Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Shadrach]

Knock from Tribe 3.

 

[Shadrach]

It took me ages to set this picture up to prove a point.
I had to find and collect each Legbar hen and explain to them one by one where I wanted them to stand and how they weren't to wander off.
I would just get one in place and go for the another when the one I just put where I wanted her would follow me convinced I had food.
I would get two together and just get athird in place and along would come Henry to see what I was doing with his hens.
I know you cant see the string because of my astounding photoshop skills but I had to tie two of the Legbars to the fence and the others to the tree!
Finally I managed to get Sick Note the Ex Batt and keep her still by placing a small piece of wallnut on the ground in front of her.
Honsetly, all this trouble just to show that chickens, given a choice, prefer to hang with their own breed.

 

[Sortacountrychicken]

Knock from Tribe 3.
View attachment 2951589

Quite beautiful. What brought crests into the tribes? They were mixed mostly from Marans and game bantams, right?

 

[Sortacountrychicken]

It took me ages to set this picture up to prove a point.
I had to find and collect each Legbar hen and explain to them one by one where I wanted them to stand and how they weren't to wander off.
I would just get one in place and go for the another when the one I just put where I wanted her would follow me convinced I had food.
I would get two together and just get athird in place and along would come Henry to see what I was doing with his hens.
I know you cant see the string because of my astounding photoshop skills but I had to tie two of the Legbars to the fence and the others to the tree!
Finally I managed to get Sick Note the Ex Batt and keep her still by placing a small piece of wallnut on the ground in front of her.
Honsetly, all this trouble just to show that chickens, given a choice, prefer to hang with their own breed.

View attachment 2951605

Revealing the truth can be hard work! Good on you for persevering!

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Nervous?! I've got a touch like a midwife.
The time to worry is if the egg breaks. While it's not the end of the world it does complicate things somewhat.

I don't doubt your midwife abilities. But I know it's a big deal in humans and most animals when they can't poop. The waste builds up and can cause problems, that's more what I was worried about

 

[Shadrach]

Quite beautiful. What brought crests into the tribes? They were mixed mostly from Marans and game bantams, right?

The Bantams were there when I arrived. I know very little about them before they arrived. They were not pure anything unlike the Marans. Somewhere in their past someone took a fancy to someone and it went from there.
From what little I do know I don't think there were any delberate attempts to breed, just natural selection at work.
Frankly, having watched Mini Minx's behaviour when the roosters show up, I would blame someone on her side of the family tree.

 

[RoyalChick]

Knock from Tribe 3.
View attachment 2951589

Such a pretty hen - I don't remember seeing that picture of her before.

 

[Perris]

The Bantams were there when I arrived. I know very little about them before they arrived. They were not pure anything unlike the Marans. Somewhere is there past someone took a fancy ot someone and it went from there.
Fro what little I do know I don't think there were any delberate attempts to breed, just natural selection at work.
Frankly, having watched Mini Minx's behaviour when the roosters show up, I would blame someone on her side of the family tree.

the gene for crest is incomplete dominant, so once you've got it, you're liable to keep it if natural selection operates.

 

[LaFleche]

Knock from Tribe 3.
View attachment 2951589

I like your Knock on wood!

 

[Shadrach]

Despite the miserable weather I donned the kit and headed down to the allotments. I wasn't expecting much interest in coming out but I opened up just the same. A couple or three of the Ex Batts ran out and grabbed some beakfulls of grass before the next sleety squall arrived.
I cleaned out the coop as best I could with the chickens under my feet and made sure the roost bars were fixed in the right place.
The run is just a mess. It's hard to stay upright in it.
I feel for the poor chickens in this sort of weather. While it isn't below freezing with the wind and the wet it's just horrid.