Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Shadrach]

Pretty incredible feat to have engendered that family for an incubator orphan that thought for a time she would become a sheep or a donkey .

Unfortunately, it seems likely that she will now she knows she can get in without being deterred. It's so frustrating.

I was wondering if you are going to be able to stay until roost time this summer as the days grow longer. Does public transportation goes on sufficiently late?

Do you know what is their intention regarding chickens in the future, keeping some on the allotments long term, or just wait until there is none left ?
It's a bit blunt to put it this way but I suppose building a new coop would not make sense to them in the last case.

Cheepy did become an important chicken in the end. She and Oswald were responsible for a new tribe which later split into two.

The buses run clost to midnight so I should be able to get home on them during the summer.

I don't and I don't think C does either. There is an element of doubt for the future with many people I know. They are just trying to weather one crisis after another and the long term is exactly that and doesn't really feature in the planning.

 

[MaryJanet]

Cheepy did become an important chicken in the end. She and Oswald were responsible for a new tribe which later split into two.

The buses run clost to midnight so I should be able to get home on them during the summer.

I don't and I don't think C does either. There is an element of doubt for the future with many people I know. They are just trying to weather one crisis after another and the long term is exactly that and doesn't really feature in the planning.

I'm seeing a lot of fatigue and tenacity among my friends and family too.

 

[Shadrach]

I had to look up the translation and googled it too. Still not sure which one it is , of these : https://www.osi-perception.org/Belette-Fouine-Martre-Hermine.html#ariane
We don't have any of those here, too many foxes I suppose.

Stoats get mistaken for weasels. It's tail length and bushiness that are the obvious differences when you can compare one directly to the other.
I think you may have the Mustela and Fagina where youu are.

 

[Shadrach]

Shame about Cloud; she featured in quite a lot of your allotment photos. I hope it was at least quick for her. I've not had to deal with stoat (touch wood); how small a gap can they get through?
I also have a Miss Stopout (one of the Penny pullets). As yet she's not been accidentally shut out the coops, but that's partly because I can leave one open while I'm doing other things and come back to shut it when it's practically dark; if I had to catch public transport it'd be a different matter. Maybe your girl is just testing you...?

Inch square is what's recommended to keep them out. I think a weasel could get through one and a half inch square.

 

[Shadrach]

great analogy for my gal, but I don't think it would apply to Shad's stopout

I think I'm going to call her that.

 

[Shadrach]

Poor Cloud . I hope you can figure out how to prevent further attacks.

Is Matilda laying one egg a day or more?

Hard to say. I don't see all the eggs but I've found two of hers in a 24 hour period.

 

[Shadrach]

A chicken friendly ferret may help. I'm thinking of getting of getting a ferret as a deterrent for mice

I was thinking more on the lines of a trained livestock guardian; something like a crocodile. Wont have to worry much about dogs and larger predators.

 

[Molpet]

Inch square is what's recommended to keep them out. I think a weasel could get through one and a half inch square.

In USA we have a least weasel that can get through anything bigger than 1/2 inch. They are deadly and can kill everything.

 

[Shadrach]

Sorry about Cloud. Stoats are tricky critters - but isn’t it odd that it has not taken more?

I don't know enough about how and when they hunt.
I've only ever had single attacks from weasels, that is they've only tried for one chicken. Most of the weasel attacks failed with the tribes. Rear end injuries but non fatal. The weasel tries not to take on a chicken face on because their eyes are vunerable. If the chicken keeps going when a weasel has a mothfull of rear end feathers what usually happens is the weasel gets shaken off; with a lot of feathers.

 

[Shadrach]

Aw well that just sucks. I liked her as well. I hope that this is a one and done but if it really was a stoat I highly doubt it will be.

Odd that Matilda should be having a hard time. Is she down before she lays her egg or sometime after?

It's before from what I've seen. She had an egg stuck some weeks ago which we got out.