Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[BDutch]

She just seems to spend a lot of time in a bit of a dream.

Maybe Mow reads too much romantic novels with a torchlight in the night. That would explain her daydreaming.

 

[kcan2]

Mow theory #2: Maybe Mow is vastly content that she looks like a pillow and drifts around a bit on a cloud of her own...

 

[Perris]

I've just started to sell the eggs I don't eat

Have you got a regular or two who will be happy to have them whenever you do? It's great if you get one/some. I've just resumed deliveries to one who was so happy about it after a couple of months off - she says my girls' eggs taste the best, and notably better than those she's been buying while mine were moulting, despite those others being organic and costing half as much again per carton. Feedback like that is uplifting.

There is something not quite right with Mow.

She eats, drinks and lays good quality eggs. She just seems to spend a lot of time in a bit of a dream.

My guess would be that she is still not quite over whatever she caught last year that stopped her laying then.

I think some endemic avian viruses and other infections can exist at subclinical level for months or even years, and are little understood because in the commercial sector, which does almost all the research, they just cull unproductive birds, they don't wait long enough for them to develop immunity and get better (or die naturally) from it. Even the old poultry manuals recommend taking out unproductive birds as soon as they are identified, so there's not much to be learned there either.

I am as sure as I can be that Venka had something when she was 1-2 and laid mostly soft-shelled eggs (when she laid, which was not often); and that she developed antibodies to it, and then continued to lay good eggs into her 7th year (she hasn't started up again yet this year but I expect her to continue do so in her 8th); take away for me from that was don't cull for productivity reasons.

Also with hindsight I'm sure that Janeka was fighting something subclinical a year she laid few eggs but went broody for the 1st time. At that time I let her sit, thinking it would be no loss since she wasn't laying much anyway, and she incubated and hatched 9 eggs, and seemed to be a wonderful broody; but none of those chicks reached productive maturity, dying of something mysterious at various points along the way, and I now think they caught whatever it was while she was brooding them, and as youngsters they just weren't strong enough to fight it off or it got deep into their systems. Take away for me from that was don't let a bird who isn't fighting fit sit.

Of course things may be completely different for Mow. But I would be optimistic and patient if I had a hen like her.

 

[lightm]

Have you got a regular or two who will be happy to have them whenever you do? It's great if you get one/some. I've just resumed deliveries to one who was so happy about it after a couple of months off - she says my girls' eggs taste the best, and notably better than those she's been buying while mine were moulting, despite those others being organic and costing half as much again per carton. Feedback like that is uplifting.


My guess would be that she is still not quite over whatever she caught last year that stopped her laying then.

I think some endemic avian viruses and other infections can exist at subclinical level for months or even years, and are little understood because in the commercial sector, which does almost all the research, they just cull unproductive birds, they don't wait long enough for them to develop immunity and get better (or die naturally) from it. Even the old poultry manuals recommend taking out unproductive birds as soon as they are identified, so there's not much to be learned there either.

I am as sure as I can be that Venka had something when she was 1-2 and laid mostly soft-shelled eggs (when she laid, which was not often); and that she developed antibodies to it, and then continued to lay good eggs into her 7th year (she hasn't started up again yet this year but I expect her to continue do so in her 8th); take away for me from that was don't cull for productivity reasons.

Also with hindsight I'm sure that Janeka was fighting something subclinical a year she laid few eggs but went broody for the 1st time. At that time I let her sit, thinking it would be no loss since she wasn't laying much anyway, and she incubated and hatched 9 eggs, and seemed to be a wonderful broody; but none of those chicks reached productive maturity, dying of something mysterious at various points along the way, and I now think they caught whatever it was while she was brooding them, and as youngsters they just weren't strong enough to fight it off or it got deep into their systems. Take away for me from that was don't let a bird who isn't fighting fit sit.

Of course things may be completely different for Mow. But I would be optimistic and patient if I had a hen like her.

Very interesting! Thank you for sharing.

 

[HiEverybirdy]

Have you got a regular or two who will be happy to have them whenever you do? It's great if you get one/some. I've just resumed deliveries to one who was so happy about it after a couple of months off - she says my girls' eggs taste the best, and notably better than those she's been buying while mine were moulting, despite those others being organic and costing half as much again per carton. Feedback like that is uplifting.


My guess would be that she is still not quite over whatever she caught last year that stopped her laying then.

I think some endemic avian viruses and other infections can exist at subclinical level for months or even years, and are little understood because in the commercial sector, which does almost all the research, they just cull unproductive birds, they don't wait long enough for them to develop immunity and get better (or die naturally) from it. Even the old poultry manuals recommend taking out unproductive birds as soon as they are identified, so there's not much to be learned there either.

I am as sure as I can be that Venka had something when she was 1-2 and laid mostly soft-shelled eggs (when she laid, which was not often); and that she developed antibodies to it, and then continued to lay good eggs into her 7th year (she hasn't started up again yet this year but I expect her to continue do so in her 8th); take away for me from that was don't cull for productivity reasons.

Also with hindsight I'm sure that Janeka was fighting something subclinical a year she laid few eggs but went broody for the 1st time. At that time I let her sit, thinking it would be no loss since she wasn't laying much anyway, and she incubated and hatched 9 eggs, and seemed to be a wonderful broody; but none of those chicks reached productive maturity, dying of something mysterious at various points along the way, and I now think they caught whatever it was while she was brooding them, and as youngsters they just weren't strong enough to fight it off or it got deep into their systems. Take away for me from that was don't let a bird who isn't fighting fit sit.

Of course things may be completely different for Mow. But I would be optimistic and patient if I had a hen like her.

Thanks for sharing these observations.

Miss Ashley fought something for 16 months (where she'd go off commercial feed for a week at a time, and I'd scramble to figure out what she would eat, and then she'd return to normal).

It started with soft-shelled eggs. Then she stopped laying and was intermittently broody for a couple months. Combined with appetite issues and weight loss, I wondered if a tumor or infection were pressing on her "broody button" internally.

She never sat more than a few days. The neat thing was that Unquestioned and Most Esteemed Head Hen Brahma Donna noticed, and it elevated Ashley's position. Ashley got to join Donna and Stilton foraging, and Donna would push others away so Ashley could access treats, etc.

Ashley was previously lowest hen and visibly enjoyed the new privileges the last year of her life.

 

[L-plate chicken mum]

If anyone in the UK is in the market for rechargeable hand warmers these are half price at the moment:
https://www.lifeventure.com/search?type=product&options[prefix]=last&q=Hand+Warmer

Just checked and they are not on sale in the EU, sorry

 

[Shadrach]

Have you got a regular or two who will be happy to have them whenever you do? It's great if you get one/some. I've just resumed deliveries to one who was so happy about it after a couple of months off - she says my girls' eggs taste the best, and notably better than those she's been buying while mine were moulting, despite those others being organic and costing half as much again per carton. Feedback like that is uplifting.

So far I've given the eggs I don't eat away. I really should get selling them sorted out. I know some people at the field will buy them. They are rather nice tasting eggs, but on the small side. I think Tull lays the nearest to a supermarket small size egg, the others are smaller.
Tull.

Sylph.

Mow.

As for Mow, she's a strange hen, but then most of them are. She's relatively sane compared to Barking Bracket or even Dink. I'm just concerened that there is a problem that I could do something about. Most problems that one can't see or properly identify one can't do much about anyway. I have a strange feeling that it may be psychological, something often ovelooked when it comes to chickens. Strange when people accept other creatures have mental health problems.
Henry is nice to her. He fully accepts her status. She roosts where she wants, eats with whome she pleases and Henry has never tried to prevent her eating with him which cannot be said of Tull and Sylph and even Fret very occasionally. But, Henry doesn't treat her the smae as he does Tull and Sylph who he herds and guards and is very attentive to.

 

[BDutch]

So far I've given the eggs I don't eat away. I really should get selling them sorted out. I know some people at the field will buy them. They are rather nice tasting eggs, but on the small side.

A 40 gr egg is worth at least ⅔ of a big supermarket egg.
So if a carton with truly free range eggs from the supermarket cost £4,50. You can ask £ 3 for a carton

 

[Shadrach]

Two hours today. 5C, light wind and overcast.
Mr attentive.

Ground feeding.

A favourite shelter spot.

Henry trying to get Sylph who is lying down to groom him. Sylph didn't have a clue. I wonder how she'll learn this.

 

[fuzzi]

Two hours today. 5C, light wind and overcast.

Ground feeding.
View attachment 4030171

I LOVE this photo!