Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Sequel]

lovely idea, and I'm sure the pretty Venka chicks are his, but I fear he's going to lose the throne soon. He was uncharacteristically grumpy yesterday, and today it became obvious why: he's started his molt. Phoenix is hovering in the wings...

That poor fellow!

 

[Ribh]

A few weeks ago my partner bought some furniture to make a real covered run for the chickens. What we have outside of the coop now is more like a pen covered with nettings. We'll be covering the surface partly with steel sheets, partly with polycarbonate to let some light in- it's stays shady almost all day. I'm a bit sceptical that the polycarbonate will hold up to our weather but we'll see. It will also allow us to gain back three meters square that we lost when we secured the pen the first time because we didn't want to pour concrete on the poles, which is the only way to hold them in the part further east. I'm hoping we can do this next week when my partner comes back from his lone mountain break away from me .

Chipie has become the new queen of terror for the four young ones. As soon as one of them spots her, it makes alarm whistles and everyone sprints away for safety.
Yesterday, she decided to lay behind the blue, blurry umbrella on the picture and summoned loudly Théo to stay on guard duty for almost an hour .
View attachment 3214333

View attachment 3214334

They are beautiful looking hens.

 

[Shadrach]

View attachment 3214224
Viejito, Blackie.


View attachment 3214225Doesn't look like a fair fight does it?

To coin a phrase, it's not the cock in the fight, it's the fight in the cock.

 

[Perris]

That poor fellow!

Well, yes and no; he has been flock master since May 2020, stepping into the role uncontested when his dad Sven was badly injured by a fox. He has been there ever since, with a sizable flock of hens to lead, and he's sired quite a few by them. He even has grandkids! So I think few other roos would share your sympathy for him, and in particular, young Phoenix is ready and waiting for his turn at the top.

 

[Shadrach]

So my initial response to the Brazilian article on incubation (https://www.scielo.br/j/rbca/a/ZFYLhJkZ8VSVpXZSJmCcKvr/?lang=en# ) is that it reminds me of most modern papers on nutrition, insofar as it's clearly a complex topic, and there may be a theoretical ideal for each and every moment of a fetus'/chicken's life.

But hens manage incubation without thinking, the process under a broody survives most variations in the weather and other environmental factors, and there is lots of wiggle room for success. Focusing on the theoretical ideal on an almost minute-by-minute scale just strikes me as overkill (unless you're a manufacturer of innovative incubation products).

We don't actually know very much about the differences. if there are any, between an incubator hatched chick and a broody hatched chick at the time of hatch. The eggs do survive in some quite extreme environments it seems but is that because the broody does a better job of nest management than an incubator (?)
I found the article very interesting. I think Norwich University did a study on the back of the Brazilian study. I haven't found it anywhere.

 

[Shadrach]

Could you get an incubator that would turn more regularly?

I believe you can.

 

[Shadrach]

Makes the case for hen-raising in your intended environment even more compelling.

Indeed, that was one of the thoughts I was left with after reading.

 

[Shadrach]

Have a safe trip and a nice holiday ! Glad Kraai found her place within your flock

Love this says a lot about the world we live in!

Now you have me questioning if hatching a chick that has and abnormal slow growth may have something to do with the fact that Chipie brooded in the darkest corner of the coop .

They are both stunning and I say this even though I don't like the looks of silkies.

Please don't, coconut oil will not stop UV harming your skin, quite the opposite !

In my extremist opinion, the only reasonable thing to do is to split things. If you go to the sea for swimming don't bathe in the sun, keep your clothes on and put them back on after swimming. If you go sunbathing ...don't go feeding chemicals to all sea life.
If you really, really intend to do both many beaches have shower. Take a shower before going swimming and the best would be to use neutral soap like Castille or Marseille to get the sunscreen off.
During the 13 years I lived in Nice I only went a few times at the beach during the day- always went before 8am or after 7pm!

It's rarely that hot here in the UK but we've had a few over 35C hot days this year. I still wear long sleves and long trousers in the heat. I've seen what sun stroke does. We rescued a few people who jollied off to run in the mountains in stupid temperatures. Had a couple of people die.

 

[MaryJanet]

Have a safe trip and a nice holiday ! Glad Kraai found her place within your flock

Love this says a lot about the world we live in!

Now you have me questioning if hatching a chick that has and abnormal slow growth may have something to do with the fact that Chipie brooded in the darkest corner of the coop .

They are both stunning and I say this even though I don't like the looks of silkies.

Please don't, coconut oil will not stop UV harming your skin, quite the opposite !

In my extremist opinion, the only reasonable thing to do is to split things. If you go to the sea for swimming don't bathe in the sun, keep your clothes on and put them back on after swimming. If you go sunbathing ...don't go feeding chemicals to all sea life.
If you really, really intend to do both many beaches have shower. Take a shower before going swimming and the best would be to use neutral soap like Castille or Marseille to get the sunscreen off.
During the 13 years I lived in Nice I only went a few times at the beach during the day- always went before 8am or after 7pm!

Where I live, the sun burns skin through the water so sunblock while swimming is necessary. Even though I live near the water, I only swim in it rarely.

Also, the microplastic tracking website shared by @BDutch listed a reef safe sunblock with a green light. So that one would be ok.

 

[MaryJanet]

Where I live, the sun burns skin through the water so sunblock while swimming is necessary. Even though I live near the water, I only swim in it rarely.

Also, the microplastic tracking website shared by @BDutch listed a reef safe sunblock with a green light. So that one would be ok.

Taxes.