Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Shadrach]

I did try sunflowers in very small quantity the two times I had to get them in the pen to leave the house.
Chipie took the seeds away from me and fed them to the chicks.
They didn't choke, which was my fear .

Théo isn't the chick's father. The eggs come from the same farm as him and Chipie.
There is way enough space that Chipie could stay away from him and the flock but it's not what she does. She goes right where they are and make broody screams if anyone approaches.The hens have attacked her, but way less than before she had the chicks. Théo attacks her and the chicks when she comes too near.
I don't see what I can do except try to let them sort it out and make sure the chicks escape. The problem for me is whether he will tolerate them in the coop when the time comes.

Pretty offender tax
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Two possiblities occur to me. Neither may be correct.
1) Theo and the rest of the flock know these are not home grown chicks so to speak and are therefor strangers.
2) Chipie hasn't allowed any male to imprint the chicks.

 

[Shadrach]

I don’t like the idea of plastic coops bc:

• The inside climate is not nice and healthy compared to wooden coops. plastic doesn’t regulate moisture. Imagine yourself in a plastic cabine and a wooden cabine. What would you prefer?
• Plastics are bad for the environment. Even the better recycled ones had a con. Because the tiny particles that come off, go everywhere.
• Plastics degenerates. How quick depends on the quality. Wood (if dry) has a longer lifespan. The lifespan of many plastic products is really short just because of differences in tensions in heat /cold. It often breaks near hinges or other critical points. (My neighbours bought a shed that lasted just 2 years).
• Wooden structures are easier to repair or to adjust.

The only advantage of plastic coops I see is mite control. I use DE as a paint & under the bedding in the nestboxes for lice/mite control. So far it works great for me (7 years).

This is my first experience of plastic coops. I have my reservations.

 

[Shadrach]

I wonder if I could trouble you all to vote in this poll.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/feed-management-methods-poll.1533521/

 

[bruceha2000]

I used to feed chicks just a few days old finely chopped cooked white fish

with bechamel sauce?

Obviously the chick knows nothing about what is and what isn't good to eat in the natural environment.

I don't know about that. My original 12 came from a hatchery and had to teach themselves everything they needed to know about being chickens. I think they have some natural instincts on what to eat and what not to eat. Subsequent chicks have had a Mama showing them the ropes or those that had no broody hen to raise them could learn by following the rest of the flock.

 

[Ladies-Eight]

I can attest to the destruction of the broody hen! Only confined to this area for 5 full days and about 1 hour each morning after that. I'll be reseeding again....

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I can't remember if I've posted to this thread before or not.... I've been watching it for awhile but keep losing it. If I haven't posted before, hi and thanks for having me!

Tax!
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Welcome to the thread.

 

[Ladies-Eight]

Lots of tax (posted some of these in other threads too) .
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Pearl one of my black Dutch.

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Janice, my elegant mix breed.

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Black, my other black Dutch. Looking teal fat on this photo . Probably begging for a snack. She’s the most cuddly chicken I have.

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Kwekky or Katrientje? One of my identical bantam RIRs.

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Ini mini, Dutch. Leader of the pack. Oldest and 8 years old.

Gorgeous chickens.

 

[Ladies-Eight]

Ex Batts good morning one and all!

80 and mostly sunny.

Have a great day!

 

[BDutch]

This is my first experience of plastic coops. I have my reservations.

Of course I do understand people buying such coops if chickens really need a another coop and lack of money is issue. I hope it will not be such an disappointment for you, as it was for my neighbours. They bought a wooden shed after that lousy one (no problems with it for about 5 years now).

Buying a plastic coop is also a logical choice if someone has a mite infestation. Then the birds need another place until the old coop is thoroughly cleaned a couple of times with weekly intervals. And a plastic coop is so much easier to clean.

Some people say the mite-eggs still come out a year after. I can imagine the tiny eggs that were well hidden in autumn do come out next spring. But a whole year later?

I believe that smearing a paste of DE helps a lot for red (blood) mite control. Not only bc of my experience. In commercial farming they use DE nowadays too in the NL. Mostly bc poisons are forbidden or useless (in NL/EU).
The farmers spray in the interval time. In the week after the old hens (rescue or soup type) have left and the new flock with pullets will arrive. Because they only spray once ore twice and the stable are filled soon after there are still some eggs/mites that survive. But the hens keep laying and don’t die of infestations anymore.

Ex Batts good morning one and all!

80 and mostly sunny.

Have a great day!

Good afternoon!
29C and sunny. Extreme warm for this time of the year in NL. Sahara dust is blowing over the west side of our country.
Have a beautiful day.

 

[Ladies-Eight]

Good afternoon!
29C and sunny. Extreme warm for this time of the year in NL. Sahara dust is blowing over the west side of our country.
Have a beautiful day.

Thanks.

 

[no fly zone]

Chippy & Pinecone still looking extra rough.