Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Perris]

while Idris' wattles are turning red; I think she'll be laying soon

 

[Shadrach]

while Idris' wattles are turning red; I think she'll be laying soon
View attachment 3723705

I think Mow is heading that way.

 

[fluffycrow]

Gorgeous birds @Perris . Idris' photo has something magical about it. The boys look fabulous as well. I love their long spurs, a trait that seems to have been passed down to the son as well

 

[RoyalChick]

Skomer is copying his dad while playing wingman
View attachment 3723703
and he's started cro(ak)ing

This is a wonderful picture @Perris

 

[fluffycrow]

Some of the pullets have started laying here. Granted, a little earlier than I would have liked. I am not sure which, since I have not caught them in the act yet, but I do have my suspicions. These two are at the top of the list

. Not sure if they are being bred by anyone. Kolovos is far too pleased with his mature ladies to really bother, and I have not heard his son do as much as crow

 

[Shadrach]

Still cold at 5C with a real feel of 0C. Two hours today.
I still can't get over the change in Carbon. Nothing sickly about her now. It's great to see her eating well. I took some fermented feed today. They hardly touched it prefering the same mix dry. Henry ate the most of the fermented feed. Carbon hardly touched it. Mow didn't eat any of it. Carbon it seems likes the pellets and from what I could see she ate about a third pellets and the rest wholegrain and seed mix. It can't be calcium because the pellets have 0.9% calcium. Mow, not having laid an egg yet doesn't really know what she needs. I expect to see a change in diet preferences with the hens once they start laying.

Dig is crowing; pretty good for a young chap. He hasn't quite got the end bit right and it goes from clear to a bit strangled. Henry didn't seem at all bothered.

Looks like Fret is done with roosting with Mow and Dig. You may remember pictures I've posted of Fret wedging herself into no existent gaps in order to be nest to Henry. No change there as you can see.

 

[Shadrach]

Some of the pullets have started laying here. Granted, a little earlier than I would have liked. I am not sure which, since I have not caught them in the act yet, but I do have my suspicions. These two are at the top of the listView attachment 3723945. Not sure if they are being bred by anyone. Kolovos is far too pleased with his mature ladies to really bother, and I have not heard his son do as much as crow

Have you checked their pin bones?

 

[Perris]

I took some fermented feed today. They hardly touched it prefering the same mix dry.

what's your water like? It occurs to me that must have a role to play. We are lucky to have nice tasting soft water here; most of my rellies have hard water that tastes awful, even for brushing teeth. It must have an impact on the palatability of any wet feed, surely?

 

[fluffycrow]

Have you checked their pin bones?

No. They are not too keen on being handled, and since my reasons for doing so are not health related, I don't feel the need to

 

[Shadrach]

what's your water like? It occurs to me that must have a role to play. We are lucky to have nice tasting soft water here; most of my rellies have hard water that tastes awful, even for brushing teeth. It must have an impact on the palatability of any wet feed, surely?

I drink it. It doesn't taste that bad. I'm sure it does have some impact but looking at what else they drink I would be surprised if it was the taste of the water.
Bear in mind the ate the fermented feed before and it was the same water. They've made a choice. They've had plenty of combinations to choose from.
Fermented then dried met with highest approval.
I don't really know what's going on. I've done quite a bit of research both read and practical on this topic now and I'm left with not much knowledge. The fermented feed studies show some of the chemical changes the feed undergoes, but often one doesn't know what was in the feed. That kind of makes such studies interesting but there are so many variables, the chickens eating habits, keeping arrnagements and their digestive system, one cant apply it generally.
I'm part way writing an article about the chickens digestive system. One would have thought we would Have a commanding grasp of the topic, but when it comes down to things like crop size, ventriculus force, which enzymes secrete where, rate of the passage of foodstuffs. For example one study found that commercial feed (I think they used a slurry and pellets) passed through the chickens digestive system fastest.
I read elsewhere that the feed producers are fully aware of this and design their additives to make their feed the hens eat more; a bit like McDonalds.