Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Shadrach]

Today was a much needed day off.
There are some changes coming. C has a new job. Instead of working six days a week amounting to some 60+ hours including travel C will be working 3 days of 12 hours and travel time under half an hour.
My plan is to reduce my responsibility for the chickens evening care and spend more time during the day trying to improve the chickens keeping conditions. The start of this will be the new coop. I'll start on the frame later in the coming week.
This week I've been let down twice trying to get chicken feed; once by Amazon and once by the local pet shop. I have an order in at the place I linked to in an earlier post but I think it's time to investigate making the feed rather than counting on suppliers.
Ideally in the coming months I would like to move the coops and run to theother end of the current allotment run. There is a considerable rat problem where the run is now and the ground has had it. There are that many rat tunnels under all the crap that has accumulated in the current run that a move would seem to be the least work in the long run.
What I need is some help to do the heavy work involved.

 

[MaryJanet]

Today was a much needed day off.
There are some changes coming. C has a new job. Instead of working six days a week amounting to some 60+ hours including travel C will be working 3 days of 12 hours and travel time under half an hour.
My plan is to reduce my responsibility for the chickens evening care and spend more time during the day trying to improve the chickens keeping conditions. The start of this will be the new coop. I'll start on the frame later in the coming week.
This week I've been let down twice trying to get chicken feed; once by Amazon and once by the local pet shop. I have an order in at the place I linked to in an earlier post but I think it's time to investigate making the feed rather than counting on suppliers.
Ideally in the coming months I would like to move the coops and run to theother end of the current allotment run. There is a considerable rat problem where the run is now and the ground has had it. There are that many rat tunnels under all the crap that has accumulated in the current run that a move would seem to be the least work in the long run.
What I need is some help to do the heavy work involved.

Such a shame the byc community isn't located in Bristol. I'd lend a hand for a day.

 

[Ribh]

Such a shame the byc community isn't located in Bristol. I'd lend a hand for a day.

Ditto.

 

[no fly zone]

Sky is sitting on 6 good eggs now; 4 bantam and 2 Skeksis.

 

[ManueB]

Today was a much needed day off.
There are some changes coming. C has a new job. Instead of working six days a week amounting to some 60+ hours including travel C will be working 3 days of 12 hours and travel time under half an hour.
My plan is to reduce my responsibility for the chickens evening care and spend more time during the day trying to improve the chickens keeping conditions. The start of this will be the new coop. I'll start on the frame later in the coming week.
This week I've been let down twice trying to get chicken feed; once by Amazon and once by the local pet shop. I have an order in at the place I linked to in an earlier post but I think it's time to investigate making the feed rather than counting on suppliers.
Ideally in the coming months I would like to move the coops and run to theother end of the current allotment run. There is a considerable rat problem where the run is now and the ground has had it. There are that many rat tunnels under all the crap that has accumulated in the current run that a move would seem to be the least work in the long run.
What I need is some help to do the heavy work involved.

That's a lot of change and new perspectives.
You could get some of those people that got caught being a bit naughty, preferably with some big muscles ? There is the risk it might be more of a hassle than it would help. If C. was willing to figure it out once, maybe it would be possible to do it again.

 

[ManueB]

Yes I did; I call it predator-awareness and view it as an asset for a free-ranging flock

On that topic, there was a 1st for me yesterday: before I went off to get the Braekel eggs I poop-picked the coops, and in the coop where the broody had parked herself (in everybody's favorite nest box, of course ) I found the dominant roo sitting on the roost just in front of her, and, in the other nest box in that coop, my ex-dom (and avatar) Sven squeezed in next to Janeka, who's a fairly chunky Welsummer.

I think Sven had been sitting where his son now was, and he thought he'd hide there when Chirk came in. So I was presented with two large fluffy butts packed compactly into a nesting box that either one would fill ordinarily. Both boys took the opportunity to exit with pride and dignity intact, one via the door and the other via the back. And Janeka laid an egg now she could move again

Loved that story! As long as pride and dignity are preserved... More seriously I did notice mine hates it when we make fun of him. Do roosters easily take offence?

It's fun to read about roosting habits of Henry and the ladies. Roosting with roosters is a topic I can't get enough of.

I've posted about how our Easter Egger rooster Stilton always roosts next to his best girl, Miss Ashley. The other night's "roost theatre" was extra entertaining when the Brahmas decided to make a play for their roosting corner.

There are 7 birds in this picture (one of the EEs is buried in the far-right corner). To be clear, there are at least 6 more feet of prime roosting space in this coop, empty but for a couple sleepy Langshans ignoring the drama.

View attachment 3109292
Miss Eula made it the furthest, ending up under Ashley's wing, who ended up under Stilton's wing. They held fast.

This picture captures Ash & Stiltz wondering when they both got so popular. If you zoom in, you can see Stilton "holding Ashley's hand." He often sleeps with a toe over one of hers.

View attachment 3109293

Obviously I'm tremendously honored (while trying not to make a big deal out of it) when he does the same for me. Here's a picture from when Stilton wanted to hang out, but my lap was already full of hens.

View attachment 3109294

Incredible, and lovely indeed ! Do you think Stilton sees you as part of his flock ?
Makes me realize my Théo still has a long way to go to win my ex-batts ladies hearts. He used to roost with Chipie the bantam, and now that she's sitting on eggs he's alone on his roost. I wonder if he will try to go on the girl's ladder, or if his dignity makes him consider they have to come to him.

Sky is sitting on 6 good eggs now; 4 bantam and 2 Skeksis.

Any chance you left the eggs on purpose , and what does your wife think ?
How are first and second generation babies faring ?

 

[Perris]

Why these people can't just have a bit of cake with a candle stuck in it like everyone else is beyond my comprehension.

well, after watching the first official event to kick off the celebrations, the Royal Windsor Horse Show on the telly last night, I for one am not sorry they don't just have a bit of cake and a candle The Top Secret Drum Corps from Switzerland (a country not known for Royalist sympathies ) were phenomenal, and I was blown away when they combined with the Royal Marines' best drummers. If anyone abroad can get the ITV on demand service, it's about an hour and a half in (the clips on YouTube are from an awful angle). On the other hand you may want to watch the whole thing, especially if you like horses.
Edited to add especially for @ManueB that the French horse guard were astounding too - dressage en masse! That's about an hour in.

 

[RoyalChick]

well, after watching the first official event to kick off the celebrations, the Royal Windsor Horse Show on the telly last night, I for one am not sorry they don't just have a bit of cake and a candle The Top Secret Drum Corps from Switzerland (a country not known for Royalist sympathies ) were phenomenal, and I was blown away when they combined with the Royal Marines' best drummers. If anyone abroad can get the ITV on demand service, it's about an hour and a half in (the clips on YouTube are from an awful angle). On the other hand you may want to watch the whole thing, especially if you like horses.
Edited to add especially for @ManueB that the French horse guard were astounding too - dressage en masse! That's about an hour in.

I haven’t seen any of it. But I did like that HRH skipped all the boring stuff like opening Parliament but attended the horse show apparently in high spirits.
Personally I believe that by the time you are in your 90s you deserve a bit of fun and she seemed to be enjoying herself.
I hope they let her have her regular martinis back too - depriving her of those seemed like cruel and unusual punishment!

 

[no fly zone]

Any chance you left the eggs on purpose , and what does your wife think ?
How are first and second generation babies faring ?

My wife does not know. She does not go in the coop, as Mr. Bumble attacks her on sight. I told her she just needs to scoop his tiny behind up and scold him.


All the one month old babies are doing well so far. The two new ones aren't struggling, but don't seem as mobile as the others were.

 

[ManueB]

Edited to add especially for @ManueB that the French horse guard were astounding too - dressage en masse! That's about an hour in

I'm glad you enjoyed the show since you're probably paying an arm for it, as we say in France .
I was very much into classical riding as a child and until I turned 18. So much that my mum, who hated horses, actually took me for my 8th birthday to see the cadre noir's representation. However my point of view has changed and I'm now a lot more interested in all the new ways of having relationships with horses that have come into fashion since I stopped riding, like ethical horsemanship and liberty. I still find classical dressage beautiful but also too artificial and based on a relationship of domination however subtle.
And with all that said, I don't have a bigger screen than my phone, which is the smallest I could find, so I probably wouldn't see anything .

Tax :
Caramel is officially on the way to good health!