Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[no fly zone]

First ripe blackberry

 

[Molpet]

First ripe blackberry
View attachment 3874645

yummy

 

[MrsNorthie]

First ripe blackberry
View attachment 3874645

Ours are just producing a second batch! But it is hot and dry so I think they will be small, but ok for making preserves. The Egg Thief harvested a giant bucket of beets and another of cucumbers. We par-boiled some beets and he chopped them up for the chickens and Toots MacGoose. They love them.

 

[Shadrach]

Eight hours today. 10C cooler than yesterday at 15C. It stayed dry but windy with 35 mph gusts. I needed to finish off the bottom layer of the fence patches before a disaster strikes.
The entire inside of the run fence is patched at the bottom now. I left for some lunch and when I got back everyone was still in the run. This should help with the rat problem as they will no longer be able to just saunter through the fence.
What it was like once the nettles were removed.

Digging a shallow trench for the fence to sit in with lots of help from the chickens who thought the earth should be back in the trench.

Patches in place, ends tucked behind the posts.

At the moment only Henry and I are being nice to the chicks.

Fret pecks the chicks that bug her now. She spends most of her time with Henry and Carbon. Mow on the other hand is spending much more time with the chicks to the point they were napping next to her on one side of the run while the adults napped on the other side of the run. The chicks and Mow were out foraging together this afternoon.
I used to see a lot of this type of behaviour from the junior roosters/mature cockerels in a tribe. They kept an eye on the juniors.

The chicks like this spot behind the open run gate.

Little monsters to cute fluff balls in the blink of an eye.

 

[Sally PB]

Any name ideas yet?

 

[BDutch]

that's a wonderful scene, with a little head poking above Henry's back

Independence is tough for young males, but this phase doesn't last long. Do you plan to keep him?

No mainly because Im afraid I have two or maybe even 3 more cockerels.

Tintin is friendly (not a friend/skittish) and looking good. So I hope to find a nice new home for him.

The autosexing isn’t clear. It seems this is often difficult with bantams. If I have 3 girls he can stay for the time being. But this is very unlikely.

 

[Perris]

with lots of help from the chickens who thought the earth should be back in the trench

Mow on the other hand is spending much more time with the chicks to the point they were napping next to her on one side of the run while the adults napped on the other side of the run. The chicks and Mow were out foraging together this afternoon.

I used to see a lot of this type of behaviour from the junior roosters/mature cockerels in a tribe. They kept an eye on the juniors.

ditto. I have also repeatedly seen Maria, the matron of the flock, play foster mum for youngsters in need of a bit of tlc. The most unexpected one was when she let an older chick from someone else's brood settle down for the night with her and her much younger chicks, while they were still sleeping in a nest. That went on till she left her own chicks to roost back on a perch.

 

[Ladies-Eight]

Ex Batts good morning one and all!

Tea is ready.

Temperature is in the 80s.

Have a great day!

 

[fluffycrow]

Candled the eggs! I have unfortunately lost my trusted torch, so all I had was the phone light. I can't say I know for sure what's going on. It being day 18 doesn't make things much better. I *think* I saw one or two good ones, and then the third egg I really couldn't tell. Hoping for the best

 

[Perris]

for you and your broody @fluffycrow