Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Ladies-Eight]

Ex Batts good morning one and all!

Some very interesting data being shared.

Temperature is in the 60s.

Have a great day!

 

[Perris]

Anyone have any observations to share -- or reshare -- that correlate with mine?

I do

my hens who never went broody. They all molted seldom and hard

This is true of my one 6 yr old hen who's never gone broody, but it's also true of one who does go broody some years; she moulted hard last year when, unusually, she did not go broody. As it happens I took a photo of her this time last year because her moult seemed so severe; compare it with one taken this afternoon (yes, she's back with her chicks; the parting at roost time appears to have been accidental, in hindsight)

these hens who go broody more often always have a "mini molt" after their broody spell

that's common with broodies here

If they actually sit and hatch chicks, they molt when they start weaning the chicks

Janeka started moulting a couple of weeks back but is still with the chicks - 10 wks old today - so that's not the case here now, and I haven't noticed a correlation in years past.

When they aren't broody, however, they are very vigorous and productive of eggs.

There is much more variability here. There are hens that are good layers and go broody, 1 hen that goes broody a lot but is not a particularly good layer, 1 that's never gone broody but is a great layer - even at 6! - and several youngsters that haven't gone broody yet but they're not yet 2. Of Venka's 3 lookalike daughters, one is a much better layer than the other 2 and that one is having a harder moult. The best layer amongst the youngsters, who's been and still is laying 4-5 eggs (starting medium growing to extra-large size as the months have gone on) every week since December, has not started moulting yet, nor have the other two who both lay well, but not as well as Dyffryn.

Then it takes them a month to return to laying. So I get two months of eggs, one off.

Rather than the same birds laying on-off I have some occasional or non-layers alongside the good layers. I assume they're just made that way or they're dealing with health challenges, though they seem fine on the outside. Whitford laid for the first time in months 2 days ago; she hasn't moulted but her plumage looks terrific. Perhaps she just marches to a different tune

 

[bruceha2000]

If the housing provider published a floor plan of the flats with dimensions I would have known that the move wasn't an option.

I would have thought that was mandatory. A little information would save them a lot of time. The person who came to your flat wasted their time and yours.

The attached infographic has a lot of data displayed in an easily digestible way.

Scary that there are 100 times more guns in households in the USA than in the military.

4000 sq ft of brick pavers

Is that the "yard" or the entire lot? My prior house was 1,500 sq ft on a lot 43'x100'.

 

[no fly zone]

Is that the "yard" or the entire lot? My prior house was 1,500 sq ft on a lot 43'x100'.

the whole lot. if i were to attempt to salvage a yard from it, it would be much less than 4000 sq ft (just rounded up from 3999).

 

[fuzzi]

Six hours yesterday. A bit chilly but otherwise a lovely day.
The field was quite busy. Seven people there.

Carbon suffering with her moult. She's not at all comfortable.
View attachment 3660667
View attachment 3660668View attachment 3660669

I see some tail feathers growing!

 

[fuzzi]

Scary that there are 100 times more guns in households in the USA than in the military.

That's the purpose, the reason behind the Second Amendment. An armed populace is harder to herd into cattle cars, even by military.

Tax:

The little guy in front is my current head roo, Joel.

 

[no fly zone]

That's the purpose, the reason behind the Second Amendment. An armed populace is harder to herd into cattle cars, even by military.

Exactly. I am firmly on team do not trust the gov't.

 

[BDutch]

I don't have chickens any more, plus my wife won't let me. Been doing a whole lot of nothing since Skeksis died.

Sorry about your wife, but this is certainly large enough for two of the most tiny little chickens: Serama! Even true Dutch would fit in such a small garden (450 -500 grams) but they need to be able to scratch. I believe Serama’s are a bit easier to keep on a small surface.

 

[no fly zone]

Sorry about your wife, but this is certainly large enough for two of the most tiny little chickens: Serama! Even true Dutch would fit in such a small garden (450 -500 grams) but they need to be able to scratch. I believe Serama’s are a bit easier to keep on a small surface.

I do not think chickens are in the cards.

 

[fluffycrow]

I do not think chickens are in the cards.

Serama barely count as chickens. I'm sure you could squeeze in two pullets