Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

Now Puffin has gone broody. This is a real surprise, because she's 3 and, unlike her sisters (both of whom started going broody before they were 1, and both of whom have already raised young successfully), Puffin has not hitherto shown the slightest inclination for it. Also I guess I assumed that a hen either was or wasn't inclined to go broody and that's how they stayed, not that they could be a late bloomer in this department, so to speak.

In any case, more chicks here now is not an option, so sadly she'll have to join her sister in jail tonight. I feel so mean doing it, but there is no alternative currently.
 
Now Puffin has gone broody. This is a real surprise, because she's 3 and, unlike her sisters (both of whom started going broody before they were 1, and both of whom have already raised young successfully), Puffin has not hitherto shown the slightest inclination for it. Also I guess I assumed that a hen either was or wasn't inclined to go broody and that's how they stayed, not that they could be a late bloomer in this department, so to speak.

In any case, more chicks here now is not an option, so sadly she'll have to join her sister in jail tonight. I feel so mean doing it, but there is no alternative currently.

Is this the Pedescena (probably butchered that name) hen that wouldn't go broody, or am I mixing things up? Hopefully she'll go broody again, when it's a better time for you

I'm also contemplating whether to let Ursula sit or not. As said before, I'd like to have some broody-raised chicks, but she's very unreliable. She was good as a co-mother, but she doesn't commit much to anything (although admittedly, so far she's done good). On the other hand, I wonder if the broody in the free range flock, or any other bird more competent, or experienced in the free range department would like to have a(nother) go soon
 
I got second place with my last article, beaten by an excellent article with a natural writing style I would find difficult to match.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...icle-writing-contest-21.1607242/post-27880490
Way to go!

I took two of the youngest cockerels to the auction yesterday, and someone did purchase them.

Joanna lost her only brood sibling, but she's mingling well with Rahab's remaining three:
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Joanna has a blue band ⬆️
 
Is this the Pedescena (probably butchered that name) hen that wouldn't go broody
yes that's right (except sp Penedesenca); the three sisters all turned 3 end of June.

There's no short cut to experience, sadly, and we all have to start somewhere, so if you're not too bothered about hatch rates etc., you could just let her have a go focus your energies on the broody experience rather than the eggs/chicks.
 
This thread inspired me to try again with the good organic scratch we get. It fermented effortlessly. But again, the birds were like, meh.

They just want water added to commercial crumble. Which I used to do for them every morning, but as they've been aging, I worried it would make birds like Frida overeat, especially in warmer months. We feed a high-nutrition chick feed. I don't want them to eat so much that they don't balance it with the plants and bugs they forage all day.
Mine don’t like fermented either. And I am sure the second time the fermented grains were perfect 👌.

Mine like wet chick crumble too. If I give dry crumble they spill a lot of the food. And the slugs and snails 🐌 love and flourish on the spoiled feed 🤢.
not funny art GIF by Colin Raff
 
yes that's right (except sp Penedesenca); the three sisters all turned 3 end of June.

There's no short cut to experience, sadly, and we all have to start somewhere, so if you're not too bothered about hatch rates etc., you could just let her have a go focus your energies on the broody experience rather than the eggs/chicks.

Thanks for the correction on the name, I really did butcher it:lol:

Don't care too much about the hatch rates; just a few chicks to get early-on ranging experience. I'm not sure if Ursula can provide that, however. She's free ranged a total of three times; she would basically be learning alongside her chicks.

On the other hand, she has already proven herself to be a good mother, when the co-mothered Cruella's November batch. This time she seems more stable with her brooding as well. Funnily enough, she'd be the first bird to start a brood at over a year old! Cruella turned one after starting her third brood
 
I'll deal with the important stuff first, the rest, the national news is just business as usual, England lost an important football match, a president got shot and two suitcases of body parts were found on Clifton Suspension bridge.:lol:

They did it again!:celebrate All four on the bar when I looked in and I didn't even hear them go to roost. Maybe the bar works, maybe they just got over the problem.:confused: You may be thinking,yeah, well, it's not that bigger deal but it means I can think about having a day off. C can feed the chickens and make sure they have water, but what they can't do is be there at dusk to get the chciks in and frankly, I wouldn't want them trying.
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Dry and warmish. Going to pay for it tomorrow apparantly.:rolleyes:
We all got out. Four and a half hours today.
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Waiting to catch the second bus on a Sunday night in Bristol city centre.
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Congratulations 🎉 👏

congratulations Shad! :clap

Congratulations, well deserved :clap

And congrats with the 🥈price for the article!

Congratulations on your article, Shad:clap!

@Shadrach Congratulations on placing second with your article.

@Shadrach Congratulations on placing second with your article.

Congratulations! 🎆

Way to go!

Congrats on the article Shad!

Thank you all.:love
 

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