Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

I visited the writer / breeder of the article to buy bantam Breakel eggs from him. He lives in the south of the Netherlands and I thought the Breakels where an amazing breed I needed to have. 🤩

Seeing them in real and observing their behaviour, I decided not wanting the Breakels anymore. These Braekels were fenced but still tried to get away from me as far as possible. They were very nervous and skittish.
Wow! what a small world! The skittishness is commonly reported of the breed, so I think my Ida must have an aberrant set of genes, because she's not skittish at all. In fact she's quite quick to pop in the house if the opportunity presents itself and she fancies some mealworms.
 
Nasty scare this morning: went out to poo pick the coops and a large hawk took off from the top of the plane tree that overlooks the main lawn here :eek:. No chicken in sight anywhere, and Maria screaming the alert. I found all the roos and mature hens on the other side of the house in or under the post-breakfast lounge tree, apparently oblivious to what was happening there.

After half an hour of anxious rummaging in beds and borders, I'm happy to report that all chicks are accounted for, even the lightest coloured one with a large white crest (who thus might as well have a target on her back). Phew. 😌 I do wish one of the sub roos would realize that one of them should be looking after the youngsters.
 
What I wanted to share was that in the US, anyway, the low baggy pants are a carryover from prison culture. Inmates have sexual urges and satisfy them in different ways - the lower your pants in a prison, the more an ‘invitation’ it is to other inmates. Most teenagers have no idea what it is that they are copying, they just see older, “cooler” people wearing clothes a certain way and mimic it.

Wow, this thread is truly informative. I learn so much every day.

I also refrain from commenting as I browse. I succeeded at baggy pants round 1, but not second round. Tax:

Tina helps me with work this morning:
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Tina's daughter(s) on the deck (at least one of them is her daughter, the other not sure):
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Seeing them in real and observing their behaviour, I decided not wanting the Breakels anymore. These Braekels were fenced but still tried to get away from me as far as possible. They were very nervous and skittish.
Campines are the birds I have ~ related & so prone to skittishness I was warned off them both times I went to buy. However if you have the time & are patient they can be handled without major dramas. This is my Aoife.
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And Ha'penny. 😊
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Not lap chickens but both sociable with me. Ha'penny is close to knowing her name. I am always calling her when she fence hops. 🙄 And she usually gets treats for returning where she belongs. I think a lot has to do with how the keeper relates. All my older birds were tamed by feeding treats by hand. The bantams aren't so skittish.​
 
Campines are the birds I have ~ related & so prone to skittishness I was warned off them both times I went to buy. However if you have the time & are patient they can be handled without major dramas. This is my Aoife.View attachment 3250798

And Ha'penny. 😊
View attachment 3250801
Not lap chickens but both sociable with me. Ha'penny is close to knowing her name. I am always calling her when she fence hops. 🙄 And she usually gets treats for returning where she belongs. I think a lot has to do with how the keeper relates. All my older birds were tamed by feeding treats by hand. The bantams aren't so skittish.​
I said I wouldn't let the hens out into the allotments untill mid September after the last time. Some people still have a few delicate veg growing. The allotment crew let me down badly today. C came to visit for a while. I was standing on the inside of the allotment run gate and C on the other. I'm sort of gate leaning country style with my arms folded and the next thing I know there's an Ex Battery hen perched next to me, then another and the next flew straight over. I opened the gate to usher the one on the outside in and the two on the gate jumped down on the outisde and headed off into the nearest patch.
Next theng I know one of the hens did the right chaps lets make a run for it call and they all came steaming through the gate, Henry sauntering along at the back.
I looked at C and sort of shrugged my shoulders.:D
 
That's how Ida's been won over perhaps, but she is nevertheless less skittish than 2 out of 3 Penedesenca hens.
When I went to the National Park next North of where I lived I used to see farms with Penedesencas in the yard. I only ever saw the black ones.
 
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