Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Marie2020]

My tax has been impossible with this wet weather

 

[Shadrach]

I had to rehome 6 ISA Browns because they would not integrate with the new pullets.

I don't suppose I could persuade you to write up what happened in some detail could I?

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Think I'm behind in tax. Here's Dwight, a White Laced Red Cornish bantam, and LoudBoy, a Black Crested White Polish

 

[Marie2020]

Progress indeed! Half the battle is admitting what you don't know. In my case that's a lot!

Absolutely spot on. I have got to learn so much. I wish I could be educated at a much faster pace.

I lose my patience with people that do not admit when they are wrong, it can cost so much because they are so closed minded to even try and learn, their pretence and ego chokes me.

 

[Shadrach]

There is something very strange going on at the allotment. There are lots of possible explanations for it but I'm pretty sure I'm seeing a repeated behaviour.
There are some other pictures of this with other hens who were sick and later died. There is at least one earlier in this thread when Volt was dying and I have another on my hard drive which I can't find atm.
This is the hen I think may have cancer mentioned in a post earlier. The first two pictures are of me checking her over while she stands on the ground. I much prefer to have a chicken standing if practicable while I look them over.
It's much less stress all round and if they start to wander, I just place my hand about crop height on their chest to restrain them a bit. I was checking this hens Vent and preen gland in this picture.

In general when the chickens want to rest they head for the spot you can see in picture four onwards. That whole strip of fenceline gets used. There is some cover there from the wind and sight, and in the right hand corner, is fence of sorts behind them and to one side, and a clear views out into the allotment on the front and other side. Think of a square with two open sides.
Most of the hens that have not been feeling, or looking healthy, rest in this corner. This makes sense due to the protection the location offers. What doesn't make sense is who is with the sick hens in the pictures I have of sick hens in this spot. It's always the Legbars.
The red hen in the pictures below is the hen I believe may have cancer.
Are the Legbars protectors of the sick for some reason? They are all more senior than the Ex Battery hens. They tend to gather here when resting anyway. But, why would Volt, Amp and for a while Lima plus a couple of hens that were moult sick be attracted to resting with the Legbars when normally they are with their own breed/colour group?

 

[Ribh]

There is something very strange going on at the allotment. There are lots of possible explanations for it but I'm pretty sure I'm seeing a repeated behaviour.
There are some other pictures of this with other hens who were sick and later died. There is at least one earlier in this thread when Volt was dying and I have another on my hard drive which I can't find atm.
This is the hen I think may have cancer mentioned in a post earlier. The first two pictures are of me checking her over while she stands on the ground. I much prefer to have a chicken standing if practicable while I look them over.
It's much less stress all round and if they start to wander, I just place my hand about crop height on their chest to restrain them a bit. I was checking this hens Vent and preen gland in this picture.
View attachment 2948242View attachment 2948243


In general when the chickens want to rest they head for the spot you can see in picture four onwards. That whole strip of fenceline gets used. There is some cover there from the wind and sight, and in the right hand corner, is fence of sorts behind them and to one side, and a clear views out into the allotment on the front and other side. Think of a square with two open sides.
Most of the hens that have not been feeling, or looking healthy, rest in this corner. This makes sense due to the protection the location offers. What doesn't make sense is who is with the sick hens in the pictures I have of sick hens in this spot. It's always the Legbars.
The red hen in the pictures below is the hen I believe may have cancer.
Are the Legbars protectors of the sick for some reason? They are all more senior than the Ex Battery hens. They tend to gather here when resting anyway. But, why would Volt, Amp and for a while Lima plus a couple of hens that were moult sick be attracted to resting with the Legbars when normally they are with their own breed/colour group?
View attachment 2948209View attachment 2948210View attachment 2948212View attachment 2948213

So what do you think is going on, Shad? It certainly seems odd for this particular group.

 

[Shadrach]

Think I'm behind in tax. Here's Dwight, a White Laced Red Cornish bantam, and LoudBoy, a Black Crested White Polish

View attachment 2948050View attachment 2948051

Loud Boy is a great name.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Loud Boy is a great name.

He is so. Frickin. Loud. I've never had a male crow so loud before

 

[Shadrach]

Notch in the picture was pretty loud but luckily he didn't crow that much.

 

[Shadrach]

So what do you think is going on, Shad? It certainly seems odd for this particular group.

I don't know Ribh. At the moment, based on the three instances I'm aware of I would go for coincidence. It's the safe spot in the allotment run. It is the area that the Legbars congregate.
But, there are two things that make me want to watch for this in the future.
One is the friendship Simile (legbar) had/has with Lima who was the sickest looking and acting hen here. They still spend some time together but Lima is much more independent now.
The other was when Amp was dying and reluctant to go to roost. One of the Legbars stayed out with her until dark.