Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[One Lucky Momma]

@ManueB, I just realized I'm not sure how to express approval for your posts now. Like, love, laughter, and wow are each pretty narrow. BYC needs to add a new reaction emoji: maybe a French flag, or a squiggly arrow to illustrate satisfaction with a post that takes you on a journey of emotions

This is true. Well said.

@ManueB authors the most lyrical posts. She takes us on holiday every time.

I’m chagrined to say I have relatives like the wicked stepfather too. It’s an embarrassment, but more, it’s frightening to know there are many people like him. I have to ask, if the stepfather is such a disposable character why was he allowed to participate in your project on a daily basis?

 

[ManueB]

@ManueB authors the most lyrical posts. She takes us on holiday every time.

Unfortunately this is because I keep "jumping from rooster to donkey", the lovely french way of saying changing subjects all the time. I don't want to hijack this thread with things that have nothing to do with chickens, I will try to focus from now on!

I’m chagrined to say I have relatives like that too. It’s an embarrassment, but more, it’s frightening to know there are many people like him. I have to ask, if the stepfather is such a disposable character why was he allowed to participate in your project on a daily basis?

Keeping it short : he owns the place, has left it to abandon since the 90's, is letting us live for free there. He completely surprised us by putting a lot of time and even a little money in this renovation.

 

[Perris]

letting us live for free there. He completely surprised us by putting a lot of time and even a little money in this renovation

now all makes sense. I'd put up with a lot for a benefit like that
I think I owe quite a lot of tax, so here's a group photo as a downpayment

 

[RoyalChick]

with damp sand in the box one, which I mix roughly, but I just tip some on top of the dry soil in the ground one and leave the chickens to mix it in. Sometimes some of them just bathe in the remaining ashes where I had a bonfire, so they're getting 100% ash then, but they definitely prefer to do that after it's rained, so there's no dust to speak of.

Thanks. I may just water it and let them add the dirt to their liking. They have dug a big hole by the foundation which is the most loved bathing spot. I can try putting it in that area.

 

[RoyalChick]

funnily enough I was watching Bala do the same yesterday, with some grass seed. It must need real precision to do it with tiny seeds waving about on flimsy stems.

Yes! I keep trying to get a good video of it. They close their inner eyelid at the last moment presumably to protect the eye from the spikey seed tips.

 

[fuentemoon]

Mine prefer me to pull off the seeds i love watching them jump for the tall ones. We had a hen get a different kind of grass seed bit stuck in her eye last summer, it was a scary moment! I was able to grab her and Bill pulled it out.

 

[no fly zone]

Checked on the adult birds when I got home from work and found Sky sitting on the eggs like she should be.

The female scissor beak feels quite underweight compared to her siblings though.

 

[One Lucky Momma]

Keeping it short : he owns the place, has left it to abandon since the 90's, is letting us live for free there. He completely surprised us by putting a lot of time and even a little money in this renovation.

I misunderstood at some point that the property was in your partner’s family. Sorry.
You are certainly a thoughtful steward for the place which looks to be a couple of centuries old. I expect the house is happy you all are there.

 

[One Lucky Momma]

Tax Time

Here, Mr. Aegis is giving Bertie a tour of the nest boxes. She and flockmate Maizie had just moved in with us after a harrowing night of carnage in their former home. Aegis did his best to make them comfortable; I swear his tenderness was palpable.

This was the first time we’d added new birds to our flock and it went surprisingly well. The two new girls spent the first few days in the large wire dog crate, separated from the others but sharing their space.

 

[Shadrach]

I think one of the scissor beaks is now having trouble eating. I noticed she was crying earlier, and when I went to lock them up for the night, I felt her crop. It appeared to just contain water. I can't really house her separately to give her her own food dish. Maybe I'm wrong. Will keep an eye on the situation.

I think someone mentions this later but feeding a mash would help.