Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[no fly zone]

Did you see the strike?

only the picture

 

[MrsNorthie]

Well unfortunately, my flock will be contained for a little while. The largest Bald Eagle I've seen came by this morning and tried to attack. Fortunately they were all by the treeline & a large blackberry patch to take shelter. Pedro got 10 home safely, and by the time I got to where they had been the Eagle was perched in the cedar tree about 10' above Annie my Buff Orp who was sheltering underneath. He took off when I got close and Annie fled, wedging herself under a pallet in a nearby barn. It took a while to get her out, but finally I was able to reach her & carried her home to the coop. The last of the 3 missing hens finally came out from the BlackBerry bushes and I escorted her home safely. They're all safe, but very quiet. I wonder how long it will take for the Eagle to give up & move on, and how long it will take for Annie and the more skittish birds to wander far from the coop once I let them out again.

I am glad they are all safe!

 

[Shadrach]

I was not looking forward to going to the allotments this morning. First it rained. Then it threw hailstones down. Then it rained some more.
By the time I headed off to the allotments there was a light drizzle and by the time I got there the drizzle had stopped and the sun came out on and off.
Four hours today. I've been trying to extend the bottom of my plot and that means digging through the grass and geotextile cloth beneath it. It's pretty heavy going but fortunately there are only a couple of square metres to do.
Of course, the chicken are eager to help rid each spadefull of any worms and bugs which slows the whole process down somewhat. I might feel better if they showed any signs of eating less of the food I take them but so far it hasn't happened. Not quite sure where they put it all.

Not so good at roosting time this evening. I had to throw Dig out of the coop again and deal with a cut on his scalp right beside his comb.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

The whole area looks so nice and cultivated, @Shadrach! Your time and effort really shows. And the chickens all look good, too.

 

[Shadrach]

The whole area looks so nice and cultivated, @Shadrach! Your time and effort really shows. And the chickens all look good, too.

There is still a lot to be done on my plot. Weeding between the fruit bushes is all bent over and carefull digging.

 

[RoyalChick]

I was not looking forward to going to the allotments this morning. First it rained. Then it threw hailstones down. Then it rained some more.
By the time I headed off to the allotments there was a light drizzle and by the time I got there the drizzle had stopped and the sun came out on and off.
Four hours today. I've been trying to extend the bottom of my plot and that means digging through the grass and geotextile cloth beneath it. It's pretty heavy going but fortunately there are only a couple of square metres to do.
Of course, the chicken are eager to help rid each spadefull of any worms and bugs which slows the whole process down somewhat. I might feel better if they showed any signs of eating less of the food I take them but so far it hasn't happened. Not quite sure where they put it all.
View attachment 3788901

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Not so good at roosting time this evening. I had to throw Dig out of the coop again and deal with a cut on his scalp right beside his comb.
View attachment 3788899

I share your pain on the digging. I had to dig up a patch of textile cloth and a long thin PVC pipe. Every time I thought I was getting somewhere with the pipe I would lift one end to try and bring it to the surface and it had become too heavy to shift.
Then I would look up and find that the reason was a half dozen chickens sitting on top of it gobbling up worms.
So many worms!
Finally got it to the surface today.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I share your pain on the digging. I had to dig up a patch of textile cloth and a long thin PVC pipe. Every time I thought I was getting somewhere with the pipe I would lift one end to try and bring it to the surface and it had become too heavy to shift.
Then I would look up and find that the reason was a half dozen chickens sitting on top of it gobbling up worms.
So many worms!
Finally got it to the surface today.

They just trying to help, mon!

 

[Sally PB]

Weeding between the fruit bushes is all bent over and carefull digging.

I call that "hands and knees" weeding. Inch by inch, on my hands and knees, getting the weeds out.

 

[16 and me]

only the picture

 

[MrsNorthie]

Not quite sure where they put it all.

Creating extra fertilizer for your plot? ;-)