Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[NatJ]

I am late to this and unsure of everything that’s going on here, who this C is or what you’ve been up to in the UK Shad

C is the person responsible for the chickens.
Shad has been helping care for the chickens, and posting things here.
The chickens live on an allotment, and several people are involved in their care (mostly C and Shad, but some other people in small amounts as well.)

… but please if you can help this poor girl on, even if C won’t, surely they can let you help her at least.

Shad is allowed to do many kinds of helping, but apparently not euthanizing that hen.

 

[no fly zone]

What a pretty boy!

Thank you

 

[LaFemmeKatia]

Our first naked neck hatched this morning View attachment 2986843

So cute!

 

[Marie2020]

Hello battery peeps

 

[Marie2020]

More than a little concerned about finding this on my path I think it is agathas

 

[Marie2020]

I am late to this and unsure of everything that’s going on here, who this C is or what you’ve been up to in the UK Shad… but please if you can help this poor girl on, even if C won’t, surely they can let you help her at least. I’ve seen that look before in too many of my rescues, she doesn’t have long left, at any rate, but the caring thing to do is help her along. I have gotten better at making this decision myself, some things don’t heal. Hugs my friend and I am sorry you’re not in a position to help her. It’s heartbreaking dealing with rescues.

Even if he could leave her to rest alone with her best friend would be kinder than leaving her be bullied by the rest of the flock

 

[Marie2020]

This may be behind a paywall. And in full transparency I cannot bring myself to watch it, but I feel like everybody really should.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/10/opinion/factory-farming-chicken.html?referringSource=articleShare

Sorry I can't watch if it's hurting animal's. I can't handle it especially not today

 

[Kris5902]

Sorry I can't watch if it's hurting animal's. I can't handle it especially not today

We all know the exploitation and awful conditions of factory farm chickens… I eat meat, yes… even chicken. We raise meat animals for a living, and process them. Factory farm poultry is NOT ok

 

[ManueB]

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/

Thank you for these explanations! I also read your article which clarified quite a few things for me.
I know my hens have very different voices, but the sounds they make are similar, maybe because they grew up together. There are a lot of roosters around our village, and I noticed indeed that their crowing was very different one from the other. I didn't have the chance to hear them making other sounds though.

My cockerel is extremely talkative, he's silent only when he's napping or hiding. I'm aware that he is in a weird situation as his tribe, to use your word, consist of only one bantam girl and right now he is mainly protecting her from the six ex-batts, protecting meaning calling her to run for her life .
I've watched them carefully today. When he made that noise, the bantam just looks at him and so do the other girls. I think it may be a sound that expresses surprise and/or to attract attention.

almost like a honk?

Well, no. I listened more carefully today and it's definitely a very loud growl. It's an ugly sound to my ears.

 

[ManueB]

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

Henry's looking pretty satisfied of himself in that first photo!