachment 3630390View attachment 3630391View attachment 3630393View attachment 3630394View attachment 3630396

It looks sticky and grey even on the pictures!
Are you enjoying the longer shifts with the chickens? Is this temporary so the chicks have more time to learn being outside or do you plan to keep longer period with them chickens (if British weather allows it...)?

 

[Perris]

the one to emulate

I shall enjoy reading how you modify your behaviour and what experiments you undertake, now you've had this revelation

 

[Perris]

(if British weather allows it...)?

ha ha! but we've just had the hottest day of the year (32.6 ?) and the hottest/longest heatwave in September ever, and it's not forecast to change for the next few days at least. The weather has gone haywire

 

[Ladies-Eight]

I did it for ten years, or rather they lived with me. I don't recall ever feeling lonely or very human come to that.

I could live among my chickens and be very happy.

 

[Shadrach]

Are you enjoying the longer shifts with the chickens? Is this temporary so the chicks have more time to learn being outside or do you plan to keep longer period with them chickens (if British weather allows it...)?

I am enjoying it but I would prefer to have keeping circumstances that allowed for a rather more flexible attendance shedule.

The problem is this. I leave a small amount of chick feed and water in the coop which is shut once I leave and opens automatically in the morning. I dare say all the chickens eat some of the chick feed. I have no idea how much the chicks get.
I also leave feed in the coop extension and I know that the rats eat some of it and the doves and crows in the early mornings.

Once the coop is moved, whcih keeps getting postponed for various reasons, I will be able to lay the hardware cloth skirt and fit a door to the coop extension with an outo opening pop door. This will stop the rats eating during the night and prevetn the wild birds eating in the early morning. If I get the timing between the coop door opening and the extension door opening right I can be confident that all the chickens get to eat breakfast. I anticipate a drastic reduction in the daily feed bill which would be nice.

It is rather tireing at the moment. I have things I should be doing and others I would like to be doing away from the allotments and currently many of these things are being neglected or squeezed into time frames that don't suit the task.

Last winter I didn't have my allotment plots and the chickens were not going on to the plot or out in the allotment field. This year they will be and I will have plenty to do during the colder days on the allotments so I expect I will spend more time there than I did last winter but hopefull without the pressure of ensuring the chickens get fed in the mornings.

 

[GregnLety]

I could live among my chickens and be very happy.

Chickens and dogs, animals in general. The love I feel from my dogs and certain chickens that run to greet me when I get home from a job is unmatched.

 

[HiEverybirdy]

Ok, she's only 11 months old, so hopefully she'll grow a new set whenever she gets her first full molt. Obviously a saddle won't do anything to protect her wings.

There are saddles that protect wings. They can inhibit flying somewhat, not because they physically restrict wings at all but because the birds seem reluctant to flap with something touching their shoulders. Ours don't do much big flying, so it's not been an issue for the few who've worn wing-protecting saddles.

Miss Lorraine is wearing one right now and hasn't forgiven me for it. Unfortunately, Merle's been treading even as they molt, so this is her look for a month or 2. They only grow feathers a few times a year, and I really don't want him ripping off the shiny new ones she's finally growing before winter. She was also visibly in pain when he was jumping on her. The padding on this saddle has addressed that.

This is a last resort for us, though. Particularly with Lorraine who doesn't like handling. I've left her naked-backed several seasons rather than subject her to clothing.

Miss Hazel, on the other hand, is pleased as punch to be important enough to have a saddle. I wish I'd tried one on her earlier. She needs wing protection more than Lorraine but is too little to wear the other wing-protector saddle we have, with detachable plastic wing protectors that snap to it.

All our aprons were purchased several years ago on the giant, destructive online shopping juggernaut which shall not be named.

 

[HiEverybirdy]

View attachment 3630380

Lucio is tremendously striking, and getting more so in every photo! Probably a silly question, but any idea how much he weighs?

 

[Molpet]

It is rather tireing at the moment. I have things I should be doing and others I would like to be doing away from the allotments and currently many of these things are being neglected or squeezed into time frames that don't suit the task.

What! Your life is supposed to revolve around chickens!!

All our aprons were purchased several years ago on the giant, destructive online shopping juggernaut which shall not be named.

A byc member in USA makes hen saddles. I don't think she has wing guards though
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/hen-saddles.1560622/post-27160606