Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Solanacae]

If this stuff is bought, even at reduced prices, it would still cost less to buy a kilo of pellets.

This makes absolutely no sense to me. Just feed the birds what is good for them.

 

[Shadrach]

I'm usually very wary when smallholders and wannabe farmer types describe the few unfortunate creatures they aquired and imprisoned as livestock. To some it seems to mean something much less that what the creatures deserve. It's okay to underfeed livestock as long as they are still producing eggs in the case of chickens as an example. Of course, for proper farmers and smallholders trying to make some sort of return on their labour and the productivity of their livestock, the health and well being of their livestock is an important and critical matter.
Properly fed and kept chickens produce more eggs even if it's just because they live and lay for longer.

I have absolutely no objection to people who keep chickens who have never fed them commercial feed. I knew many keepers in Catalonia who fed their chickens diets that had been passed down for generations and thei chickens were very healthy. Much of these diets were/are based around household scraps, but the people I knew, knew something about nutrition and knew some scraps were okay and others not so much. The problem I'm having here is about quantity and quality, not necessarily the type of feed. This is classic wannabe smallholder ignorance. You can't adequately feed contained chickens, especially Ex Battery hens any old scraps when you've got some and expect them to thrive. You may get away with this type of feeding with a properly free range group on a large acreage. Even then most experienced keepers know that there are certain foodstuffs that need to be supplemented, Bvits and Calcium are a couple that spring to mind.
There isn't anything to eat in the coop run; nothing. Any nutrients have been exhausted long ago. There isn't even grit there. It's just an accumulation of rotting bedding, chicken poop and mud.

 

[Ribh]

When I started over with chickens this is one of the 1st things my breeder was adamant about. The quality of your eggs & the health of your chooks largely depends on the quality of their feed. Yes, I use a commercial feed ~ a high quality one. Yes, my girls forage over a 1/4 acre block every day. There are several deep litter areas full of buggy things. They aren't eating quite as much commercial feed just now as so much else is available. Yes, they get table scraps but this is never more than the recommended 10%. They are now also on grass & the tribe is the healthiest it's ever been.

 

[BY Bob]

I can imagine surviving an attack and seeing members of the flock killed would be really traumatic! I'm glad your girl is finally getting over it. Did you add or change anything to try prevent another attack?

We are so grateful to have snow at last today, after two months and a half of sunshine, so everyone is staying inside! They did come out of the coop a bit yesterday, but they are still frightened.

This morning we found a rabbit that used to hang around our place killed by a fox just behind our house .

Yes, I added me with a nonlethal weapon standing guard. They do not free range without me standing guard. I am going to put up some netting to cover some of the danger zone but I can't cover everything.

 

[BY Bob]

I read on your thread that Hattie was out and about. I'm very pleased for both you and her. It's very worrying when chickens are reluctant to come out after a hawk strike. Can't blame them really.

Thanks. She still goes in early but it is a good start for her to regain a little confidence in my ability to protect her.

She is very wary still. Everyone was up on the deck having some pasta on Saturday and instead of eating she decided to stand sentinel.

 

[BY Bob]

Over the past two to three weeks this is what I find when I get to the allotments. The feed I left in the night before has gone and the chickens are obviously hungry. Getting C to say exactly what they feed them in the morning and how much is next to impossible. Essentially one gets a rage fit and accused of not thinking they know how to look after what they rather oddly call livestock.
I bring a kilo of feed with me every day plus treat food and weather permitting and me arriving on time, which hasn't been the case for the past few days, they go to roost with full crops and that is the most important thing. Not having feed available during the day is bad practice when there is nothing to forage in the run which has been the case for many years now. A bit of breakfast which they get because there is still a decent amount of feed in the round feeder when they go to roost helps. They also get whatever C feeds them (read not much here)
What happens if I don't give them the kilo I bring at night? It's dark when C returns from work so even if C went to the allotments with feed for them which is doubtfull, they won't eat it because they've gond to roost. Basically they'll go to roost with a largely empty crop if their last meal was in the morning.
Anyway, these are the empty feeders on my arrival.
View attachment 2994146View attachment 2994147 This is after I've put the liko of pellets I take each day.
View attachment 2994148View attachment 2994149
Here they are out and about in the mud.View attachment 2994150

I dread to think of what would happen to them without you.

 

[Ladies-Eight]

Ex Batts good afternoon one and all!

The temperature is 65 and partly sunny.

Have a great day!



* * * ** * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * *
TAX PAYMENT
These are some of the ISO Browns I rehomed.

This is Henrietta to the right had her comb pulled off down to just above the beak.
The part above the is beak looks fairly normal, but the rest is very little.

No name has a very pretty comb and wattles.

 

[BarredRockMom]

I'm usually very wary when smallholders and wannabe farmer types describe the few unfortunate creatures they aquired and imprisoned as livestock. To some it seems to mean something much less that what the creatures deserve. It's okay to underfeed livestock as long as they are still producing eggs in the case of chickens as an example. Of course, for proper farmers and smallholders trying to make some sort of return on their labour and the productivity of their livestock, the health and well being of their livestock is an important and critical matter.
Properly fed and kept chickens produce more eggs even if it's just because they live and lay for longer.

I have absolutely no objection to people who keep chickens who have never fed them commercial feed. I knew many keepers in Catalonia who fed their chickens diets that had been passed down for generations and thei chickens were very healthy. Much of these diets were/are based around household scraps, but the people I knew, knew something about nutrition and knew some scraps were okay and others not so much. The problem I'm having here is about quantity and quality, not necessarily the type of feed. This is classic wannabe smallholder ignorance. You can't adequately feed contained chickens, especially Ex Battery hens any old scraps when you've got some and expect them to thrive. You may get away with this type of feeding with a properly free range group on a large acreage. Even then most experienced keepers know that there are certain foodstuffs that need to be supplemented, Bvits and Calcium are a couple that spring to mind.
There isn't anything to eat in the coop run; nothing. Any nutrients have been exhausted long ago. There isn't even grit there. It's just an accumulation of rotting bedding, chicken poop and mud.

I've been following your journey with the ex-batts & while I understand that everyone has different ideas about what animals need, I've never been more sympathetically frustrated at the absolute idiocy you've had to put up with, Shad.

How the people you've interacted with can live with themselves & not give a flying farthing about these animals is amazing in all of the most underwhelming of ways. Maybe I'm being too harsh (like I care at this point) when I say that I'd like to see them do without and have to make due with sub-standard nutrition & see how they'd like it. THEN you'd hear all kinds of holy Hades being raised, news stations rung up and news outlets banging on doors wanting to know why "you were supposed to deliver food and didn't, you've been neglectful, etc, etc."

Thank you, Shad, for suffering all manner of fools & outright idiots yet still going back day after day to take care of these creatures who would otherwise have no hope for whatever time they have left.

Good on ya for not telling her or any of 'em off. My jaws clench at the prospect of them holding any say or sway over these birds & knowing that ya just have to walk a fine line.
It's infuriating as a bystander, so I can only imagine how difficult it must be for you.

 

[Perris]

They are now also on grass & the tribe is the healthiest it's ever been.

Grass is much overlooked. It's the key to the success of 'pasture-raised' anything. It has enough nutrients for a cow! The trouble is, people overstock, so the grass in chicken runs and small lawns is stripped beyond its capacity to regrow. That itself is, of course, an obvious clue to grass's value to a chicken as food. It isn't just scratched up to get at bugs under; it is eaten. My lot typically graze for a period after breakfast and dinner, as if it was dessert

 

[Ribh]

Grass is much overlooked. It's the key to the success of 'pasture-raised' anything. It has enough nutrients for a cow! The trouble is, people overstock, so the grass in chicken runs and small lawns is stripped beyond its capacity to regrow. That itself is, of course, an obvious clue to grass's value to a chicken as food. It isn't just scratched up to get at bugs under; it is eaten. My lot typically graze for a period after breakfast and dinner, as if it was dessert

I didn't know that, @Perris. Thank you. I was worried 18 hens would decimate it but so far the extra rain & manure has been great for it!