Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Molpet]

Overall there has been a few squabbles and we are keeping a close eye on them, but I feel they look healthier and happier than how they arrived ...

View attachment 3869500

poor things look horrible in this picture/ Like they never seen sunlight, so pale.
Perfect example of a "spent hen"

 

[Perris]

Rhondda has a secret nest somewhere and she's sitting on it
She appeared out of nowhere for tea, and I tried to track her back but she eluded me. Her dark partridge plumage is particularly effective camouflage (i.e. I haven't been able to find her nest yet).

She's in full blown broody mode and I have no idea when she started; the last note I made about her was on 3rd June, because she was one of a gang of young delinquents venturing to the end of a branch about 8' up in the holm oak. I hope she's picked a good spot. She's only 9 months old.

 

[Molpet]

Rhondda has a secret nest somewhere and she's sitting on it
She appeared out of nowhere for tea, and I tried to track her back but she eluded me. Her dark partridge plumage is particularly effective camouflage (i.e. I haven't been able to find her nest yet).

She's in full blown broody mode and I have no idea when she started; the last note I made about her was on 3rd June, because she was one of a gang of young delinquents venturing to the end of a branch about 8' up in the holm oak. I hope she's picked a good spot. She's only 9 months old.

Somebody posted on FB that they put an air tracker or tracker tile, locator thing, on a broody turkey.

 

[Perris]

Somebody posted on FB that they put an air tracker or tracker tile, locator thing, on a broody turkey.

I imagine you have to catch her first to do that...

 

[Shadrach]

Is this chick ok?

No injuries to the chicks. Carbon has a cut on her back though where Fret landed.

 

[notabitail]

I imagine you have to catch her first to do that...

Your turkey might turn you in for that.

 

[Shadrach]

Sounds like Fret is very fair with her corrections

I wonder if it's her age that's made her be what I'd call a balanced broody, both lenient and firm, or the fact that it's her second round. Possibly both

Fret quietly slipped into the top hen spot at some point last year, before she sat and hatched for the first time. I'm not sure how it worked but her friendship with Lima played some part. Senior hens are in general what I prefer to sit and hatch.
She's done well so far. I'll be interested to see if she stops mothering them earlier than she did with Dig and Mow.

 

[Shadrach]

I posted about my new girls from BHWT a week or so ago, although we have let them out of their pen they have still been enclosed with some temporary fencing.

Today was their first day to experience freedom!

There was sunbathing ...

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lots of "nosying"

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↑↑↑ That is my wife's hand reaching for her glass, not for hennies throat!

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I suspect they were after our Mimosa's

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Overall there has been a few squabbles and we are keeping a close eye on them, but I feel they look healthier and happier than how they arrived ...

View attachment 3869500

The last lot arrive at the field were in this condition. The coop and run wern't in much better condition.

 

[notabitail]

The last lot arrive at the field were in this condition. The coop and run wern't in much better condition.
View attachment 3869943

Are they doing better now?

 

[Shadrach]

Rhondda has a secret nest somewhere and she's sitting on it
She appeared out of nowhere for tea, and I tried to track her back but she eluded me. Her dark partridge plumage is particularly effective camouflage (i.e. I haven't been able to find her nest yet).

She's in full blown broody mode and I have no idea when she started; the last note I made about her was on 3rd June, because she was one of a gang of young delinquents venturing to the end of a branch about 8' up in the holm oak. I hope she's picked a good spot. She's only 9 months old.

Nest site hunting. What fun.