Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Shadrach]

Special Shad tax.View attachment 2988724View attachment 2988720
Feral cockerel keeping a weather eye on me as I do on this thread lol

Now that's where any self respecting cockerel should be. He's got a great view up there and good cover.

 

[Shadrach]

Scrambled egg for supper. Always a popular choice.

 

[Shadrach]

@micstrachan
I haven't taken a picture; I forgot. I haven't dug up any old ones from Catalonia yet either. In the picture about that lot, 20 chickens got 10 scrambled eggs between them, well spread out. I also took a small handful out for the sick hen.

 

[Marie2020]

I've been very interested in chicken language for many years. I've identified over 30 different calls. It's fraught with problems. Each chickens has a different voice. It's very difficult for a human to differentiate many of the calls. Part of this is because we can't replicate them. Chickens have voice boxes essentially while we have vocal chords. Chickens will make vocal responses to vibrations which they pick up through sensors in their legs. We don't feel or hear these.
What I found made identifying calls easier was not by listening to the call or watching the the chicken that made the call, but watching what the rest of the flock do when a particular call is made. If one sees the same response from a tribe for a particular call one can often work out with a high degree of certainty what the call means to the chickens.

For example, many people think that awful racket chickens make when a predator strikes is the a warning call. But, if you watch and listen to a rooster who spots a predator, the call he makes to his hens is comparativley quiet; this might be what you are hearing. The roosters warning call is meant to be heard by his tribe, not the entire world. He gives a quiet warning, the tribe look up, if the threat is imminent they run....and then they make all that racket. So, there is a warning call and then there is a general alarm call.

There are many other calls one can identify by watching what happens which I won't go into here.

You might find this article helpful when it comes to understanding your rooster.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/understanding-your-rooster.75056/

That was some read . Thank you

 

[Marie2020]

It's hard for me too catch a good picture at the best of times and recently I have damaged my foot. So just took this one through the fence .
My favourites are when they are unaware

 

[HiEverybirdy]

What a lovely couple. Is she the roosters favourite?

No, but lately they've been together a lot, which surprises me because she and Stilton practically ignored each other for 18 months.

Things changed when they moved into the same coop this winter. This flock is a blend of 2 brooder groups, 3 months apart. They've always had the option to roost in separate coops, but a couple months ago, I finally encouraged them to sleep in one. After a few weeks, Frida started roosting next to Stilton nightly. Now that affection seems to be crossing into the daylight hours.

He does have a best friend for all time, Miss Ashley, from the brooder. She still grooms him daily, which I think is why he's never had much of a beard. Here they are at 9 weeks old.

He also puts in regular time with head hen Brahma Donna. She doesn't groom him much, but they meet many times a day to walk and scratch the ground together. Here they are in discussion about the direction of the flock (is what it looks like).

 

[TropicalBabies]

Scrambled egg for supper. Always a popular choice.
View attachment 2988800View attachment 2988801

What a difference a Shad makes!! ♡♡♡

 

[Marie2020]

What a difference a Shad makes!! ♡♡♡

I second that, a huge difference for people as well as chickens and roosters

 

[Shadrach]

I told C over a week ago that this hen should be put out of her misery. I got some excuses that I won't bother with. The last couple of days she's been bullied by a couple of hens that arrived here a year later. This hen is one of the first Ex Batts. There is little doubt in my mind that those who arrive together make some sort of bond, much like new pullets or hens being introduced to an existing group. I've been patching her up as best I can for the last three days. None of the wounds are life threatening but she just wants to be left alone or left with the other hen who I believe is the last other survivor of the original Ex Batts here.
If this was my hen she would be dead by now. C just can't do the right thing at thhe right time and my advice is not apparently appreciated.
I and the chickens are stuck with it. There are days when I detest the species I belong to more than others. The last few days have been on the high side.
I put her in the broody coop this evening. She wouldn't go to roost with the others and would if I had not carried her stood outside and I assume died in the night. I know wild creatures die in much the same manner but wild creatures didn't have to endure a life time of imprisonment and neglect and made their own choices.

 

[micstrachan]

@micstrachan
I haven't taken a picture; I forgot. I haven't dug up any old ones from Catalonia yet either. In the picture about that lot, 20 chickens got 10 scrambled eggs between them, well spread out. I also took a small handful out for the sick hen.

No worries. Thanks, Shad. I think what I am doing is ok, especially as the days get longer so they have more time to be active. Twice this week I got home in time for them to have a quick run around after work, and they are getting several hours on the weekends. Today they got blueberries, tomatoes and sprouted wheat berries. Yesterday they got zucchini, carrot, cabbage and sprouted wheatberries. The day before they got sprouted wheatberries, some dairy (cottage cheese mixed with yogurt) and an apple. Another day they got kale and sardines with sprouted buckwheat groats. I’m trying to keep it varied so they find it interesting and it covers lots of nutrients. I hope I’m doing the right thing, as I have really screwed up along the way despite being the best chicken servant I know how to be.