Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Ribh]

I love it too. It gives me one great sleep a week.

Yes, there's that too!

 

[Shadrach]

Actually my parents made me take German in school when I wanted to take Spanish . I hated German (probably for that reason) and have also forgotten most of it!

Definitely will be useful, ibuprofen is also sold over the counter here whereas metacalm requires a prescription.


I would have loved to start keeping chickens with a flock like this, and would also love to find that kind of arrangement when my ex-batts pass away. For one thing I wanted a rooster but was afraid to get a mean one (either to me or to the hens) ; and an other thing is that having a group that already know each other would make the integration process much easier, which I find a really stressful thing.
However, you would need to find a buyer with the proper setting and probably someone who doesn't have a full time job either to be able to let the flock free range, so that does limit the potential number of interested buyers.

Judging only from my experiences and those of the many rooster problem posts here on BYC one is likely to have less rooster problems in a free range group.
I don't know what it is about BYC but rooster problems feature quite highly and do imo exagerate the problem if not thhe incidences of attacks.
Some I've read it is fairly obvious that the poster has misready the roosters intentions and reacted badly. Others seem to be to be perfectly natural responses from any creature which one needs to make allowances for if one is going to keep them.
It seems the root of many of these problems is it needs to be properly understood that a rooster is not a male hen.

 

[Shadrach]

Red is a year older than Cholo. The swelling has gone down some, for a few days it was swollen shut. In the pictures I posted you can't see it but he can open it completely.

I should have mentioned before. There are two types of eye drops I've found work. They're in my Chicken Armoury article.

 

[Shadrach]

It was cold again this afternoon. C said as I walked up the field "the chickens are waiting for you, they know you're here."

I've been very respectfull of Henry's position since I've been going to the allotments. He's a very independent chap and does not enjoy being handled. He's okay once you've got him but he's not happy.
Over the past few weeks are relationship has started to change.
Little things give this away. Henry used to take food from my hand and drop it for his hens. Now I offer it to Henry first and he looks and stands back.
If I'm doing something with the hens or the feeder in that open portion of the coop while Henry is on the roost bar, he will stay as he is, even when he's got his head under his wing. If I touch him he will sit up, but not try to move away.
At first Henry would stand up when I got in the open part of the coop and leave.
For the past couple of months I've been learning how to make friends with Henry. All the usual stuff keeps him tolerant but that isn't friendly.
He sort of started it when he first stood on my boots; something he's done a few times now.
I gave him a bit of an inspection while he was on the roost bar in the last picture. No fuss what so ever from Henry; Fret on the other hand did what she does best, fretted.

 

[MaryJanet]

It was cold again this afternoon. C said as I walked up the field "the chickens are waiting for you, they know you're here."

I've been very respectfull of Henry's position since I've been going to the allotments. He's a very independent chap and does not enjoy being handled. He's okay once you've got him but he's not happy.
Over the past few weeks are relationship has started to change.
Little things give this away. Henry used to take food from my hand and drop it for his hens. Now I offer it to Henry first and he looks and stands back.
If I'm doing something with the hens or the feeder in that open portion of the coop while Henry is on the roost bar, he will stay as he is, even when he's got his head under his wing. If I touch him he will sit up, but not try to move away.
At first Henry would stand up when I got in the open part of the coop and leave.
For the past couple of months I've been learning how to make friends with Henry. All the usual stuff keeps him tolerant but that isn't friendly.
He sort of started it when he first stood on my boots; something he's done a few times now.
I gave him a bit of an inspection while he was on the roost bar in the last picture. No fuss what so ever from Henry; Fret on the other hand did what she does best, fretted.View attachment 3047407View attachment 3047408View attachment 3047409View attachment 3047411

Shad, do you know Henry's age? He seems very wise.

 

[Shadrach]

Four and a half years old is the best estimate.
Here he

is with Matilda his daughter when she was young.

 

[pennyJo1960]

I have a great relationship with Smudge. He was raised here. He now will stay on his rooast as I go to close the coop door. He roosts on the arm that come off the table

 

[GregnLety]

I should have mentioned before. There are two types of eye drops I've found work. They're in my Chicken Armoury article.

Thanks, I'll see if I can find one of those locally.

 

[ManueB]

Four and a half years old is the best estimate.
Here he View attachment 3047469is with Matilda his daughter when she was young.

Is this a photo C. gave you? They both already had that "I know exactly what I am doing" expression.

Shad, do you know Henry's age? He seems very wise.

Does being wise come with age for roosters? I am not sure this is the case for humans .

I have a great relationship with Smudge. He was raised here. He now will stay on his rooast as I go to close the coop door. He roosts on the arm that come off the table View attachment 3047595View attachment 3047613

It did seem you were quite fond of him from how you spoke of him loosing his feathers and protecting the girls.


Many of you do seem to have great relationships.with roosters but I also heard different stories and not only on BYC. Also heard of people who love roosters and have quite a few and one will be agressive when the others are not. I'm sure it has to do with the environment and that the roosters aren't being "mean" in the human sense. But still I think when you're a beginner at keeping chickens it can be overwhelming. That's also why I got a bantam rooster, it felt less scary because he's tiny. I will certainly get a full size rooster one day when I feel more confident.

 

[Ladies-Eight]

Ex Batts good morning one and all!

The temperature is 58 and partly sunny.

Have a great day!