Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[BDutch]

It's already been an interesting poll.
…
Reading about how the American backyard chicken model came about is interesting reading.

What is the American backyard chicken model?
Is it the way our (grand)parents raised chickens for eggs and meat?
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...s-you-to-keep-hens-and-raise-chickens.351110/

 

[TheFatBlueCat]

Yes some clarification on 'American way'.
I keep my chickens much like we always did growing up. Large run + coop, with everyone getting let out every afternoon. I do however still have the traditional semi-rural 1/3 acre section, and am in fact still living in one of my childhood houses.
My chickens are half pet and half livestock. I don't cull them when they get older and less-productive, but I don't have deep emotional attachments to them like I would have with a dog. I enjoy them and care for them to the best of my ability and knowledge, but as I would with livestock. I don't take them to the vet, if it's that serious they get humanely killed. I am somewhat sad when one dies or has to be killed but it doesn't impact my day much.

I guess I have the benefit of being raised with chickens and also of being raised with all kinds of other livestock. It's a country person mindset rather than only having had a pet relationship with animals and then getting chickens.

I don't think there is a wrong or right way to be clear!

 

[ManueB]

I guess I have the benefit of being raised with chickens and also of being raised with all kinds of other livestock. It's a country person mindset rather than only having had a pet relationship with animals and then getting chickens.

I don't think there is a wrong or right way to be clear!

I agree with you but on the other side of the spectrum. I was a city girl until three years ago and against what I think would be best for them, I tend to act as if my chickens were pets and be overprotective and too affected. I'm not saying it's wrong, just that in excess it's an attitude that's not fair to the chickens.

There's a social geography lab that's doing a huge survey in France on the way people see chickens. It's not very well done, so you can clearly see from the questions that their hypothesis is that with all the people getting rescue hens throughout COVID the status of chicken will change from dumb livestock to intelligent pets. One of their axis is to reach out to people keeping house chickens in flats. Yes, apparently that's a thing now .

 

[ManueB]

Zorra was like that. Black Australorp, biggest bird in the flock but she ran midway in the pecking order .... until I gave her chicks to raise. She became the Hen from He11 if any of the other hens got near her babies. Even the 2 top of the flock Anconas would wait until she looked the other way before they would race behind her to get past. When she would take them to the favored "relaxation" spots, all the other hens would vacate to another place. Same with when she took them up to the roost. Always plenty of space around them.

She and Anais chased a full grown groundhog back to its burrow because it waddled maybe 15' from the chicks. I doubt it even knew or cared they were there. After she kicked the chicks to the curb she was back to midway in the pecking order.

I've seen a few posts about hens and/or roosters being away from the group and having to go through the process of establishing their former position. It's something I've never observed be it that the chicken had been away due to sickness, maternity duties, or confinement for any reason. Much like your hen Zorra, they just drop right back in at the position they were at when they left.

Related to this is my obsevation that often the pecking order changes for individuals depending on what challenges/circumstances the group find themselves in. Individuals have different skill sets or duties.

As an example it seems to me and others that the hen second in the heirachy is resposible for keeping the other hens in line and first line of defense when intruders appear.
Again ime it's the junior rooster should there be one, who becomes responsible for chicks once their mother finishes teaching and protecting them.

(This might an explanation for what you are seeing @ManueB )

I don't claim that this responsibility is willingly taken on or has any kind of alturism attached to it, they just do it. I want to know why.

Say there is conscious choice involved. Would this mean an individual can refuse those duties and maintain the standing in the tribe?
There can be no doubt that chickens discipline one another. Watching chicks pullets and cockerels learning their place in the heirachy isn't done because the rest are just bullies. There's a purpose. There seem to be rules. Rules are structure and one the main function of rules is to produce a more cohesive and less violent society. Chickens, especially the hens, seem very good at this.

Zora had it better than Chipie if she managed to terrorize everyone , and then go back to middle in the pecking order! Chipie has never been accepted by the flock and from the day she arrived, she has been bullied by everyone. She was aggressive upon her arrival, then scared, then tried to fit in, then just went apart.
She was in the coop when she was sitting but hidden from the sight of the flock so it's as if she had been away.
The only thing that has changed is that she is now also chased very badly by the rooster also, whereas he used to side with her as they arrived together and she was his first girl.
I think no one want her in the flock. With the chicks I'm not so sure.

 

[TheFatBlueCat]

I agree with you but on the other side of the spectrum. I was a city girl until three years ago and against what I think would be best for them, I tend to act as if my chickens were pets and be overprotective and too affected. I'm not saying it's wrong, just that in excess it's an attitude that's not fair to the chickens.

There's a social geography lab that's doing a huge survey in France on the way people see chickens. It's not very well done, so you can clearly see from the questions that their hypothesis is that with all the people getting rescue hens throughout COVID the status of chicken will change from dumb livestock to intelligent pets. One of their axis is to reach out to people keeping house chickens in flats. Yes, apparently that's a thing now .

I cannot get my head around house chickens. In my mind that's like having a house sheep. I do understand it's hard to find a different relationship with animals when they've only been companions. At the end of the day for me, chickens are chickens and they're what they've always been. Highly entertaining, a way to process food waste, good for my gardens, and springtime chicks are such a lovely promise of hope for the future. I have one hen who keeps me company in the garden but I don't kid myself, she's there for the worms!

 

[Perris]

I've seen a few posts about hens and/or roosters being away from the group and having to go through the process of establishing their former position. It's something I've never observed be it that the chicken had been away due to sickness, maternity duties, or confinement for any reason. Much like your hen Zorra, they just drop right back in at the position they were at when they left.

That's generally been true here, though Maria did have to throw her weight around a bit to restore everyone's deference, after the best part of 3 weeks in and out of the broody-breaking cage over the last 2 months (because Eve was already sitting, and my coop arrangements are incompatible with having 2 broodies simultaneously). I was surprised by it, but it really was the case that the younger hens - only them - did not automatically make way for her, for at least a couple of days after what turned out to be her final release (I kept thinking she was over her broody patch before she actually was so we had a lot of false starts ).

the hen second in the heirachy is resposible for keeping the other hens in line and first line of defense when intruders appear.

Venka's my 2nd; she does very little internal disciplining (Maria does enough for both of them!) but she may well have played that role in the dog attack a couple of weeks ago.

it's the junior rooster should there be one, who becomes responsible for chicks once their mother finishes teaching and protecting them.

Sven's been playing that role since he was deposed by his son (and a very good job he does of it too). It will be interesting to see who takes it on with Eve's chicks, since Phoenix is now 2nd roo and Sven is at the bottom.

 

[Ribh]

That's generally been true here, though Maria did have to throw her weight around a bit to restore everyone's deference, after the best part of 3 weeks in and out of the broody-breaking cage over the last 2 months (because Eve was already sitting, and my coop arrangements are incompatible with having 2 broodies simultaneously). I was surprised by it, but it really was the case that the younger hens - only them - did not automatically make way for her, for at least a couple of days after what turned out to be her final release (I kept thinking she was over her broody patch before she actually was so we had a lot of false starts ).

Venka's my 2nd; she does very little internal disciplining (Maria does enough for both of them!) but she may well have played that role in the dog attack a couple of weeks ago.

Sven's been playing that role since he was deposed by his son (and a very good job he does of it too). It will be interesting to see who takes it on with Eve's chicks, since Phoenix is now 2nd roo and Sven is at the bottom.

My 1st & 2nd were large BRs for nearly 6 years. They were both very laid back. I lost both within 24 hours ~ which caused quite an upset in the flock as the next in line has never wanted to be top hen. However now she is. She's a favorelle X & incredibly calm & easy going but now she is top she will enforce if necessary as her 2nd is a Campine & a total nut job. The Campine has her good points as she's very predator savvy but she can be quite the drama queen & her ability to hide a nest is 2nd to none! My lead hens have almost always been super calm birds & lead a very calm flock. I am in trouble when I lose Luna as I find the Vorwerks tend to be bullies & the banties are on the nutty side.

 

[bruceha2000]

I don't claim that this responsibility is willingly taken on or has any kind of alturism attached to it, they just do it. I want to know why.

Nature? Anais (Faverolles from the original 12 chicks in 2012 and frequent broody)
would not take chicks at o'dark thirty. She would attack. But BOY did she want to help raise chicks! I'd break her after the rejection and she would henceforth join whichever hen did take them or raise them alone if they were Mama Heating Pad raised.

The chicks never wanted to get under her like they did for a hen that took them at 3 days (always shipped from a hatchery). Zorra was also one of the first 12 birds, She kicked the next set (2015) at 2 months but Anais stuck with them as a somewhat separate flock (though they all slept in the coop) until they were 4 months old when the chicks integrated into the main flock.

Most subsequent hen raised chicks were kept 4-6 weeks (even if it was Zorra) and Anais would ALWAYS join the hen and chicks for daytime activities and stick with them after the hen dumped them like a light switch was flipped.

My chickens are half pet and half livestock. I don't cull them when they get older and less-productive, but I don't have deep emotional attachments to them like I would have with a dog. I enjoy them and care for them to the best of my ability and knowledge, but as I would with livestock. I don't take them to the vet, if it's that serious they get humanely killed. I am somewhat sad when one dies or has to be killed but it doesn't impact my day much.

I could have written that

Zorra had it better than Chipie if she managed to terrorize everyone , and then go back to middle in the pecking order!

None of the hens I've had raise hatchery chicks ever had a problem rejoining the flock after she kicked the chicks to the curb. One night the hen has the chicks in her chosen "brooding the chicks" area of the roosts, the next night they were on their own to claim that area (not always successful) while the hen moved elsewhere wanting nothing to do with them. Confuses the chicks all to heck!

 

[Ladies-Eight]

Ex Batts good morning one and all!

86 and sunny.

Have a great day!

 

[pennyJo1960]

Still down with the first cold in two years .