Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[MaryJanet]

I am so glad she is feeling better but I am a bit lost about what exactly is wrong with her that the honey is helping.

Me too.

 

[Shadrach]

I got there and back.
I was walking up the path that leads from the allotment main gate to the chicken coop when at the limit of my vision I see a small shape trotting along beside me. I stoped, and look down, and it's one of the newcomers. This one seems to have taken a shine to me. She follows me a lot when I'm in the allotment run and on a number of occasions has tried to follow me when I go through the allotment run gate to get to the black bins that store the bedding, feed and some chemicals. She goes as far as jumping on to the top of the gate. I gently put her back and that seems to do it. She doesn't try again until the next time she's local and I go through the gate.
I picked her up, sat her in my palm and carried her to the coop run gate where I put her down while I unlocked the rest. Henry came straight out and proceded to herd her in every direction at once and then set off to join the others at the end of the run.
Naturaly I counted the chickens. One Ex Battery hen short and no Fret.
Fret was in the small coop doing broody. No sign of Ex Battery hen. I found her foraging under one of the benches on the allotments. She wasn't so pleased when I picked her up and carried her back to the run.

I don't think C let them out by accident feeding them this morning. That means they got out.
I think I know how the friendly hen got out. She can get onto the coop roof. I've seen her do it avoiding one of the hens that bullies her. It's not an impossible jump from there over the fence.
I wouldn't have had the other hen down as a flyer so she's a bit of a mystery.

 

[Shadrach]

About an hour and a half today. I forgot it was Saturday and the trains run at different times to weekdays.
Fret.
Shes definitely broody right down to the puffed up scuttle out in the run. Yup, I threw her out. Yep, I destroyed her nest and fed the eggs she was sitting on to her and the rest. She went back. I chucked her out each time.
I put her on the roost next to Henry. I thought I might have cracked it given it was getting dark but another Legbar decided she wanted to sleep next to Henry, jumped up and knocke Fret off. Of course Fret went back to where her nest was.

(I've notice I've got two eye rolling emicons posted already )

Not sunny but not too cold and not raining.

 

[Shadrach]

I would love to let Fret sit and hatch just in case the Ex Battery hens get the idea. Fret is a junior hen in both status and years. I prefer to have senior hens sit and hatch.
The more senior hens (the older the better I'm told) got to be senior. A hen perhaps 14 months old might not.
Senior hens have a lot fewer problems intergrating their chicks into the tribe. Her rooster is very unlikely to bother her much and niether are the other hens.
Usually, being senior, they've done it all before and you can just let them get on with it.
They know you well after say 5 years and if you need to check them over or do something to the nest, say cleaning up a broken egg it's a lot less stress for everyone.

Most importantly is the current keeping conditions are not suitable for a mum and chicks.

 

[no fly zone]

Got the crossbow prepped by the front door in case that raccoon shows up. I have a very narrow field of view from the south corner of my front deck to the chicken coop, but it's a doable shot. Got a 5 gallon bucket placed there to rest the crossbow on as I line up the shot. Also set up the trail cam, so if I pull this off, there's a good chance I get it on video.

 

[Ribh]

I got there and back.
I was walking up the path that leads from the allotment main gate to the chicken coop when at the limit of my vision I see a small shape trotting along beside me. I stoped, and look down, and it's one of the newcomers. This one seems to have taken a shine to me. She follows me a lot when I'm in the allotment run and on a number of occasions has tried to follow me when I go through the allotment run gate to get to the black bins that store the bedding, feed and some chemicals. She goes as far as jumping on to the top of the gate. I gently put her back and that seems to do it. She doesn't try again until the next time she's local and I go through the gate.
I picked her up, sat her in my palm and carried her to the coop run gate where I put her down while I unlocked the rest. Henry came straight out and proceded to herd her in every direction at once and then set off to join the others at the end of the run.
Naturaly I counted the chickens. One Ex Battery hen short and no Fret.
Fret was in the small coop doing broody. No sign of Ex Battery hen. I found her foraging under one of the benches on the allotments. She wasn't so pleased when I picked her up and carried her back to the run.

I don't think C let them out by accident feeding them this morning. That means they got out.
I think I know how the friendly hen got out. She can get onto the coop roof. I've seen her do it avoiding one of the hens that bullies her. It's not an impossible jump from there over the fence.
I wouldn't have had the other hen down as a flyer so she's a bit of a mystery.

Karma, my friend. Karma.

 

[ManueB]

Instead of just telling people to get out in fresh air, keep moving, eat foods made from scratch with ingredients you can pronounce…

We will have to buy fresh air one day. Everything will have a price tag

Well, up to now fresh air and some outdoor activities can still be free ; and I think we are being sufficiently told that they are necessary for our health, although people may also listen to opposite messages on ads compelling them to buy rubbish! I do feel many of us humans are still choosing confinement, spending week ends in malls and getting fastfood to eat in front of tv. I'm sure any chicken would choose free range if given a choice! I'm excluding teenagers, or adults whose lives never gave them a chance to see different, from my rant .

Good night from us all here
View attachment 3075927

Glad she's doing somewhat better. My Vanille's been terrible yesterday and she has the same kind of symptoms : reproductive disorder combined with a slightly impacted crop. I thought again she would die as her crest was black and fell down and she didn't drink anything. When my partner came home at five he took her inside (she was in a crate inside the coop) and massaged her crop and cuddled her for 20 minutes and I know this sounds wacky but I think it made her so happy that she perked up afterwards! She really loves him.
We gave her some ibuprofen, by the way. It was hard dosing a 200 mg gel pill into 10 mg.

 

[ManueB]

I don't think C let them out by accident feeding them this morning. That means they got out.
I think I know how the friendly hen got out. She can get onto the coop roof. I've seen her do it avoiding one of the hens that bullies her. It's not an impossible jump from there over the fence.
I wouldn't have had the other hen down as a flyer so she's a bit of a mystery

Apart from the cuteness factor at seeing that little one following you, wouldn't this become a security problem if they start going out when no one is there to watch them ? That kind of thing is contagious!

About an hour and a half today. I forgot it was Saturday and the trains run at different times to weekdays.
Fret.
Shes definitely broody right down to the puffed up scuttle out in the run. Yup, I threw her out. Yep, I destroyed her nest and fed the eggs she was sitting on to her and the rest. She went back. I chucked her out each time.
I put her on the roost next to Henry. I thought I might have cracked it given it was getting dark but another Legbar decided she wanted to sleep next to Henry, jumped up and knocke Fret off. Of course Fret went back to where her nest was.

(I've notice I've got two eye rolling emicons posted already )
View attachment 3076050

Not sunny but not too cold and not raining.
View attachment 3076049View attachment 3076051

It's the first time you're seeing one of them go broody, right ? Is is also something that they will learn from one another ?
I didn't know that it was better to let a senior hen go broody. It's making me reconsider the general plan we had to make our little bantam Chipie go broody one day, she is still very much the last one arrived and picked on by the ex-batts.

Edited : I hope you are doing better today ?

 

[ManueB]

We had rain at last for almost 20 hours .
The Ex-batts layer's Union loudly expressed their discontent under the government's windows.
We replied with this hip-hop oldie.

 

[ManueB]

@cfonts Some of you were interested in the law regarding the ban of feral chickens in Hawaii. There is a last urgent attempt to contact the representatives by mail to make them change the text. I'm not sure I'm allowed to post a link of that nature on BYC but if anyone wants it, send me a private message (it has to be done by Tuesday).