Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Shadrach]

A safe place to rest ? Was she still in there when you left?

She was there when I left. The others sort of crowded in around her. She was out and about again yesterday while not looking well, not looking like she was about to keel over.
It's my day off today but C says she was still living when she cleaned them out this morning.

 

[pennyJo1960]

She was there when I left. The others sort of crowded in around her. She was out and about again yesterday while not looking well, not looking like she was about to keel over.
It's my day off today but C says she was still living when she cleaned them out this morning.

So may pull through ? My black bird that I thought was done for after the dog attack is back among the living

 

[Shadrach]

Shad, I apologize that I’ve not been able to keep up on your thread right now, but I’ve got some stuff going on in my life. You can relate… I’m probably relocating soon. However, my relocation won’t be very far and the chickens will come with me.

I wanted to pick your brain about the chop method that we both commented on. What I’ve been doing for my group lately is kind of an easy compromise between having chop and not having chop, as I’ve been grating some fresh veggies each morning along with giving the sprouted wheat berries. For 10 hens, what do you think is the right amount? Some days I’ve been grating a full carrot as well as a full zucchini, and sometimes even a little cabbage. And that’s on top of the 2 tablespoons of sprouted wheat berries. Do you think that’s too much?

I can indeed relate. I'm very pleased to read that you'll be able to take your chickens with you.
Treat feeding is quite complex. However, the same kind of critera that applies to himans applies to chickens. If chickens are out in a large area where they can run and fly, dig and bath then they'll burn off the calories much like we do. If they're sat on their arses most of the day aimlessly scratching at the same piece of boring ground then they are likely to get fat and unfit if they get the wrong type of treat or the wrong amount.
There is also the matter of how much and of what type of fat there is in their commercial feed. There is quite a percentage range accross the various makes and types of feed. While the percentages are low (2% to 6% seems to be a rough estimate here) if the chickens are on say the 6% feed and inactive then one needs to take this into account.
Next there is what else they eat foraging sp the type of forage they find may have a high fat content.
I'll take a picture of what I give the allotment chickens and post it here.

 

[Shadrach]

@Shadrach I know you no longer follow my thread but I thought you might want to know that @Kris5902 popped in today and gave us an update on everything that has happened to her in the last months/year. I thought you might want to catch up on her story.

Post in thread 'Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock' https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-25374225

Thanks Bob. I do still follow your thread but recently I'm pushed just doing this one and posting the occasional post elswhere. The problem for me is there are often pages of chat on your thread that have nothing to do with chickens and mostly on subjects I'm not remotely interested in. I try to read your posts and a couple of other peoples but wading through the rest just isn't something I have time for currently.

 

[Shadrach]

He has spent the past few days out with the flock.

Unless a chicken is so sick that they absolutely have to be kept seperate from the rest, I've found it best to let them mix with the rest. They seem a lot happier and tend to recover much more quickly.

 

[RoyalChick]

Unless a chicken is so sick that they absolutely have to be kept seperate from the rest, I've found it best to let them mix with the rest. They seem a lot happier and tend to recover much more quickly.

The vet I have found who is able to care for chickens (not an avian vet per se but keeps her own flock) is a strong advocate of keeping a sick chicken in with the rest of their tribe. Even if they need protection from attack she recommends trying to isolate them but within the coop. Her argument is based on the emotional wellbeing of the chicken and the role that plays in recovery. Her belief is that stressing a sick chicken is not conducive to them recovering.
I am sure there aren't studies to support that but it feels like common sense to me so I have tried to follow her advice.

Tax: Dotty molting in January after she spent the morning standing out in the sleet and got sopping wet (there is no helping some chickens!)

 

[lightm]

Have you checked your roosters spurs? It is worth filing the points off a roosters spurs, particulalry cockerels and young roosters who haven't quite mastered getting off a hens back after mating. What can happen is as they slide off backwards their spurs go under the wings of the hen and can tear the skin around the hens ribcage. As roosters mature and become established in the group, the hens tend to crouch for them and the rooster doesn't grab at their combs or tear as many feathers out at the back of the hens neck.
Most roosters have spurs that curve upwards and I have often wondered if this is natures intention to reduce the chance of the roosters spurs wounding the hen as he slides off.
You don't need to file off much. Just get rid of the point and if there is any roughness along the spur file that smooth as well.
From time to time I used to give a couple of the roosters who didn't seem to wear down the points on their toes a bit of a manicure. So, checks the roosters toe nails while you're at it.

Thanks. This is solid advise. I have observed his spurs and I know it is not that sharp/pointy, but it is likely rough. We will file his spurs and have is smoothened for sure.

 

[micstrachan]

I can indeed relate. I'm very pleased to read that you'll be able to take your chickens with you.
Treat feeding is quite complex. However, the same kind of critera that applies to himans applies to chickens. If chickens are out in a large area where they can run and fly, dig and bath then they'll burn off the calories much like we do. If they're sat on their arses most of the day aimlessly scratching at the same piece of boring ground then they are likely to get fat and unfit if they get the wrong type of treat or the wrong amount.
There is also the matter of how much and of what type of fat there is in their commercial feed. There is quite a percentage range accross the various makes and types of feed. While the percentages are low (2% to 6% seems to be a rough estimate here) if the chickens are on say the 6% feed and inactive then one needs to take this into account.
Next there is what else they eat foraging sp the type of forage they find may have a high fat content.
I'll take a picture of what I give the allotment chickens and post it here.

Thanks. That would be helpful. I will also check the fat content of the feed. I think you know I have a fat problem in my flock. I’m wondering if the carrot has too much sugar to give them as much as I am. They love it! I’m not overly concerned about the zucchini or cabbage, but I’d still like to see what you are giving.

 

[RoyalChick]

Thanks. That would be helpful. I will also check the fat content of the feed. I think you know I have a fat problem in my flock. I’m wondering if the carrot has too much sugar to give them as much as I am. They love it! I’m not overly concerned about the zucchini or cabbage, but I’d still like to see what you are giving.

So funny how they like different things, mine will not touch carrots. They are worse than leeks in their view.
The other thing that is interesting to me is some food preferences appear to be shared (none of mine like carrots) and some seem to be individual (the Roadrunners love Kiwi fruit, the others despise it).

 

[micstrachan]

So funny how they like different things, mine will not touch carrots. They are worse than leeks in their view.
The other thing that is interesting to me is some food preferences appear to be shared (none of mine like carrots) and some seem to be individual (the Roadrunners love Kiwi fruit, the others despise it).

Yeah, that’s why I like to grate a couple options. Today I tried broccoli stems along with tge zucchini and carrot. They were not interested, but they also used to ignore carrot.