Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[BDutch]

Mine are not that sensible as yours I suppose. 2 broodies with no sense at all at the moment.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Good morning X Batts.
Think the drill hole's for venntilation might be my way with the new coop.
This is tax one black bird taking a bath in the coop mid day. Others watching on while I scraped tables.

 

[BDutch]

I feel sad today because of the HPAI.

Free ranging is still not allowed in the Netherlands. We have this contagious bird flew going around and about even in june. In former years the HPAI stopt in spring. But this year it didn’t. New outbreaks occurred in Duck farms. A new mutation is killing large groups of Sandwich Terns now on the so-called Wadden islands up North , Zeeland and the coast in Belgium. They told on the news its no longer a seasonal disease. They compared it with Covid.
For the pictures or to read with Google translate: https://www.vogelbescherming.nl/actueel/bericht/grote-zorgen-door-massale-sterfte-onder-grote-sterns-door-vogelgriep

For me this is a reason for not wanting more chickens. I have 6 bantams now in 3m2 roofed /night area and 15 m2 net covered run. If its necessary to keep them locked in all day, there is no room for more. (sorry broodies).

I only let the chickens free range a few hours in the evening now. Because they don’t go far away in the evening. To diminish the chances of getting fined and to avoid that they eat the strawberries in our neighbours garden.

It breaks my heart that poultry shows are not allowed anymore. The result of this is that some people stop breeding heritage breeds.

It breaks my hart that we probably never have meadow free ranging and organic poultry again in the Netherlands. Because outside free ranging is not allowed anymore.
All Dutch eggs in the shop are from farms where birds are cramped together inside a stable. It says free range on the package. But that only means that they are not caged. Even 6.5 (best label now) chickens on 1m2 is way too much imho.

 

[ManueB]

I feel sad today because of the HPAI.

Free ranging is still not allowed in the Netherlands. We have this contagious bird flew going around and about even in june. In former years the HPAI stopt in spring. But this year it didn’t. New outbreaks occurred in Duck farms. A new mutation is killing large groups of Sandwich Terns now on the so-called Wadden islands up North , Zeeland and the coast in Belgium. They told on the news its no longer a seasonal disease. They compared it with Covid.
For the pictures or to read with Google translate: https://www.vogelbescherming.nl/actueel/bericht/grote-zorgen-door-massale-sterfte-onder-grote-sterns-door-vogelgriep

For me this is a reason for not wanting more chickens. I have 6 bantams now in 3m2 roofed /night area and 15 m2 net covered run. If its necessary to keep them locked in all day, there is no room for more. (sorry broodies).

I only let the chickens free range a few hours in the evening now. Because they don’t go far away in the evening. To diminish the chances of getting fined and to avoid that they eat the strawberries in our neighbours garden.

It breaks my heart that poultry shows are not allowed anymore. The result of this is that some people stop breeding heritage breeds.

It breaks my hart that we probably never have meadow free ranging and organic poultry again in the Netherlands. Because outside free ranging is not allowed anymore.
All Dutch eggs in the shop are from farms where birds are cramped together inside a stable. It says free range on the package. But that only means that they are not caged. Even 6.5 (best label now) chickens on 1m2 is way too much imho.

That's very sad and frightening.
In France they actually just changed the risk level to low as there as been no contaminations to poultry since the beginning of may. 16 millions poultry have been put down between november and june, I can't even figure out what this number means. And no doubt it will come back with the sterns. I'm lucky to live in one of the lower risk region for the time being.

We've turned this world into a bad science fiction book.

 

[ManueB]

I certainly don't want my chicks to be "cuddly and pettable" but I worry a bit that their mama is teaching them I'm the most scary predator they should run away from. I want to be able to catch them in case of need when they grow up.
Better to try approach them now, or wait till they are weaned ?
Cuteness overload spam.

 

[Perris]

I want to be able to catch them in case of need when they grow up.

The position I've come to on this is that (i) if they really need my help, they let themselves be caught, and (ii) if I really need to catch one, either I pounce when the bird in question is engrossed in its breakfast/dinner or I grab it at night out of the coop (which only works for me if the bird is appropriately positioned, either in a nest box, or on the back roost so they're accessible when I take the back off; with your arrangements I imagine you can just walk in and pick one off whatever they're roosting on). I have not yet held some of my birds.

 

[Perris]

I feel sad today because of the HPAI.

Free ranging is still not allowed in the Netherlands. We have this contagious bird flew going around and about even in june. In former years the HPAI stopt in spring. But this year it didn’t. New outbreaks occurred in Duck farms. A new mutation is killing large groups of Sandwich Terns now on the so-called Wadden islands up North , Zeeland and the coast in Belgium. They told on the news its no longer a seasonal disease. They compared it with Covid.
For the pictures or to read with Google translate: https://www.vogelbescherming.nl/actueel/bericht/grote-zorgen-door-massale-sterfte-onder-grote-sterns-door-vogelgriep

For me this is a reason for not wanting more chickens. I have 6 bantams now in 3m2 roofed /night area and 15 m2 net covered run. If its necessary to keep them locked in all day, there is no room for more. (sorry broodies).

I only let the chickens free range a few hours in the evening now. Because they don’t go far away in the evening. To diminish the chances of getting fined and to avoid that they eat the strawberries in our neighbours garden.

It breaks my heart that poultry shows are not allowed anymore. The result of this is that some people stop breeding heritage breeds.

It breaks my hart that we probably never have meadow free ranging and organic poultry again in the Netherlands. Because outside free ranging is not allowed anymore.
All Dutch eggs in the shop are from farms where birds are cramped together inside a stable. It says free range on the package. But that only means that they are not caged. Even 6.5 (best label now) chickens on 1m2 is way too much imho.

I feel for you and your birds. There are still cases here too, but I don't think they're going to insist on re-housing flocks, at least till the winter waterfowl migration (all other measures are still in place here, and it is recognised as endemic now).

The argument that birds need exposure to AI to develop natural immunity has quite a lot of traction here; just slaughtering anything potentially exposed to it as they seem to do in the US and with some establishments here could prove to be the worst action to take, as it eliminates those birds that have natural immunity, and prevents others developing it.

 

[bruceha2000]

Better to try approach them now, or wait till they are weaned ?

I've found that hen raised chicks are more flighty when young even though every one of my birds came as chicks from a hatchery. In time they all settle down to their "personal comfort level" once Mama kicks them to the curb and they figure out I'm the one that brings food and treats. Some still stay out of the way, others I'm stepping on trying to get to their food bins. None are "please pick me up or pet me" chickens whether they were hen raised or Mama Heating Pad raised.

 

[ManueB]

with your arrangements I imagine you can just walk in and pick one off whatever they're roosting on).

We can't reach them on the highest roost. Caramel understood that and made the effort of exceptionally perching up there for the night when she was really ill because she didn't want nothing of that syringe dewormer nonsense.

In time they all settle down to their "personal comfort level" once Mama kicks them to the curb and they figure out I'm the one that brings food and treats

It's also my impression that for the time being they are afraid only when mama hen tells them to be!
I will spend time sitting a few meter away from them every day when they are resting or bathing so they get used to me. They don't run if I come around very slowly on my knees .

My chickens aren't free range. We lock them up in the pen / coop when we both leave, maybe once or twice a week for 2/3 hours, so if they run and fly away as soon as they see me it will be a problem.

 

[RoyalChick]

We can't reach them on the highest roost. Caramel understood that and made the effort of exceptionally perching up there for the night when she was really ill because she didn't want nothing of that syringe dewormer nonsense.

It's also my impression that for the time being they are afraid only when mama hen tells them to be!
I will spend time sitting a few meter away from them every day when they are resting or bathing so they get used to me. They don't run if I come around very slowly on my knees .

My chickens aren't free range. We lock them up in the pen / coop when we both leave, maybe once or twice a week for 2/3 hours, so if they run and fly away as soon as they see me it will be a problem.

@Shadrach taught a few of us how to grab chickens at night by getting them to step backwards onto your arm. I believe he made a T-shaped stick to get ones perched high up.
I haven’t tried it, but observing how to get them to step back into my arm I can totally see it would work well for a hen roosted high.