Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Perris]

I think it's time to investigate making the feed rather than counting on suppliers.

I do hope you'll share your findings with us I've done quite a lot of this myself, but I'm sure I'll learn more from you.

It was too overcast here to see the lunar eclipse yesterday, but I was lucky enough to witness the blood super moon rising last night. The focus is not great but it's a wonder the camera could focus at all given the distance and the low light level, and my hand wasn't as steady as it could have been - must get that tripod!

 

[no fly zone]

 

[Iluveggers]

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Aw those pics are beautiful!

 

[HiEverybirdy]

Incredible, and lovely indeed ! Do you think Stilton sees you as part of his flock ?
Makes me realize my Théo still has a long way to go to win my ex-batts ladies hearts. He used to roost with Chipie the bantam, and now that she's sitting on eggs he's alone on his roost. I wonder if he will try to go on the girl's ladder, or if his dignity makes him consider they have to come to him.

Poor Théo is probably trying to figure out why they don't want to roost with him when he's doing such a good job chasing them and pecking their necks. Often it seems like roosters have as hard a time figuring out their own behavior as we do. Maybe because we house chickens so differently than what their instincts are tuned for

I think Shadrach posted somewhere on this thread about roosters finding their groove at 18 months, which was accurate with Stilton, who's 2. As a young cockerel, he could be over-the-top, sometimes taking a running start to tackle the hens, sometimes ending up facing the wrong direction when he tread If I was nearby, I'd pick him off the hen and tell him he was rude, then further deflate his ego with a quick health check up.

That tactic wouldn't work with every rooster, but Stilton absorbed the feedback. Between that and time to mature, he slowly learned to read the room. These days, it's so fun to watch the hens chase him instead of the other way around.

Great question about how he sees me. It's one I ask daily! I try not to act like one of the flock since I don't want him herding me or fighting me for control. Especially because he's affectionate. It would be less confusing if he were aloof, like our year-old roosters (Stilton was aloof at their age, so there's hope those guys will eventually want to hang out with me more, too). There must be some gray area chickens have carved out for their humans, because he doesn't treat me like a hen or other rooster as far as I can tell.

 

[Ladies-Eight]

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The chicks are just cute.

 

[Shadrach]

What a difference in size 3 weeks make
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They grow so fast!

 

[Shadrach]

New specie of underground hen sitting on eggs.
I wonder, if they survive, will the chicks hatch with the ability to see in the dark and dig galleries ?View attachment 3111530

I've read in a couple of studies that some natural light is important for proper chick developement whilst in the egg. Maybe the cave provides it.

 

[Shadrach]

I do hope you'll share your findings with us I've done quite a lot of this myself, but I'm sure I'll learn more from you.

I know you make your own feed so I was going to ask you what you did.
It's something I've steered away from due to not knowing enough about it.
There was a time whole I was in Catalonia that I considered working with one of the game fowl keepers I know to produce a feed from one of his recipies. The problem was and still is to a certain extent that feed for game fowl who may only lay 50 eggs a year is rather different to the requirements of breeds that lay two or three hundred eggs a year.

 

[Shadrach]

I got lucky and missed the worst of the rain.
My mind is on the new coop and the construction of the frame and how, if I can rescue it, to attatch the coop run that Henry and his favourites roost in to the new coop frame.
Ideally I would like everyone in the new coop. It will be a lot safer than the current arrangement with the pop door shut at night.
The old coop has to come out of the run so that I can deal with the rat runs and the buried wood that's underneath it.
Bits of wood have been put down at various places I assume to provide something solid to walk on when it rained. Over time this stuff has just got buried, mainly because the bedding has just been pulled out and thrown on the ground instead of being removed from the run.
If one wanted an illustration of the problem with building large fixed coop structures that are not portable this is a wondefull example.

Anyway, everyone was pleased to get out for a couple of hours.

 

[BDutch]

I know you make your own feed so I was going to ask you what you did.
It's something I've steered away from due to not knowing enough about it.
There was a time whole I was in Catalonia that I considered working with one of the game fowl keepers I know to produce a feed from one of his recipies. The problem was and still is to a certain extent that feed for game fowl who may only lay 50 eggs a year is rather different to the requirements of breeds that lay two or three hundred eggs a year.

I always wondered if the standard chicken feed (for laying hybrids) would be a problem for heritage breeds and roosters.
Some say it’s the best you can give to all chickens who lay eggs.
Some say it’s better to give all flock (but they don’t sell that in the Netherlands) , Some say there’s too much calcium in layer feed , especially for the roosters. I believe there is possibly too much calcium in layer feed for my old Dutch too. Who lay approx 2 eggs a week for a period of 8 months a year.

Maybe its not so very important to balance the feed to perfection as many of us think. Especially not when they can free range too.

I give my flock about 30-40% scratch, 40-50% layer, and 10-20% veggie’s, bread, cheese and other leftovers. Besides they eat grasses , herbs and insects if they free range.