Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Shadrach]

Oh, I am a chicken keeper! I joined 12 years ago to research keeping chickens and a year later got my bantam cochins as started pullets. They were a show breeder's culls (not perfect enough to breed), and I count myself lucky. They were not bred for excessive laying, and indeed went broody a lot, but it saved them from reproductive issues. I lost them from what I guess was extreme old age just last year, since there were no warnings of sickness. One died at 9, the other two at 10 years old.

When the powers that be made the regs for poultry in Los Angeles, they probably didn't have my tiny beach-city property in mind. I got out my tape measure and made sure my open air coop was strictly legal to the inch, but it was a tight fit! Of course, my hens were mostly pets and garden helpers and got to roam the whole yard when I was out there working. With poultry shows starting back up after the pandemic, I am going to be looking for another three or four bantam pullets this summer.

Nine and ten years old are respectable ages.
When I started out with chickens healthy free rangers were expected to live to ten to twelve years for full sized and 12 to 14 years for bantams.

 

[Shadrach]

Isn't there some kind of tax payment due for repeating yourself? Just asking.

View attachment 2922828

It was what my elder sister calls a senior moment and thus tax free. Honestly, one doesn't pay tax on basic earnings once a pensioner. You'll have to heavily improve on my current taxable pictures before I get into the tax bracket.

 

[Shadrach]

Imagine if we humans showed up to Shad's for dinner...

No worries. My daughter has one of those indoor excercise bikes. An hour or two on that should cope with the extra calories.

 

[Shadrach]

So here I am trying to read the article after a bit of wine and I'm stuck on the loss of enamel. It seems to me the composition of beak is still different than teeth even with that loss. Again...I've had wine so my comprehension is a little...less...

I've always had a sneaking suspicion that number of people get well oiled then get on BYC looking for a fight.

 

[Shadrach]

Ha, ha... I am sitting here with a margarita, so maybe I shouldn't laugh.

Beaks are made of keratin, like your fingernails. Beaks are probably modified scales, as are claws.

I post this study a lot when beaks come up in conversation.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1166494/

 

[Shadrach]

Just in case I haven't already welcomed the following people

Welcome to the thread @TheCluckyClucker2 ,
@LadiesAndJane (I'm glad you found the articles helpful)

I have a nutter of my own. She is a beautiful hen but she is mean and flighty. I think I can probably count on one hand the pictures that I have of her. She almost never gets close enough to get a good shot. Here is a rare moment of indecision from Queen. "Is this camera worth attacking or should I just fly away?"View attachment 2922994

Some people tell me I've lost the plot. Actually a lot of people tell I've lost the plot, until I take them by the hand and say don't think, "look" and you will understand why I think what I do.
I've known a few real meanies and like Queen, they look mean.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Ex Batts good morning one and all!

The temperature is65 and cloudy.

Have a great day!

Incredibly jealous of your weather

 

[Shadrach]

Maybe they could get close if they had other “proper” chickens to learn from?

Well, thiis is what I'm inclined to believe.
I've read a lot of stuff about how certain traits/behaviours have been bred out of certain breeds. I got told when I started looking after the chickens in Catalonia that they dind't go broody amoung other old wives tales.
By the time I left every hen was going broody at least once a year even one who didn't lay an egg in her entire life.
My hope is for these Ex Batts and all the other breeds that humans have messed about with arrogance and dismissal rather than knowledge and empathy, that given a chance and in the right circumstances the instincts that have got buried because of the way they are treated will eventually reappear.
I would love to be able to put this to the test but I think it would take some time and the right conditions and the chances of me having either are slim.

 

[Shadrach]

Big hen party.
Matilda, Cloud and Slip.

 

[cfonts]

45 pages!

I may never catch up.

@BY Bob now you know how I feel whenever I miss a few days on your thread

TAX: