Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Shadrach]

The hen on the pole is the hen I think is dying. She was having a good day today and made very sure she got her share of the chopped cabbage, oats and walnuts I took them today.
She spent a while foraging with the others and when I sat down in my chair she came over and settled on the pole where she had eventually had a nap.
I flet her crop and it was full. Examined her bum which does need a clean up.
She used to avoid me but recently she has chosen to come right up to the chair and put up with me checking her over as she stands on the ground.

 

[Shadrach]

We are lucky enough to raise our own beef and pork. We butcher cockerels, but not in any sort of volume, so I do supplement with grocery chicken. I aspire to raise and eat all of my own meat, but I don't much care for the butchering part

Sigh... One of these days I may be a true farmer.

Tax:
View attachment 2957352
I made a "birds of a feather" album for all my clique-y chickens I found 19 (some duplicates, because I've got to take 12 at a time) in a quick search of my photos.

Ohhh, you've got a couple of those white hissy monsters.
What do you feed them?

 

[Meg-in-MT]

Ohhh, you've got a couple of those white hissy monsters.
What do you feed them?

Ha!

By far the noisiest birds you'd ever meet in your life! If it's only me outside, however, they are pretty quiet.

They are fed with the chickens: All Flock, corn and wheat.

 

[Shadrach]

The sick hen is the one on the left of Matilda the Light Sussex.
The Legbars tend to circle around the Ex Battery hens when I spread some treat out. A couple will eat from my hand if Henry lets them.

This is Henry showing some interest in Lima so I guess she may be planning on laying an egg soon.

This was interesting. Henry wandered off and I heard him give the I've found food call. Only two of the Ex Battery hens showed any interest but Matilda was over there like a shot.

 

[Solanacae]

How is Matilda? Has she laid a normal egg since her binding episode?

 

[Shadrach]

My husband rolls his eyes because I refuse to eat meat or poultry if I dont know for sure it was raised outside humanely. I was vegan and had terrible problems when I tried it. We were at a friends house when they proudly announced the steak they grilled was from a grass-fed ETHICAL farm we knew of and I was so happy I could try it! Lol. We have 2 beef farms that we buy from, and 2 poultry farms, and I consider myself lucky to have those resources. Have been to their farms and approve of their way of raising them. I have literally skipped the main course of multiple holiday dinners because of it. We now buy the turkey for thanksgiving and give it to my in laws so I will eat it!

I'm pretty fussy about what I eat when it comes to it's provenance. My daughter and her husband have stopped eating chicken since I turned up unless I'm out for dinner. Kind of them but unnecessary. My daughter came over to Catalonia most years once or twice and she's seen me out searching at stupid o'clock for lost chickens, or trying to medicate one that's sick. She even managed to hold a rooster fro me while I stitched up a wound on his bum. She's very pleased about that.

 

[Shadrach]

How is Matilda? Has she laid a normal egg since her binding episode?

Not yet. She isn't showing any signs of being in any distress and the simple truth is if there is a problem it's beyond my skills to put right assuming its a reproductive issue.

 

[Iluveggers]

I'm pretty fussy about what I eat when it comes to it's provenance. My daughter and her husband have stopped eating chicken since I turned up unless I'm out for dinner. Kind of them but unnecessary. My daughter came over to Catalonia most years once or twice and she's seen me out searching at stupid o'clock for lost chickens, or trying to medicate one that's sick. She even managed to hold a rooster fro me while I stitched up a wound on his bum. She's very pleased about that.

It sounds like your daughter is caring and considerate! Kids, (even grown ones), learn best by example and it seems like you’ve taught her a lot!

DH is pretty good…he won’t buy anything for our house that isn’t from one of our farms, but when we are out or with company he will eat whatever is available. I’m the extreme one & will munch on salad until we get home and then grumble about it lol.

 

[Sortacountrychicken]

I'm going to play devils advocate and hope y'all forgive me because of my pictures.

At least they're still using the hens. Even if it's for pet food. Even at that young, those birds arent going to be as tender as most people prefer, and they're tiny compared to what most people buy in the store. It could be worse, they could just be thrown away.

Now for the taxes:
Mixed flock picture with Jezebel running in the back
View attachment 2956875
Pheonix male in the mixed flock
View attachment 2956876
A young picture of Adoni (Greek girl's name for Dragon)View attachment 2956878
Japanese hen enjoying the summer grass
View attachment 2956877
And two pheonix hens
View attachment 2956879

I agree. I hate to see anything go to waste. They may only do it to squeeze every last penny out of the hen but at least they get used.

 

[Sortacountrychicken]

Getting people to just eat less would be a start! I/we served free range chicken to some people who came to Catalonia a few times and they didn't even recognise it as chicken.

I have yet to serve someone an actual chicken and have them recognize it as a chicken. Most say it tastes like turkey. People are so conditioned to the grocery store chickens that don't taste like anything.