Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[TropicalBabies]

Interesting different point of view! Shows me that we maybe slightly idealistic when we hope to let things go as close to nature as possible. Your context is specific though. Do you think it is being raised by any broodies that make the chicks grow into chickens that will be more weary of humans, or the fact that their mama having part semi feral origins will teach them those ways?
We have wondered often on this thread whether ex-batts could regain the skills of "real" chickens and in how much time, but obviously it works the other way round too : being a domestic chicken mean acquiring a number of behaviours which may seem difficult for a chicken used to living in the wild. Much like with stray cats which we do have in my country.

Correct me if I'm wrong, are the ferals chickens in your islands not the descendants of freed domestic chickens ?

I think both. The part feral chickens have always been more leary and domestic chicks raised by them seemed to be more leary too.
I'm not positive of the true chicken behavior you folks are talking about but one time a few years back someone dropped off a RSL- Cinnamon Queen at the pasture. I captured her and brought her home but let her out of her cage too soon and she escaped into the neighborhood. I saw her some months later much like I would see many wild chickens. She had a huge clutch of chicks, she raised them well and then raised another and so on. Well, she was populating the heck out of the neighborhood so I captured her and her many chicks and took them back to the pasture as we started to care for them and had some good roosters and what not down there. She lived there for about another year or more and raised many more chicks. She was a nice girl. I'd say she was as good as and kept up with the wild chickens pretty good. She was a favorite of the flock master and laid many eggs and started back laying pretty quick after raising her young. She was a good momma too.
The feral chickens around here are said to be descendents of the jungle fowl brought over by the Polynesians but mostly chickens who's coops got wrecked in hurricanes. I think the fighting chickens also get set free and mix in too. I know I am guilty of raising a few of my cockerels/ roosters at the pasture in hopes of making nice babies.
I'd don't think I am smart enough to really chime in with anything more than my experiences and observations.

I often see the feral chickens do the darnedest things and think; I wish Shad was here to see that! I wonder what the heck they are saying to each other.

Speaking of feral chickens. I try to keep a granola bar in my purse or scratch in my truck. I just love making someone's day a little easier. This day, last week my husband had to have outpatient surgery. I had not eaten so went and grabbed a wrap and soon found some friends to share with

This one reminded me of Marge Simpson because her beak was so over grown.

I had actually just picked up some layer pellets with added vitamins and was thrilled to share with this gang though they preferred my turkey veggie wrap.

They made me realize I will probably always have chickens so I will never feel alone. They are fabulously grateful company and that is quite refreshing.

 

[MaryJanet]

I think both. The part feral chickens have always been more leary and domestic chicks raised by them seemed to be more leary too.
I'm not positive of the true chicken behavior you folks are talking about but one time a few years back someone dropped off a RSL- Cinnamon Queen at the pasture. I captured her and brought her home but let her out of her cage too soon and she escaped into the neighborhood. I saw her some months later much like I would see many wild chickens. She had a huge clutch of chicks, she raised them well and then raised another and so on. Well, she was populating the heck out of the neighborhood so I captured her and her many chicks and took them back to the pasture as we started to care for them and had some good roosters and what not down there. She lived there for about another year or more and raised many more chicks. She was a nice girl. I'd say she was as good as and kept up with the wild chickens pretty good. She was a favorite of the flock master and laid many eggs and started back laying pretty quick after raising her young. She was a good momma too.
The feral chickens around here are said to be descendents of the jungle fowl brought over by the Polynesians but mostly chickens who's coops got wrecked in hurricanes. I think the fighting chickens also get set free and mix in too. I know I am guilty of raising a few of my cockerels/ roosters at the pasture in hopes of making nice babies.
I'd don't think I am smart enough to really chime in with anything more than my experiences and observations.

I often see the feral chickens do the darnedest things and think; I wish Shad was here to see that! I wonder what the heck they are saying to each other.

Speaking of feral chickens. I try to keep a granola bar in my purse or scratch in my truck. I just love making someone's day a little easier. This day, last week my husband had to have outpatient surgery. I had not eaten so went and grabbed a wrap and soon found some friends to share withView attachment 3173699
This one reminded me of Marge Simpson because her beak was so over grown.View attachment 3173702View attachment 3173705
I had actually just picked up some layer pellets with added vitamins and was thrilled to share with this gang though they preferred my turkey veggie wrap.

They made me realize I will probably always have chickens so I will never feel alone. They are fabulously grateful company and that is quite refreshing.

I've never seen an overgrown beak like that! Quite extraordinary.

 

[BDutch]

My white clover LOVES my yard. And the chickens and bees love the clover.

We had lots of clover in the lawn/grass field before we had chickens. One day it was gone. I don’t know how many years it took to vanish.
My experience is that all yummy plants for chickens disappeared. What remains are the very strong plants, grasses and herbs. And plants that are not tasteful or poisonous.

Fyi: I rarely buy new ornamental plants or flowers for the garden. Because they contain lots of poisons. Sometimes even forbidden poisons. And these are certainly not good for chickens. They can recognise poisonous plants like ivy and foxglove, but don’t recognize the poisons from Bayer or other herbicides and pesticides.
I’m very happy that the number of organic plants and flowers growers are increasing.

Thinking this over. It is not certain that all vanishing plants are due to the chickens. Perhaps the increasing nitrogen problem is also a reason that some plants have disappeared. In the Netherlands, many plants in nature are disappearing due to the large amounts of nitrogen that precipitate on the ground. Causes are, for example, factory farming (with cows that remain in the barn as the main cause), industry (such as the fertilizer industry and the production of rock wool insulation), traffic (airplanes, diesel and petrol cars).

 

[Sequel]

On the bus heading East into Bristol.
View attachment 3172637IView attachment 3172640

They’ve chipped a lot of stone out of that hill! That is so interesting!

 

[TropicalBabies]

I've never seen an overgrown beak like that! Quite extraordinary.

I had a good pair of toenail clippers in my purse too and if I could have gotten hold of her I would have fixed her up. Poor thing was sweet as could be but I don't expect she will be able to make it much longer without being able to eat proper and also getting picked on.

 

[Perris]

Thinking this over. It is not certain that all vanishing plants are due to the chickens.

We have more clover and other plants (some would call them weeds, I call them forage) in the lawn now than we did before we had chickens.

They’ve chipped a lot of stone out of that hill!

That's a natural gorge. And the bridge, finished in 1864, is a very famous one here. Isambard Kingdom Brunel designed it.

 

[Perris]

My view on preferring to let senior hens sit doesn't have anything to do with whether they'll sit and hatch okay. It's more about what happens when they leave the nest and any problems there may be with other hens. Senior hens also know more about staying alive than the juniors and this gets taught to the chicks.

you're absolutely right (of course!); I'd forgotten that in my excitement over her success in hatching any Venka eggs at all. We're now having to duck and dive a bit to ensure the chicks get some food before one or more of the rest of the flock barge in. Paprika does understand I'm an ally though, so that's something.

 

[Perris]

here she is leading them on their first real walkabout yesterday

 

[Sequel]

We have more clover and other plants (some would call them weeds, I call them forage) in the lawn now than we did before we had chickens.

That's a natural gorge. And the bridge, finished in 1864, is a very famous one here. Isambard Kingdom Brunel designed it.

Well that is even more interesting then! It looks just like pieces have been cut out!

 

[no fly zone]

Laserbeak has another case of bumblefoot