Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

DobieLover · Dec 28, 2021

Shadrach said:
Such a shame but at least you were on the ball.

She may not have had a long life but she still had a great life. She was a happy chicken. Remember her "I think I may go broody" look?

Pippin quail · Dec 28, 2021

Shadrach said:
That doesn't look good to me.

It doesn't look good to me either. But I'm really not sure what else I can do. The frostbite damage has been done. And the frosty girls did get under the heat lamp to warm up when I was out there.
I seriously question my decision to keep chickens this winter though... But now I'm in the thick of it and I know they wouldn't have it much better anywhere else around here either. It's just a miserably cold winter so far. Normally we see about a week of these temperatures in late January or February. We're now going on 2+ weeks in December and it's supposed to continue except for a day or two break in the weather this weekend. At least in this coop there's windows and it's 8 x 24 feet, so they have room to move around when they feel like it. But yes, I agree, it's not good. It's not ideal and my husband and I have already started discussing building a rocket mass heater or something that will provide more heat to the coop next year. For now I can just try to help them make the best of it and hopefully my husband will butcher the cockerels with me when it's -6 this weekend. That way they're not suffering for no reason and the young pullets will have more access to the heat.

JacinLarkwell · Dec 28, 2021

Pippin quail said:
It doesn't look good to me either. But I'm really not sure what else I can do. The frostbite damage has been done. And the frosty girls did get under the heat lamp to warm up when I was out there.
I seriously question my decision to keep chickens this winter though... But now I'm in the thick of it and I know they wouldn't have it much better anywhere else around here either. It's just a miserably cold winter so far. Normally we see about a week of these temperatures in late January or February. We're now going on 2+ weeks in December and it's supposed to continue except for a day or two break in the weather this weekend. At least in this coop there's windows and it's 8 x 24 feet, so they have room to move around when they feel like it. But yes, I agree, it's not good. It's not ideal and my husband and I have already started discussing building a rocket mass heater or something that will provide more heat to the coop next year. For now I can just try to help them make the best of it and hopefully my husband will butcher the cockerels with me when it's -6 this weekend. That way they're not suffering for no reason and the young pullets will have more access to the heat.

At least yours have a lamp. Mine have to put up with no lamp during the winter. The past 2 years have been awful in terms of bird loss during the winter, but usually besides frost bite, it's okay.

Pippin quail · Dec 28, 2021

JacinLarkwell said:
At least yours have a lamp. Mine have to put up with no lamp during the winter. The past 2 years have been awful in terms of bird loss during the winter, but usually besides frost bite, it's okay.

I was going to try not to heat at all. But -33 inside the coop was just too cold!

Shadrach · Dec 28, 2021

DobieLover said:
She may not have had a long life but she still had a great life. She was a happy chicken. Remember her "I think I may go broody" look?
View attachment 2942111

I've had a bit of experience with that "I think I may go broody just to annoy Bucket Boy" look. And yes, the quality of life she had with you would be difficult to beat.

Shadrach · Dec 28, 2021

Pippin quail said:
It doesn't look good to me either. But I'm really not sure what else I can do. The frostbite damage has been done. And the frosty girls did get under the heat lamp to warm up when I was out there.
I seriously question my decision to keep chickens this winter though... But now I'm in the thick of it and I know they wouldn't have it much better anywhere else around here either. It's just a miserably cold winter so far. Normally we see about a week of these temperatures in late January or February. We're now going on 2+ weeks in December and it's supposed to continue except for a day or two break in the weather this weekend. At least in this coop there's windows and it's 8 x 24 feet, so they have room to move around when they feel like it. But yes, I agree, it's not good. It's not ideal and my husband and I have already started discussing building a rocket mass heater or something that will provide more heat to the coop next year. For now I can just try to help them make the best of it and hopefully my husband will butcher the cockerels with me when it's -6 this weekend. That way they're not suffering for no reason and the young pullets will have more access to the heat.

I'm not going to give you a hard time. You've probably read my views on cold hardy etc and I don't think any further negative comment helps. I would like to be able to make some constructive suggestions but those temperatures are way beyond anything I would live in.
I think yu're right though and killing the ones you don't plan to keep as soon as possible is the right thing to do.

Shadrach · Dec 28, 2021

Waiting for Bucket Boy.

The mess left by C this morning in their rush to do other things.

Out of the gate and straight to the newest least dug over part of the allotment run.

Legbars and Henry waiting close to the gate knowing Bucket Boy is likely to get something nice out of his rucksack soon.

Ribh · Dec 28, 2021

Pippin quail said:
I have the same issue right now, only I have 7 extra boys and the temps right now are -30's!! I actually feel bad that we didn't butcher them earlier as most of the cockerels have frostbitten combs and just sit in a huddle most of the day to keep warm under the heat lamps. I hate winter!!

Here's one of my poor boys with frostbite.
View attachment 2941918

And now that we have a couple heat lamps all my extra cockerels are just hogging the heat and leaving my little pullets to get all frosty. Not very gentlemanly. View attachment 2941957 View attachment 2941956