Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[RoyalChick]

As some of you will be aware BYC has a rolling article writing contest. The bulk of the authoritative information held on the site is in the article section, primarily in the Learning Center section.
There are some very interesting statistics regarding who wins these competitions, who reviews the articles, the view count and popularity, what happens to these articles after the competitions and who votes for the winners.
The article linked to below was in the article writing competition 16.
Imo it should have got first place. Apart from the fact that it is relevant to everyone who keeps chickens where a coop is involved, it's very accessible and understandable to very wide range of the BYC readers.

I can't do anything about who wins and who doesn't but I (and you) can do something about increasing the readership and the reviews by taking a few minutes to read and rate the article.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/repecka-illustrates-coop-ventilation.77659/

Oooh - I didn't see the article was out - I have been enjoying the author's posts and diagrams for a while. I love the simplicity of the article, thanks for pointing us to it.

 

[Shadrach]

how did I forget them! They are the biggest domestically I think, as well as internationally as you rightly point out. Those Italian ones do look a bit flat pack, so I can understand your hesitancy there, but I don't understand why omlet are so popular, so I'm probably not a good judge of these things. It is always function over form for me.

I've mentioned before, my sister has an omlet coop. I'm not that impressed.

 

[Shadrach]

Another one for you @Perris

 

[pennyJo1960]

Good morning X Batts. Cooler day here.
Hot shower this morning. First one all summer.
Smudge had many crows this morning he want to keep them under cover. Did have a few hawks think chicken dinner.

 

[Shadrach]

Home before 9pm! It looks like some rain is on it's way.
It is incredible what a few exceptionally hot days and inadequate rainfall has done to the land. There are still cracks in the ground much like the cracks I used to see in Catalonia in the summer months. It was in part the ground cracking that caused the landslides when it rained hard. The rainwater just gushes down the cracks applying pressure and a lump of bank heads downward.
The grass at the allotments is still not green where it should be.
Dust baths are like fine sandstorms when the hens get going. Usaully a few cm below ground the soil stays damp.
I've been trying slow weeding in the allotment run. Not because I'm lazy, but because if you let grow what will grow, nettles mostly in this case, they provide shade for the ground and some humidity in the soil. Bugs like this. The chickens are not keen on nettles.
I've been weeding a patch a week. The sizes vary a lot. The chickens know all about weeding. Matilda is on it very quickly for a sedate hen. Next are three of the Ex Battery hens. I have to be carefull not to tread on them. It's quite surprising just how much the chickens find worth eating in these recently weeded patches.

 

[Shadrach]

At the top of the picture is a louvered aluminium vent. It faces the prevailing wind. It's always open. Below on the left is an adjustable vent. It's higher than the top of a hen when she's settled on the roost bar, but not by much. I closed the adjustable vent on the right a few days ago. The pop door will also stay open all year round. On the warmer days with little wind they've seemed generally content with all the vents open. In the winter months I intend to shut off both the adjustable vents at the front leaving the back ones open which don't get the wind.

On the right a bit above the floor is a manufacturing mistake I could have done without. It's the same in the opposite corner at the back. I can pull the side in with one or two small brackets and nuts and bolts.

 

[Ladies-Eight]

Ex Batts good afternoon one and all!

89 sunny 60% humidity feels like 96 no rain in forecast.

Have a great day!

 

[MaryJanet]

At the top of the picture is a louvered aluminium vent. It faces the prevailing wind. It's always open. Below on the left is an adjustable vent. It's higher than the top of a hen when she's settled on the roost bar, but not by much. I closed the adjustable vent on the right a few days ago. The pop door will also stay open all year round. On the warmer days with little wind they've seemed generally content with all the vents open. In the winter months I intend to shut off both the adjustable vents at the front leaving the back ones open which don't get the wind.

On the right a bit above the floor is a manufacturing mistake I could have done without. It's the same in the opposite corner at the back. I can pull the side in with one or two small brackets and nuts and bolts.
View attachment 3268475

View attachment 3268485

To me it looks like many of these hens have switched to using the perches. Were there only two on the floor?

 

[Iluveggers]

I have questions regarding molting today. I know that proteins and in particular amino acid methionin is a requirement to grow new feathers. But, does calcium play any role in this ?

Hopefully Shad doesn’t mind me tagging @U_Stormcrow who knows tons about the amino acids needed in chicken feed, and can maybe answer your question!

 

[Shadrach]

To me it looks like many of these hens have switched to using the perches. Were there only two on the floor?

It's slow progress but there are less on the floor than there were.
There is a hen in each nest box and three on the floor.