Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[LaFleche]

The run is just a mess. It's hard to stay upright in it.

You could get some pallets and install a boardwalk.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Use some of my original birds. The plymouth barred rocks I had all have passed on. They are my tax.
I have the mud bog here now been raining hard 2 days now... can be tough to stay up in

 

[Shadrach]

I've been thinking about how lovely it would be if I could encourage the allotment hens to go broody and that dragged up some memories of the many broody hens that made my life difficult in Catalonia. Of course I dug up a few of my favourite pictures.

The Broody Monster

Dink and Three

Ruffles With Her Bored Daughter Mel.

Got Any Walnuts?

 

[Perris]

Do you have any tricks up your sleeve to encourage broodiness Shad?

 

[pennyJo1960]

One of the silkie with her chicks . and a lavendar amercauna that hatched a few for me. Tad blury sorry first old photo

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

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.
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So, duck weather not chicken weather. Good on you for braving it. You are very dedicated Shad.

And just to make you envious, here are the conditions my chooks have to put up with at the moment.

(Don't worry, you can laugh at me when it's winter in the Southern Hemisphere. )

 

[Ladies-Eight]

Ex Batts good morning one and all!

The temperature is 58 and mostly sunny.

Yesterday was an errand day and a physician appointment for my husband.

Have a great day!

 

[LaFleche]

Do you have any tricks up your sleeve to encourage broodiness Shad?

Obviously, I am not Shad, but what I do is leaving eggs in the nest boxes, at least 7-9. And sure enough after a few days one of my reliable hens will take pity on them and start to warm the "poor orphans". (I mostly use wooden fake eggs.)

 

[Perris]

Obviously, I am not Shad, but what I do is leaving eggs in the nest boxes, at least 7-9. And sure enough after a few days one of my reliable hens will take pity on them and start to warm the "poor orphans". (I mostly use wooden fake eggs.)

thanks for that tip LF. Does that work all year round for you?

 

[LaFleche]

thanks for that tip LF. Does that work all year round for you?

Yes, it does. But it might take a little longer to inspire them in winter due to the lack of sun/day light.

If you know your broodies and know which is the favourite nest box, you can prepare them with the fake eggs and they should readily go for it.

I found that they go broody more easily when having accumulated a little fat reservoir to help survive better the long fasting weeks ahead.