Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[SimpleJenn]

Andre really does look handsome!
We had to butcher our meatbirds early, because of some sort of infection that was spreading through the coops. They were small but still dressed out pretty nicely. I am getting a lot better at skinning and gutting. I figure I owe them at least a quick death and useable meat.

Our family always thanks the birds for the meat they provide, and we promise to not waste it. I added thanks for being beautiful and fun to watch too.

 

[Molpet]

When I opened the coops at sunrise yesterday, found a hen with a twisted neck and bloody face and an eye missing... footprints on her back and a young cockerel standing by her. She was worse this morning. Wouldn't eat or drink, so I dispatched rather than suffer.
Not sure if she fell off the roost and hurt her neck or if she was bullied by hens or the cockerel. Her liver was fatty and fell apart so that could have contributed.
She wasn't laying but one yolk was bigger than the rest; She was probably 4-6 years old.

 

[HiEverybirdy]

I could deal with adulterated products IF it were disclosed. Hiding it should be a crime.

There was an interesting lawsuit over here in east Tennessee trying to create consequences for this very thing.

A company called Strange Honey was sued for fraud for marketing honey as raw and local when it's neither.

Lab tests found evidence of high heat (meaning the honey is no longer raw), along with corn syrup and Vietnamese sources. Regulation of chemical and antibiotic treatment of honey bees is light to non-existent in countries like Vietnam, meaning that honey is potentially full of...exactly what people who seek raw honey are trying to avoid.

The allegations are widely believed by the local beekeeping community, with taste and mouthfeel being the key evidence, followed by credible local scuttlebutt regarding barrels of corn syrup delivered to the bottling plant and chronically empty apiaries. I've personally seen the latter.

Here's a good article about it. It gives one of the defendants a voice as well, which is always good, though his company makes 7 figures annually selling honey to supermarkets, so he has every reason to passionately deny the allegations.
https://smokymountainnews.com/archi...eekeepers-feel-the-sting-of-counterfeit-honey

The lawsuit also named several supermarket chains for selling the mislabeled honey. The chains have big bucks to bury the courts in paperwork, disputing weedy details like jurisdiction, so the suit's been thrown out and refiled once or twice in the past 4 years, and possibly thrown out for good in September.

At least their effort has raised awareness. Most "local" honey isn't. You almost have to know a beekeeper personally to get the good stuff.

 

[no fly zone]

There was an interesting lawsuit over here in east Tennessee trying to create consequences for this very thing.

A company called Strange Honey was sued for fraud for marketing honey as raw and local when it's neither.

Lab tests found evidence of high heat (meaning the honey is no longer raw), along with corn syrup and Vietnamese sources. Regulation of chemical and antibiotic treatment of honey bees is light to non-existent in countries like Vietnam, meaning that honey is potentially full of...exactly what people who seek raw honey are trying to avoid.

The allegations are widely believed by the local beekeeping community, with taste and mouthfeel being the key evidence, followed by credible local scuttlebutt regarding barrels of corn syrup delivered to the bottling plant and chronically empty apiaries. I've personally seen the latter.

Here's a good article about it. It gives one of the defendants a voice as well, which is always good, though his company makes 7 figures annually selling honey to supermarkets, so he has every reason to passionately deny the allegations.
https://smokymountainnews.com/archi...eekeepers-feel-the-sting-of-counterfeit-honey

The lawsuit also named several supermarket chains for selling the mislabeled honey. The chains have big bucks to bury the courts in paperwork, disputing weedy details like jurisdiction, so the suit's been thrown out and refiled once or twice in the past 4 years, and possibly thrown out for good in September.

At least their effort has raised awareness. Most "local" honey isn't. You almost have to know a beekeeper personally to get the good stuff.

That's a shame that money so easily overrides what is right.

 

[Shadrach]

How did you attach it? I can't tell from the photos.

The tarp comes with corner eyelets and 4 mddle eyelets. I've used these points where appropriate. I made new eyelets with these at a couple of other points.

I screw a screw with a penny washer (fender washer) through the eyelets and into the wooden frame that supports the coop. We get some fairly strong winds and strong fixings help keep things in place.

This is the tarpaulin. It's surpringly good quality for the price.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Heavy-Duty...thermal+tarpaulin&qid=1669807775&sr=8-14&th=1

 

[Shadrach]

I found Quincy in the tree and got her down before the coops were closed tonight; I hope it doesn't take too long to get this tree-hugging habit nipped in the bud. And Puffin laid a normal large dark egg today.

I don't want to discourage you but I got Dink out of a tree for five years or more.

 

[Shadrach]

As a cockerel, Andre ripped skin off little Cream Legbar pullet Miss Barbara's neck, badly, and started to violently bully others. The girls were beginning to live in fear, which we don't stand for here.

Every online resource I found prescribed freezer camp, full stop. I liked Andre so set about figuring it out on my own.

We moved him out as a bachelor, gave him time to mature, then socially engineered introductions to pullets who were old enough to have a sense of personal sovereignty so wouldn't accept bullying.

The pullets had a separate coop and plenty of supervision until they ironed things out with Andre. Which they did a wonderful job of until one afternoon, when Andre leapt on Lil Nugs and caused a small abrasion on her neck, and I thought the whole effort might have been a failure.

I was there when it happened and immediately returned Andre to his run, spritzed Veterycin on Lil Nugs' neck, and gave her blueberries and mealworms to soothe her bruised ego.

He didn't have direct access to the pullets for 2 days. When I cautiously let them meet back up, Andre was on good behavior. He never hurt Nugs again. To this day, she's the one hen who squats for him every morning.

Some would say that was too much work, which is fair, and it did take 2 spare mobile coops and extra space and fencing to pull off, but I'm happy to have taken the time.

Not only do Andre's hen friends cherish his company; every human who meets Andre likes him, to a person. He's converted people who otherwise dismissed roosters as dangerous and worthless.

Also, he's as handsome as they come. I mean, he's molting his hackles off and still dashing.
View attachment 3984337

Ohhhhh, he's a bit tasty isn't he.
Good for you for putting the effort in. That's often all it needs.

 

[fuzzi]

There was an interesting lawsuit over here in east Tennessee trying to create consequences for this very thing.

A company called Strange Honey was sued for fraud for marketing honey as raw and local when it's neither.

Lab tests found evidence of high heat (meaning the honey is no longer raw), along with corn syrup and Vietnamese sources. Regulation of chemical and antibiotic treatment of honey bees is light to non-existent in countries like Vietnam, meaning that honey is potentially full of...exactly what people who seek raw honey are trying to avoid.

The allegations are widely believed by the local beekeeping community, with taste and mouthfeel being the key evidence, followed by credible local scuttlebutt regarding barrels of corn syrup delivered to the bottling plant and chronically empty apiaries. I've personally seen the latter.

Here's a good article about it. It gives one of the defendants a voice as well, which is always good, though his company makes 7 figures annually selling honey to supermarkets, so he has every reason to passionately deny the allegations.
https://smokymountainnews.com/archi...eekeepers-feel-the-sting-of-counterfeit-honey

The lawsuit also named several supermarket chains for selling the mislabeled honey. The chains have big bucks to bury the courts in paperwork, disputing weedy details like jurisdiction, so the suit's been thrown out and refiled once or twice in the past 4 years, and possibly thrown out for good in September.

At least their effort has raised awareness. Most "local" honey isn't. You almost have to know a beekeeper personally to get the good stuff.

I have been buying honey at the farmers' market, from local beekeepers and now have several jars in a top kitchen cupboard since honey, real honey, has unlimited shelf life.

 

[fuzzi]

The tarp comes with corner eyelets and 4 mddle eyelets. I've used these points where appropriate. I made new eyelets with these at a couple of other points.
View attachment 3984603
I screw a screw with a penny washer (fender washer) through the eyelets and into the wooden frame that supports the coop. We get some fairly strong winds and strong fixings help keep things in place.

This is the tarpaulin. It's surpringly good quality for the price.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Heavy-Duty-Tarpaulin-Waterproof-Furniture-Multipurpose/dp/B09NF3R19T/ref=sr_1_14?keywords=waterproof+thermal+tarpaulin&qid=1669807775&sr=8-14&th=1

Good to know, thanks. I've just been using zip-ties through the grommets and the hoop coop frame. No issues so far. I thought about putting up wooden slats but I like the option of rolling up/down the cloth depending on the weather and season.

 

[Shadrach]

I have been buying honey at the farmers' market, from local beekeepers and now have several jars in a top kitchen cupboard since honey, real honey, has unlimited shelf life.

I get my honey from the beekeeper at the field.