Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Perris]

Where did you get such gorgeous clean legged Marans? I am trying to minimize feathered feet with the mud in my area.

British standard Marans have clean legs. Naturally, since the French standard is feathered legs

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

Where did you get such gorgeous clean legged Marans? I am trying to minimize feathered feet with the mud in my area.

Thank you. Actually both my boys and 2 of my girls have feathered feet. 1 of my original hens and her 2 young granddaughters have clean legs. When I lost my original boy Drumstick to a coyote I also lost a clean leg daughter of Daisy who is my original clean legged girl so I'm keeping her 2 daughters. I got my marans from a guy who is somewhat local to me here in Kentucky. I got 6 almost 3 week old chicks from him and ended up with 4 boys and 2 girls which is my luck as even myself my hatch rate this past year has been heavily males. I actually prefer the feathered feet, but I also like the clean legs as when you have a predominately black flock it's easier to pick out who's who just by looking at their legs. When I paired up my clean legged girls with my boys they have produced about 40% chicks with clean legs. I'm actually very happy with one of the clean legged pullets I'm keeping. She just turned 3 months old and so far she's got something that is lacking to varying degree's with my girls, a full copper hackle marking.
Here is a photo of Little Corona I took about 3 weeks ago, I think she's going to be a beauty when she grows up.

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

I love the “Meh, there’s a chicken on my back” attitude from Russ!

All 3 horses could care less if a chicken gets on their back, even Dirt. Louis tosses out some of his breakfast and dinner grains for them and if one of the hens wants to pick through their hay, they will stand back and let them. Butter when she was laying was notorious for trying to make a new nest daily in Russ's hay he got in the mornings. He would eat the hay around her and then wait until she was finished laying before eating the rest. Of course it was a race to get the egg before he found it, several times I would be just seconds late and have him staring at me with yolk running from his mouth. Twice now I've had hens go broody and make their nest just outside of Dirt's stall, he would guard those hens and nest's and didn't even like it when I would come check on the eggs. In a way I see the chickens as their "emotional support animals".

 

[micstrachan]

In April 2021 I returned to the UK having spent the last ten years living with and studying various groups of chickens on a small holding In Catalonia Spain.

Some of you may have read some of my posts and seen pictures of what I call The Tribes, in my house and free ranging on the land. I’ve written a number of articles here on BYC based on my observations of these tribes and there is an as yet unpublished book that deals with the lives of these chickens and what I have learned from a decade of observing them and the experience of helping out with the care of free range chickens on my uncles farm in my youth.

I had decided even before leaving Catalonia that should I have to leave the tribes and my home what I would like to do was look after ex battery chickens and rescues given the opportunity. That opportunity arose in September of this year 2021.

A family member, knowing how much I miss the Tribes, mentioned that she though she knew where there were some chickens and one evening when out walking we visited the site. There was a rather old and partially illegible sign on the notice board at the entrance to the site asking for someone who would be prepared to help looking after the chickens. I contacted the person concerned and this thread is in part a record of the subsequent events.

The sign.
View attachment 2906940

@Shadrach you did it! I missed that you actually started the thread! Looks like I have lots of catching up to do!

 

[micstrachan]

Joining the Party Late Tax

 

[micstrachan]

Fortunatley I've only got a few months of the past to cover and then this thread will become more of a diary.
There is a bit to post on the background of how this place came to be and how the chickens and geese (I'll introduce you to them later) got here.
So this is the allotment plot. It is in fact a local council permitted small holding with a licence to keep livestock. The licence is owned by one person now who I'm going to refer to as C from here on.
The plot is about an acre in size. Looking North are a rwo of houses that seperated the plot from a very busy main road (A4) that runs from Bristol city centre to the docks at Avonmouth, Portbury and Portishead.
The plot is accessed by a narrow road. Not many people know this place exists it seems.
Looking East.
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North Eastish.
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Southish
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Beehives on the South side.
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Looking North East.
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More beehives.
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Looking Northish.
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Looking North.
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Wow, Shad, I don’t recall seeing all these photos of the plot. Lots to work with here!

 

[Iluveggers]

Thank you. Actually both my boys and 2 of my girls have feathered feet. 1 of my original hens and her 2 young granddaughters have clean legs. When I lost my original boy Drumstick to a coyote I also lost a clean leg daughter of Daisy who is my original clean legged girl so I'm keeping her 2 daughters. I got my marans from a guy who is somewhat local to me here in Kentucky. I got 6 almost 3 week old chicks from him and ended up with 4 boys and 2 girls which is my luck as even myself my hatch rate this past year has been heavily males. I actually prefer the feathered feet, but I also like the clean legs as when you have a predominately black flock it's easier to pick out who's who just by looking at their legs. When I paired up my clean legged girls with my boys they have produced about 40% chicks with clean legs. I'm actually very happy with one of the clean legged pullets I'm keeping. She just turned 3 months old and so far she's got something that is lacking to varying degree's with my girls, a full copper hackle marking.
Here is a photo of Little Corona I took about 3 weeks ago, I think she's going to be a beauty when she grows up.
View attachment 2914041

Agree! Corona is a beauty!

 

[Fawnpuppet]

I am only a few months into my chicken raising time so I love all the info here. I hope it's OK for me to join in the experience. Here's a not-so-great picture of my first ever egg with the momma, a super sweet black australorp affectionately called #2 (she's the second chick I got, hence the name)

 

[Shadrach]

Thank you. Actually both my boys and 2 of my girls have feathered feet. 1 of my original hens and her 2 young granddaughters have clean legs. When I lost my original boy Drumstick to a coyote I also lost a clean leg daughter of Daisy who is my original clean legged girl so I'm keeping her 2 daughters. I got my marans from a guy who is somewhat local to me here in Kentucky. I got 6 almost 3 week old chicks from him and ended up with 4 boys and 2 girls which is my luck as even myself my hatch rate this past year has been heavily males. I actually prefer the feathered feet, but I also like the clean legs as when you have a predominately black flock it's easier to pick out who's who just by looking at their legs. When I paired up my clean legged girls with my boys they have produced about 40% chicks with clean legs. I'm actually very happy with one of the clean legged pullets I'm keeping. She just turned 3 months old and so far she's got something that is lacking to varying degree's with my girls, a full copper hackle marking.
Here is a photo of Little Corona I took about 3 weeks ago, I think she's going to be a beauty when she grows up.
View attachment 2914041

What a great picture of Corona. I think Marans hens look particularly attractive at this stage.

 

[Shadrach]

Welcome to the thread @micstrachan , @Fawnpuppet