Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[ManueB]

@ManueB , is chicken netting different from bird netting?
Because here they sell a lot of bird netting. Never saw any chicken netting for sale. I hate the bird netting because its too week and gets torn apart too easily. And if it’s hanging, songbirds get trapped in it.

I do love cat netting. Its very strong (with a thin metal thread in it) and seems to be predator proof too. It’s even better than the thicker netting I bought for birds of prey.

I'm not sure netting is the right term, it is this thing.

It also exists for sheeps, and with or without electrification. Without electrification like mine, it is obviously only meant to keep the chickens in, not predators out, so it must be used within a fenced area.

 

[ManueB]

I don’t think the fence net will work for my bantams. They can fly over a 1 meter fencing.

It doesn't work. They do fly over it sometimes but don't even need to, Chipie steps through it as from the third rank the holes are bigger and Théo can hop over it .

 

[no fly zone]

@ManueB

Haven't fixed it yet. Only moved the feeder. Need some dry weather on my next set of days off.

 

[bruceha2000]

The homeowner decided she wants flower beds.

The same with DW, the girls were scratching up everything in the flower beds by the house so they are confined, with the 2 alpacas, to the fenced acre behind the barn. It also keeps them safe from foxes.

 

[Shadrach]

Yes I've been trying to get this point across for two years but apparently it's less work to fence the chickens than to fence the plants. I have plenty of opinions on the matter which is why the decision was made outside my presence.

I know a bit about being in that posiition. You have my empathy.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Hit that nail on the head @Shadrach care all you want if there is not emapthy your lost.
Morning X Batts sold 2 birds this morning a marans pullet hatched here and a hatchery bird blue layer.

 

[Shadrach]

Back to the egg.collecting discussions : we would like to have at least Chipie the bantam go broody one day and I'm understanding that if I go on collecting eggs just after they laid it's probably not sending the right message. Should I leave her own eggs where she lays them, which most of the time is a very inappropriate place ? Or if I leave any eggs that's not hers and that she can easily find, she would understand that there is a chance for her to brood ?

What I would do, depending on just how inappropriate her nest site is, is let her lay her eggs there. Remove any other hens egg's if and when they lay them. Prepare a broody coop. Put some time and thought into it. I had two open during the day all the time.
This is one I made earlier.

The idea is the chickens get used to the coop being there so when you move a broody, or a sick chicken, their new accomodation gives the minimum of stress.
Make sure that the floor in the run and in the coop is removable. This allows for making nests in natural ground if appropriate and the more common hard floor type. Same for the run.

Wherever she lays and if she decides to sit you will have the maternity/isolation coop ready and familiar.
I used to move the broody hens at night when they nested outside and went broody. Most, if they were propely commited in the first place stayed on their eggs after the move.

 

[Sally PB]

@Shadrach, what are the dimensions of your broody coops, approximately? Very nice, by the way.

 

[Shadrach]

@Shadrach, what are the dimensions of your broody coops, approximately? Very nice, by the way.

I was just wondering this myself. I can't find the dimensions.

 

[Shadrach]

Able, Fat Bird, Mora and Where.

Myth, Donk and Notch.

I think that's George making a hurried exit to the right.

Some of Tribe 2 sheltering from the rain.

Tribe 3 on the bank outside my house.

A favourite spot for all the tribes.