Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Shadrach]

What do you envision as a subject, specifically? A description of the behavior?

Yes.

A commentary on the merits of keeping roosters and/or the ills of traditional confinement?

No. Very thin ice there.

I've often thought a series of very short video articles showing a particular behaviour accompanied by a written explanation would be a great educational asset.

It's getting the article title right that helps to get people to view it.

 

[Shadrach]

Grey, windy a chilly. Fret got of her nest on my arrival. She's more confident this time and hopefully I won't have to lift her off her eggs to make sure she's eaten etc much, if at all this time.

 

[LaurenRitz]

I have clay ground too and had a muddy run too after lots of rain.
My solution: I dug several of deep holes in the run. With a special tool to add poles in the ground.
View attachment 3815609
Added pebbles in the holes and the mud problem vanished like snow for the sun. It still works after 8 years.

My thought (started today) is a drainage channel feeding into a small pond in the run.

 

[kcan2]

Grey, windy a chilly. Fret got of her nest on my arrival. She's more confident this time and hopefully I won't have to lift her off her eggs to make sure she's eaten etc much, if at all this time.
View attachment 3816254View attachment 3816255View attachment 3816256

Do you think there is a chance that some of the eggs may be Dig's vs Henry's?

 

[Perris]

It helps a great deal in keeping the underside of the eggs warm, a problem in designs where the egg box hangs off the coop.

sorry to be so late to this discussion; I've been on hols and it was easy to register reactions but it was difficult to type anything, so I'll try to catch up today where I may be able to contribute or have a query.

So, on this one, the coops I use have this feature in their design too, and it's not been an issue here. Is it colder than the ground? That apart, if the hen has gone broody of her own accord, and she turns the eggs as often and as well as she should, I trust her instincts, and our hatch rate suggests the temp of the nest box base is OK.

Talking of which, I've come home to find 3 broodies Fez has been sitting on fake eggs since 12 April, and I'll be interested to see how long it will be before she gives up. I think she will make an excellent broody in due course, when she gets chance to do it for real.

The other two who've decided to sit are 2 of the 3 Penedesencas. Polka and Paprika have both raised broods already, so I won't give them eggs this time. I also need to bite the bullet, and make space for those hens inclined to express their natural behaviour in this way by culling some of the older flock members. Those who already have offspring and have lived good, relatively long lives are the obvious candidates.

 

[HiEverybirdy]

Yes.

No. Very thin ice there.

I've often thought a series of very short video articles showing a particular behaviour accompanied by a written explanation would be a great educational asset.

Which other behaviors would you include, ideally? Tidbitting, dancing, herding, preening, soilbathing...?

I've only posted phone videos to BYC but have a decent videography setup. With patience and a little elbow grease, I could produce shorts that are much easier on the eyes than what comes off the phone.

It's getting the article title right that helps to get people to view it.

Such as?

 

[Ladies-Eight]

Ex Batts good afternoon one and all!

Tea is ready.

Temperature is in the 80s partly sunny.

Have a great day!

 

[Shadrach]

My thought (started today) is a drainage channel feeding into a small pond in the run.

I found ponds and chickens a bad combination. Even shallow water can be a problem.
The suggestion from BDutch works well provided one gets the hole deep enough and a flow through geo textile liner in the hole closed over at the top and bottom to prevent the drain clogging up with solt over time.

 

[Shadrach]

Do you think there is a chance that some of the eggs may be Dig's vs Henry's?

It's a distinct possibility. I don't think it's necessarily a problem. The probability is the males will get eaten.

 

[Shadrach]

So, on this one, the coops I use have this feature in their design too, and it's not been an issue here. Is it colder than the ground? That apart, if the hen has gone broody of her own accord, and she turns the eggs as often and as well as she should, I trust her instincts, and our hatch rate suggests the temp of the nest box base is OK.

Earth can be a decent insulator. Nest boxes hung off the side of a coop tend to suffer from wind chill. The mat may help.