Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Shadrach]

I understand hunting the mountain lions as a way of pushing them away from any livestock. I enjoy hunting deer, boar and grew up hunting quail and grouse. 99% of the meat in my freezer is deer and boar.

I am partial to a bit of wild boar. I used to get some from the night hunters when I lived in Catalonia.

 

[Shadrach]

This is all so sad, Shad. I know you have your hands full, but I have another idea. Do you have any plastic containers you could poke or drill little holes in and sprout some wheat or something for them? Would it be too cold to sprout outdoors at the allotments? I’m just trying to think of inexpensive but nutritious things you could add for them. If you put a tray of sprouts out when you left, they could have it in the morning. The trouble is, you’d need at least a couple trays to rotate if you’d like them to get some a couple days a week. Or you could sprout them on your own kitchen counter and bring them with you in a plastic bag or something.

I could, but I would need an awful lot to make much difference to 19 chickens. I'm a bit short of room at the flat. However, there have been some recent developments which I will post about when I'm certain they will go ahead.

 

[Shadrach]

Ugh. I never thought of them potentially being poisoned before hanging out in my garage.

My warning was primarily aimed to people who live in those semi rural settings where people have large gardens perhaps or farmland nearby. You can find out discretely whether or not any of your neighbours are using poison.

 

[Shadrach]

Yesterday morning I thought we had the beginning of a peace truce between the bantams and the ex batts when the first time they all gathered on the same perch.

View attachment 2999426

Unfortunately my hopes came to a brutal ending when sometime later Théo successfully mounted for the first time on the smallest ex-batt Blanche. The other five came down screaming and tearing him off her grabbing him by his feathers. And now they are really angry and constantly trying to murder him.
I'm beginning to wonder if I should add another bantam ladies because I'm afraid that if he can't get any of the ex batt, he will end up hurting the bantam lady by loving her too much. I've been checking and she seems okay up to now but I do hope he can take his place in the flock. Do you know if there is anything I can do to help ?

I empathise. I had similar problems with the tribes. Fortunately there were enough bantams and they just kept to themselves mainly.
I love the picture. It sort of says it all when it comes to breedism. We'll sit on the same branch, but not too close.

 

[Shadrach]

The weather seems to have gone from bad to worse. The chickens did come out for a bit. There were even a few pellets in the round feeder when I got there. It started to rain more heavily at around five and the chickens retreated to the coop run. That meant I could leave a bit earlier than usual.

 

[Shadrach]

Waiting for the bus in Bristol city.
Not much contest as to where it's better to be in bad weather. I'll pick the allotments every time.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Never lived in a city and always felt life was better in the country .. Even as a older person still think that way.
Noth best shot but a good one of the wood feeder we use.

 

[Perris]

Before I forget.
There are a few good articles and even fewer great articles on BYC.
This is one of the great articles. Now I have a thread of my own I can hopefully bring some of articles I admire to peoples attention.
The article is written by Perris who posts on this thread.
Go and have a read and please, give it a review and of course a five star rating.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/raising-a-blind-or-partially-sighted-chicken.75986/

Thanks for the compliment Shad! I'm flattered and look forward to reading your other recommendations... have you found anything good on clostridium perfringens by any chance? I am currently working on a hunch that it's at the root of some weird neurological behaviours and sudden deaths, but am finding it hard to come by some decent research on the topic.

 

[Perris]

The weather seems to have gone from bad to worse. The chickens did come out for a bit. There were even a few pellets in the round feeder when I got there. It started to rain more heavily at around five and the chickens retreated to the coop run. That meant I could leave a bit earlier than usual.
View attachment 2999851View attachment 2999853View attachment 2999855

those poor birds. Can chickens get trenchfoot?

 

[pennyJo1960]

@Perris Look through Merk Manual here in the US.
https://www.merckvetmanual.com/poultry/necrotic-enteritis/overview-of-necrotic-enteritis-in-poultry