Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[micstrachan]

I'm not certain. She's been on the watch list for some time now.
There is nothing obvious wrong with her. She is having a very slow moult and she does have SLM but it's mild and being treated.
I think she may have some kind of cancer. It is not uncommon for chickens dying of cancer to live what seems to be a normal life to the casual observer until very close to the point of death. Humans can be very similar suffering from bouts of pain but otherwise manage basic activities.
All I can do is watch and wait and when it is apparent that her quality of life has deteriorated badly kill her as quickly as possible to keep her suffering to a minimum. At the moment that would seem to be some time away but some go downhill ver very fast.

I think cancer is a possibility. Ruby went from being “Adventure Girl” to being the one who stayed closest to the coop during free range time. This went on for over two years and at the end, the decline was rapid.

 

[micstrachan]

They're a strange lot are the Legbars on the allotment. Difficult to get decent pictures of them I've found because they're on the skittish side and are usually where the others are not.

Even though Flash (Crested Cream Legbar) is a hand raised, hatchery stock, backyard chicken, she is my most skittish hen by a long shot. Her counterparts, also hand raised and hatchery stock, are my most cuddly hens. I know you are rolling your eyes, Shad, but Sunshine voluntarily hops in my lap and tucks her head into my armpit while Flo will peck at me until I pick her up and will then coo at me.

Flash (named for her quick moves)

Sunshine (named for her sunny disposition and fiery feathers)

Flo (named because she goes with the flow… or did as a chick, anyway… now she’s an alpha in the making)

 

[micstrachan]

Even though Flash (Crested Cream Legbar) is a hand raised, hatchery stock, backyard chicken, she is my most skittish hen by a long shot. Her counterparts, also hand raised and hatchery stock, are my most cuddly hens. I know you are rolling your eyes, Shad, but Sunshine voluntarily hops in my lap and tucks her head into my armpit while Flo will peck at me until I pick her up and will then coo at me.

Flash (named for her quick moves)
View attachment 2947335

Sunshine (named for her sunny disposition and fiery feathers)
View attachment 2947336

Flo (named because she goes with the flow… or did as a chick, anyway… now she’s an alpha in the making)
View attachment 2947338

Oops. I need a better pic of Flo.

 

[micstrachan]

I'm not known for my moderate views on this forum. You can imagine that the relationship between C and myself is not what one might describe as smooth.
C spent a while with me at the allotments yesterday and for some reason I decided to show C my website which has chickens as popups and shows a few in my house at Catalonia.
It seems that the pictures of the chickens struck a chord in C and they started to ask me a few questions about the tribes and how I cared for them. I explained a bit about how the chickens came to be in my house and the injuries and sicknesses I have dealt with.
I have made what are apparently some rather foolish assumptions about what C knows about chickens.
I got to a point where I needed to show C how I cleared a slow crop and little Lima happened to be close by so she got picked as a model. Lima will stay still on her feet while on the ground and doesn't object much if I touch her. I asked C to feel her crop so they could understand what I felt for when doing a crop massage. Much to my horror C didn't know where the crop is, or I discovered as the conversation went on, the basics of a chickens digestive anatomy.
It seems that my guided tour of a chicken and the pictures of the tribes in my house paid dividends because now C asks me questions rather than me trying to make them listen to what I have to say.
This is serious progress.

Well done!

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I can't have a rooster where I am presently but if I move it will be somewhere where I can. I am aiming for a Phoenix just for the tail. Yeah, I know; liquorice allsorts again but I need a compromise between a standard & a bantam.

I love my Phoenix males. They do okay in the cold here, great in the heat, and are vert predator aware.

 

[Ribh]

I love my Phoenix males. They do okay in the cold here, great in the heat, and are vert predator aware.

That's good to know. Where I hope to locate is semi rural with foxes & hawks ~ something my girls have never had to deal with so a savvy rooster would be a bonus!

 

[Perris]

I’m currently feeding an 18% “feather fixer” feed (Nutrena brand) since everyone has been molting. Would you recommend something else? Higher/lower protein?

I can't recommend any processed feeds as I'm not familiar with them. My advice is based on books, e.g. Thear Free range poultry (from the 1990s) or older. Their general consensus is that diet is a really important way to control things, and that whilst usually the aim is to maximise laying, it can also be used to achieve other things, including the opposite. Several recommend delaying the onset of laying for various reasons, generally by limiting the amount of protein. But if you have a mixed age flock with moulters, they need the protein; can you separate the youngster for feeding?
Edited to add this link to an online one I'm wading through at the moment
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924003011545&view=1up&seq=7

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

I very much hope you wont be following alone Bob! At least a couple of other people following would be nice.

Found you!

 

[Marie2020]

Don't mind if I do.

Going to try sharing a video:

Here's a screenshot in case that didn't work. It's Stilton shaking off 2021 (in slow motion).

View attachment 2946471

 

[Marie2020]

Don't mind if I do.

Going to try sharing a video:

Here's a screenshot in case that didn't work. It's Stilton shaking off 2021 (in slow motion).

View attachment 2946471

This reminds me of