Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[GregnLety]

I think and everything I've read on any species, including our own, is a varied and balanced diet combined with exercise is likely to promote physical and mental health. I've never seen any reason to argue with this. Zoo animals have from what I've read fared better in wildlife parks than they did in cages in zoos.
Of course, in the wildlife parks in the Northern Hemisphere these species need to be fed in most cases. I know types of commercial feed are available for these species. I even knew someone who specialised in them.

I've always free ranged partly on principle and partly on my experience that free range chickens are less prone to some of the stress problems associated with those fully confined.
I've never fed chickens just commercial feed and nor has anyone else I know.
I agree with Perris that commercial feed was developed to provide the most basic nutrition at the lowest cost giving maximum egg yield. I have never read anything that suggested any of these feeds were designed for a healthier and longer life for the chicken.
Again, the chickens that I've known since the 70's tended to live longer if they survived predation than the impression I get from reading these forums of the current heritage and production breeds.
So for me the feeding isn't ever likely to be an issue. Even if I can't fully free range chickens I will always ensure they get time out of the coop and run and get fed other things to provide variety in their diet.

One point of interest and perhaps a point of reference is there were most years between 20 and 30 chickens of mixed ages and sex in Catalonia. A 20kg bag of commercial feed lasted on average 25 days.
At the allotments there are now 20 chickens of mixed ages and breeds, plus one male and they get through 3x20kg bags a month.

I normally make 100 pounds of feed last 3 weeks for approximately 30 chickens. Thanks to the extreme weather this summer that much only lasts 2 weeks. Everything is brown so there's not many insects except for fire ants.

 

[ManueB]

I read today this really good but long article regarding nutrition that seems to cover a lot of the things we've been discussing : nutrients in relation to various health problems, laying, and the causes of variations in energy needs. It's pretty extensive though it still concern only laying hens and not older hens or roosters.

One of the points I found really interesting was that it corroborates the fact that hens can adjust not only the quantity of feed they eat to their variating need of energy, but also the precise nutrients they require due to their health and laying issues. It says that giving choice of different food can actually be a strategy.
However it claims that this ability only come at two months of age, and that before that pullet must be fed in very specific ways. I wonder if this is due to the fact that the hen population they study are not raised by broodies ?

@GregnLety it mentions that heat actually increases the need for food, as the chickens need more energy to regulate their temperature.

 

[TheFatBlueCat]

Here are my label contributions. I'll try to get some photos of past feed bags as I keep them to reuse. Unfortunately animal feed labels here do not need to offer much detailed information.

 

[TheFatBlueCat]

A couple more labels:

Chick Starter:

Grower:

 

[no fly zone]

Pinecone!

 

[Ribh]

They are fab; if Campines are related (thanks Ribh), Brakels must be too, which would explain why my young Ida looks so similar.

Yes. I remember reading that somewhere. They are all lovely breeds. My girls can be a bit flighty but they are smart & predator aware, super good foragers & consistent layers. I think they are the perfect chicken. They are rare & endangered out here, which is a pity. I am hoping to put some eggs under my broodies this year. If I choose my people friendly girls I may get less flighty Campines.

 

[BDutch]

… I'm sure we'll all agree with Shadrach that a chicken or a human spending time outside with physical activity will in general fare better.

….

Yes, I agree in general. But I’m afraid these days are over for my chickens. The risk of an attack is tooooooo high with the brutal cat that came into our garden again today.

The second time this cat was around. And again one chicken missing. My beautiful and elegant Janice was missing after seeing this cat. And she didn’t return to the coop. Still hoping she will return tomorrow. But my hopes are not very high after the previous experience.

Janice a week ago.

 

[no fly zone]

Laserbeak getting another epsom salt soak for her chronic bumblefoot

 

[MROO]

Laserbeak getting another epsom salt soak for her chronic bumblefoot

View attachment 3202116

This is an awesome idea for a chicken foot-bath! I've saved the pic in my med files, in case I need it some time in the future. Thanks!

 

[no fly zone]

Laserbeak was a good girl, so she got some treats after.