Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[fuzzi]

I picked some arugula and Swiss chard leaves this afternoon and fed them to my flocks. I lay the leaves flat on the ground, then place a brick on top of the stems. It's easier for the chickens to feed on leaves if they're weighed down.

I had a small chard leaf that I held out to Julia, the boldest of the OEGB pullets. She approached, but hesitated. Naomi (Julia's first broody momma) came over and started snatching beakfuls of leaf, so then Julia came over and took a piece of leaf from my fingertips.

 

[Shadrach]

Such a happy, lucky boy.

That would be me as much as Glais if he is actually happy with his new conditions. He's brought my sense of humour back. I'm usually happier having a rooster around.

 

[fuzzi]

That would be me as much as Glais if he is actually happy with his new conditions. He's brought my sense of humour back. I'm usually happier having a rooster around.

Well, you're the Roosterist!

 

[HiEverybirdy]

Are you giving her anything special to eat or to help through this moult? I have a bantam frizzle who is having a terrible time this moult, she's approx 18mo. And is looking nothing like the beautiful Esmerelda she usually looks, more like a dinosaur... she's not eating a lot and moves carefully and looks miserable. Last night she slept in the egg box instead of the perch and our same age rooster was in next to her. That's so unusual so I'm sure he was just keeping her warm too.

Sounds like very sweet behavior from your rooster.

With the cooler weather, I've just been making sure Peck's crop isn't completely empty at night so she has some calories to stay warm.

I've been offering a little something every day that she loves, like sardines (in water, unsalted), hardboiled eggs, mealworms from our mealworm farm, fruit and veggies, and scratch grains.

It also helps that they range before roosting for access to all the tasty invertebrates, grasses, seeds, etc.

The Peckupine is looking more like regular Peck by the day, thank goodness. Last night was the first in a while that she went to roost with a full crop again.

Funny: she's held on to 1, upside-down tail feather this entire time.

Hope Esmerelda feels better soon, too.

 

[HiEverybirdy]

I think chickens have mastered the art of half conscious activity. From my observations they do not fully wake when they poop. I believe this from watching chickens in the nest box in my house in Catalonia. It's also how I found out they snore and fart.

And belch. Chicken gas is charming.

She isn't losing primary feathers yet, but she avoids get wet now and heads for the coop extension at the first sign of rain.

Today was the first rain since Peck started molting. Usually she stays out hunting in rain until she's soaked, but today she ducked under cover as soon as she felt a few cold raindrops.

It's the first time I've noticed this from a molting chicken, but again, her molt's been exceptional.

 

[HiEverybirdy]

I did read that chickens are capable of unihemispheric slow wave sleep (USWS) where they basically sleep deeply with one half of their brain while keeping the other hemisphere awake. So literally half conscious. They'll also take naps with one eye open and alert during the daytime.

I copped a squat in the orchard the other morning to watch the chickens forage, and Raisin settled next to me to nap.

Without warning, she let out a bakaw and jumped up, going from a serene sleeping ball to full alarm mode in a split second.

The others joined the alert with chatter and head tilting. Following their eyes, it took me 20 seconds to finally spot what Raisin had seen in her sleep: a house cat slinking along the woodline 200' away.

I'm glad they have that skill.

Photo from a different Raisin nap on another day. Raisin is an expert relaxer, especially when sunbeams are involved.

 

[Skyeknight]

but the rooster seems to favor them. So that’s a problem I might have to deal with down the road.

Having this problem as well. So I removed the 2 older hens that were preferred by the rooster and gave them their own coop. They were also not nice towards my younger pullets, rooster included. It's only been a few days so I hope he warms up to them, or else I will also give him his own coop for a bit to reflect. There is still a Silkie which also raised his chicks this year who are all still living in the main flock, so hope that doesn't halter the rooster from trying to impress the young pullets I bought.

 

[Perris]

I think you’ll find me grossly uneducated there.
I don’t seem to be able to think of anything.

As embarrassing as it might be for me to not know anything about it, I would love to read what you’re referring to

Sorry I didn't mean to put you on the spot like that! I just thought you might have done some Diogenes at school 'cos a lot of the anecdotes about him are the sort of thing that kids find funny (adults less so).

There was a sanctuary on the island of Samothrace. Its deity was famous for helping those in peril on the sea. When Diogenes visited, someone pointed to all the offerings made by people whose prayers had been answered. Diogenes said, there would have been more from those whose prayers weren't answered

Loose analogy, but I'm sure somewhere in the back of my mind it prompted my quip on our modern deities of apps and AI.

 

[Perris]

Other parallels occurred to me as I was dropping off last night. Stoicism may be the philosophy for our age, rather than cynicism, given the construction of a new domus aureus.

If you want to unpack that one, you'll have to do it yourself I'm afraid; I don't want to get banned, from anything. Good luck with your AI!

 

[rural mouse]

Having this problem as well. So I removed the 2 older hens that were preferred by the rooster and gave them their own coop. They were also not nice towards my younger pullets, rooster included. It's only been a few days so I hope he warms up to them, or else I will also give him his own coop for a bit to reflect. There is still a Silkie which also raised his chicks this year who are all still living in the main flock, so hope that doesn't halter the rooster from trying to impress the young pullets I bought.

Are the pullets laying yet?