Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Perris]

I was a bit hasty about the broodies. Janeka disappeared again yesterday morning after breakfast, and was waiting by the back door this morning (with Xmoor and Merioneth... and the SFH were down as usual), and Rhondda was back on when I checked the nest boxes in the coops... This is getting a bit out of hand

 

[BDutch]

Sorry if I read this wrong. Are the chickens at your house now? Again, sorry if you. Already said this in one of your other posts

Hope you don’t mind if I answer this one.
Things have changed a lot on the allotment since 3.5 years ago. I know its an awful lot of reading, but its also interesting to do so.

Yes @Shadrach explained everything in his posts further on. And no, he has no chickens at home, unless he has decided to do so secretly.

Hope you catch up CCL123 and try not to respond to old posts.

We seem to have a soon to be dead cat problem if it doesn't leave the chickens alone.

I hope the nasty cat will vanish soon Shad.
Maybe you remember I had issues with a tomcat several years ago too. I hold him responsible for attacking a few of my chickens. He sort of was a wolf in sheep’s clothes. Bc the other neighbour cats are no threat at all, the chickens were too relaxed seeing this monster. I sort of trained them to ‘panic’ and flee for this specific cat like they do for dogs.

Some time ago I heard he belonged to a woman who moved out from our neighbourhood. Makes me more relaxed.

 

[fluffycrow]

Do anyone’s chickens eat crabgrass? I thought it was couch grass in the UK, but no. Mine love different types of grass, but are pretty meh about crabgrass.

I lieu of mowing our massive 3’x10’ stretch of grass on one side of the walkway, we moved the chicken fence in include it. They mowed it down in two days flat, but not the crabgrass.

We then moved the fence to include the other side, which has a LOT of crabgrass, but no joy. (Note: the neighborhood songbirds had already stripped the blueberries.)

Will they eat crabgrass when they’re hungry enough, ideally before killing the normal grass, or is this project doomed?

View attachment 4185254

Had to look up what that is. We have that growing in our lawn. The chickens have never been (their choice entirely, they are free and welcome to explore this side of the property). Shad has mentioned before how his chickens don’t prefer the clustering types of grass.

I have noticed the same as both of you. They tend to go for the non-clustering types first, and leave the clusters (clustering varieties other than crabgrass) for when they’re really desperate

 

[fluffycrow]

Not me; I don't have a brooder. All chicks are broody raised here.

May I ask, did you get your very first as chicks, juveniles, or adult birds?

 

[Perris]

May I ask, did you get your very first as chicks, juveniles, or adult birds?

The first ones were supposedly POL (Venka and Sven I'm sure were of that age, though Sven was never going to lay an egg as 'she' was a boy ; Maria I think may have been a pullet but had been laying for while I suspect). Then I acquired the next new birds as 8 week olds; off heat, but definitely young. Janeka (now 6) was the last to come in as such. Since then, hatching eggs or home grown only.

 

[Perris]

Poor Janeka; her nest has been predated this morning since breakfast. I tracked her back to it after breakfast, having failed to find it hitherto; maybe the predator did too, or I gave the location away inadvertently . Anyway, she was with the others when I went to look for Cadle (having missed her at breakfast [because I was stalking Janeka] and knowing she had roosted out), so I went to the nest site and found 4 eggshells . That's the 3rd hidden nest she's had predated this season.

I suppose if you count my taking eggs from the nest boxes as predation (and what else is it, really?) she's used to it, but I do feel for her. If she goes again, in a nest box, I'll let her have a few eggs of whoever's laying at the time. She is the nicest hen, and a wonderfully caring broody.

 

[Perris]

It's OK, Rhondda is coming out of it. Not coincidentally a gang of them went for a group bath (R right down in it centre of picture, with Fez apparently chatting to her and Paprika (another interrupted sitter) come in next to her from behind).

Note the roos' positions; backs to the dustbath, looking out for the girls bathing, just as they should.

 

[BDutch]

Note the roos' positions; backs to the dustbath, looking out for the girls bathing, just as they should.

Anazing.

 

[fuzzi]

It's OK, Rhondda is coming out of it. Not coincidentally a gang of them went for a group bath (R right down in it centre of picture, with Fez apparently chatting to her and Paprika (another interrupted sitter) come in next to her from behind).
View attachment 4185613
Note the roos' positions; backs to the dustbath, looking out for the girls bathing, just as they should.

Good boys!

 

[RoyalChick]

I was a bit hasty about the broodies. Janeka disappeared again yesterday morning after breakfast, and was waiting by the back door this morning (with Xmoor and Merioneth... and the SFH were down as usual), and Rhondda was back on when I checked the nest boxes in the coops... This is getting a bit out of hand

Tell me about it. I have a broody epidemic. I am lonesome - nobody wants to come chat to me when I go outside.