Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[micstrachan]

Yes he will but the point I was trying to make is a good rooster often dies because he's a good rooster so getting one is fine while he lives but what happens when he dies? The rooster, should you get one becomes the focal point of the tribe and to make matters worse, the relationship you've cultivated with your hens changes when the rooster arrives. The hens will not be your hens anymore, they'll be his. This simple fact catches lots of chicken keepers out. Many of those activities that a keeper of a single sex group enjoy about keeping a few hens become much more difficult with the addition of a rooster.
Things don't get much easier until the rooster has firmly established his position in the group, and that includes him dealing with the strange relationship the keeper has with the hens. The next generation assuming males hatch is muchh easier on the group and thhe keeper if the keeper is prepared to back off and let the chickens sort the poitics out. This can be a couple of years during which the keeper has to make constant adjustments to the changes in the group.

Thank you!

 

[DobieLover]

I had two Ex Battery hens crouch for me yesterday when I lean't down to give them a gentle bum shove to get them out from under my feet.
What sort of hen does that.

One day last spring and Fabio being Fabio, his hormones got the better of him and he started giving me attitude while I was cleaning the poop boards. I reached down and restrained him by simply putting a hand in front of his chest and the other on his back. He kept trying to jump over the hand in front of his chest and I kept moving it so he couldn't. He grumbled and complained the whole time. I let him go when he settled down.
Napoleon watched this entire event with rapt interest. As soon as I let Fabio walk off, Napoleon went for him. In the interest of keeping Nap alive, I reached over and blocked HIS chest in much the same way I did Fabio. He immediately squatted!
I guess he figured submission was the better part of valor after he watched the way I controlled the beast that runs the flock.

 

[Marie2020]

Yes he will but the point I was trying to make is a good rooster often dies because he's a good rooster so getting one is fine while he lives but what happens when he dies? The rooster, should you get one becomes the focal point of the tribe and to make matters worse, the relationship you've cultivated with your hens changes when the rooster arrives. The hens will not be your hens anymore, they'll be his. This simple fact catches lots of chicken keepers out. Many of those activities that a keeper of a single sex group enjoy about keeping a few hens become much more difficult with the addition of a rooster.
Things don't get much easier until the rooster has firmly established his position in the group, and that includes him dealing with the strange relationship the keeper has with the hens. The next generation assuming males hatch is muchh easier on the group and thhe keeper if the keeper is prepared to back off and let the chickens sort the poitics out. This can be a couple of years during which the keeper has to make constant adjustments to the changes in the group.

Here's one little guy ready to see his girlfriend

 

[Mrs J]

What breed is your black chicken? I have one who looks just like her and am not sure if she's a black Orpington or something else. She may be a mix too she's about 8.5 months old and just started laying!
Edited to say she's actually 8.5 months old, not 7.5 months.
View attachment 2948508

It thought mine was a He, I’m still learning so maybe I have it wrong “he” hasn’t crowed yet. He is a Black Rock.

 

[Sally PB]

Laugh if you want, but Pinkie looks like she cares. She's very comforting.

Yes, she very much does. I'm not laughing, I'm smiling.

 

[Pippin quail]

It thought mine was a He, I’m still learning so maybe I have it wrong “he” hasn’t crowed yet. He is a Black Rock.

I don't know about yours. But mine is definitely a girl. Maybe you'll be lucky and yours is too. But I'm still learning as well, so I can't tell you for sure!

 

[Ladies-Eight]

Ex Batts good afternoon one and all!

The temperature is 60 and sunny.

I was out working in the coop this morning and it was 50 and windy.

Have a great day!

 

[Shadrach]

It seems I can rule out location. Here they are with sick note not in the usual corner.

What I need here is some accurate information on the history of the Legbars.
If say they have been kept free range at some point in their lives they will have a wider range of experiences to draw on.
I'm not even sure how long they've been at the allotments. I know they were here before any of the Ex Battery hens were brought here. They know things that the Ex Battery hens don't. This for example. They spend quite a bit of time here when Henry is occupied elsewhere.

Here they are with Slip before she died.

 

[Shadrach]

Chopped Cabbage, apple and oats.

 

[Shadrach]

Henry checking the Sick Note team.

Of course where Henry goes some of the others follow. The Ex Battery hens have got the idea now that Henry may have found something worth eating.