Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[bruceha2000]

That's a description of industrial hen units, and backyard chickens kept in little versions of the same.

Yet I've lost several to Fatty Liver disease and my birds are only confined to their coop stall at night. Otherwise they have run of the barn alley and a fenced acre. Admittedly they choose not to go out in the snow but any deaths due to FLD were spring or summer when my girls range as much as they like.

 

[Shadrach]

Yes exactly so. The recipe for reducing the disease incidence in a flock seems to be:
- Exercise
- High Protein and low carbohydrate with fat making up the energy deficit
When we say high protein and high fat we are still talking small numbers but it is what convinced me to switch to the no soy, no corn, insect protein feed that was criticized for having higher fat. My read is that it is a better profile than the typical feed. Also eye wateringly expensive so it is great mine get to forage around most days for whatever goodies they can find in their field!

Feeds have changed a bit since the first commercial feeds for battery hens.
We used to feed a fishmeal based feed on the Hertfordshire farm and the same on my Uncles farm. Even the battery hens at my uncles got fed fish based feed.
For the first couple of years in Catalonia I could still get fish based commercial feed from a local producer. Fish got more expensive; regualtions got tighter and the company packed up.
What I have found is this from my notes.
Protein 24%
Fat 6%
Calcium 6%
That's all I've got.

 

[Shadrach]

I am more than happy to defer to Shadrach.

I'm quite happy having such a discussion here. It's about chickens and what's more relevant to Ex Battery hens.

 

[Shadrach]

That would be great.

I would not like to see @Shadrach's Thread get walked on.

That's very thoughtful of you. I think we could do it here to fill in the spaces between the pictures. It is and it's broader implications are topics I'm interested in.

I don't think there is very far to go with it. The main problem being lack of data.
It's another one of those needs a few decades of research and observation topics.
The problem with starting a new thread is, as you mention, like to get buried or at worst closed.

 

[MaryJanet]

thanks for the link; I'm reading it now, but have to note immediately the second sentence: "given the appropriate lighting and nutrition, many strains of laying hens produce an egg on almost every day"

Nutrition is a factor for all hens surely. While premature ageing is a problem for egg production hens (among many other conditions).

After I wrecked one of the hen's liver with bad diet, the vet told me 'good nutrition' is a mix of high protein pellets and forage. (Sorry to keep referring to him, I work fulltime and have limited capacity to consult the literature, whereas he's an avian specialist. The hen with fatty liver lives on rambunctiously thank to his advice and also a tiny thanks to me for sticking to his advice for a couple of years now. Her diet includes a few added supplements that can be low in pellets and forage.)

@Iluveggers mentions treats. There's a big difference between handfuls of mealworms (which are quite fatty) and something like kale. If treats are chosen wisely it seems to me there's no cause for concern.

 

[MaryJanet]

Just found out that my other hoggie Yorick died this morning. He was at my buddy's facility.

I'm so sorry! What a tragic day.

 

[RoyalChick]

Lost me pages back. I don't have any science background @ all.
Never quite sure how I ended up running with so many science heads....
TAX:
My Olivia dustbathing.
View attachment 3200747​

No you have it wrong. She is the feather duster - she is cleaning up your yard for you!

 

[MaryJanet]

Sadly they have been bred to be so though heritage RIR are still available in the US at least.

I've seen RIR in Australia too. Although I guess they'd be diverse from the US ones by now

 

[Shadrach]

Nutrition is a factor for all hens surely. While premature ageing is a problem for egg production hens (among many other conditions).

After I wrecked one of the hen's liver with bad diet, the vet told me 'good nutrition' is a mix of high protein pellets and forage. (Sorry to keep referring to him, I work fulltime and have limited capacity to consult the literature, whereas he's an avian specialist. The hen with fatty liver lives on rambunctiously thank to his advice and also a tiny thanks to me for sticking to his advice for a couple of years now. Her diet includes a few added supplements that can be low in pellets and forage.)

@Iluveggers mentions treats. There's a big difference between handfuls of mealworms (which are quite fatty) and something like kale. If treats are chosen wisely it seems to me there's no cause for concern.

I think and everything I've read on any species, including our own, is a varied and balanced diet combined with exercise is likely to promote physical and mental health. I've never seen any reason to argue with this. Zoo animals have from what I've read fared better in wildlife parks than they did in cages in zoos.
Of course, in the wildlife parks in the Northern Hemisphere these species need to be fed in most cases. I know types of commercial feed are available for these species. I even knew someone who specialised in them.

I've always free ranged partly on principle and partly on my experience that free range chickens are less prone to some of the stress problems associated with those fully confined.
I've never fed chickens just commercial feed and nor has anyone else I know.
I agree with Perris that commercial feed was developed to provide the most basic nutrition at the lowest cost giving maximum egg yield. I have never read anything that suggested any of these feeds were designed for a healthier and longer life for the chicken.
Again, the chickens that I've known since the 70's tended to live longer if they survived predation than the impression I get from reading these forums of the current heritage and production breeds.
So for me the feeding isn't ever likely to be an issue. Even if I can't fully free range chickens I will always ensure they get time out of the coop and run and get fed other things to provide variety in their diet.

One point of interest and perhaps a point of reference is there were most years between 20 and 30 chickens of mixed ages and sex in Catalonia. A 20kg bag of commercial feed lasted on average 25 days.
At the allotments there are now 20 chickens of mixed ages and breeds, plus one male and they get through 3x20kg bags a month.

 

[TropicalBabies]

Thanks for making that call @Shad. I'm learning lots. I have 2 RSL that DH (the man who disapproves of my chooks) brought home as chicks. I cringed with open arms and heart.
Lady Ruby and Ginger Mint

Started laying at 20 weeks and have only taken one day off so far in the 5-6+ months they have been laying. They are machines. It scares the heck out of me and I dread their fate. They are hard working foragers and first in line for food. I do 24/7 available feed + + + and just bought the $$ stuff for my flock but still worry I may not be meeting their nutritional needs. They live in the same environment as my other girls but lay fantastically and horrifyingly better.
I don't think there is any slowing these girls down so we are going for quality of life and I will/have hatched their barnyard babies in hopes the burden stops with them. Really terrific gals, very lovable.