Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Shadrach]

This was breakfast. There is one other feed tray not shown. Freshly dropped birdseed under the pallet. The layers pellets in the feed bin hadn't been disturbed from how I left them last night. I don't think the bin had even been opened because the round tray with some layer pellets left in it that were left over from last night was still there.

It's cold at the fields so I've fixed another tarpaulin over the coop roof and this gives an air gap, or will when I finish it properly which should act as insulation and help prevent any condensation on the inside of the coop roof.

 

[Molpet]

Should I keep the thread going once this is all done?

Yes
It will either be a social thread or die a natural death.

 

[MaryJanet]

Wow. That's quite a bombshell. I didn't see that coming. Need time to process for a considered response. In the meantime,

Likewise. It's huge news.

 

[BDutch]

X2 speechless too. Others probably can react more wisely in English as I would. For a native Dutch as me its difficult to give a proper reaction on whats happening over there.

Two things for sure:
I do hope everything will work out nicely for you and the chickens.
And of course you don’t have to stop the thread if the chickens find another home.

 

[bruceha2000]

What are you going to do with yourself when there are no more chickens @Shadrach? They have been a big part of your life for so many years.

 

[no fly zone]

Well, that sucks. Hope all the chickens find good homes, especially Henry.

 

[Iluveggers]

After reading your post a few times, I’m sad and relieved all at the same time after reading your post Shad. I know how much time and effort you put in. But if there is no support when you can’t be there…I think you might be right.

Assuming you find good homes for them, that is. It’s very sad that there isn’t someone reliable who will step up and help. I think it could have been reasonable at a smaller number, but the continued additions without continued financial and/or time from anyone else has made it very difficult. As someone with a small flock, I get frustrated by the lack of light & weather conditions, and they are at my home where I am every day. (Yea I am one of the crazies that will sit on a stool in the freezing cold or pouring rain with my ladies). I can’t imagine adding travel by unreliable public transport to the allotment, along with travel back home every evening. You have put so much time into it.

I wonder if there is any way you could keep a few birds in the allotments in the run with the new constraints, or if that would even be an option. Hopefully someone will screen any potential new owners and find loving, responsible homes.

You have done these birds such a service, providing their favorite time of the day, and the ability to wander about and “be chickens”. You have fed them, medicated them, sheltered them…and given them more than anyone else in their lives.

I find myself tearing up and now I’m talking in circles. Communication through writing is not one of my strongpoints. I hope what I meant to say is conveyed well enough….and I’m very sorry this is happening the way it is.

 

[ManueB]

I'm very surprised, like everyone else.
I agree with @Iluveggers.

I also wonder if the current circumstances could work for 5 or 6 chickens including Henry if C. could be convinced. They wouldn't be out more but the feed and health problems would be easier to handle.

It won't be quick to re-home 19 chickens especially if one is honest about their age and the fact that they need health care. But I also agree with you that most should find better keeping conditions.
Still it's heartbreaking that it should come to this.

 

[MaryJanet]

it's heartbreaking that it should come to this.

Yes, in so many ways.

Heartbreaking for the chickens.

Heartbreaking for the utter disrespect of what Shad's done to improve the lives of the hens.

Heartbreaking that C can't recognise the limits of their abilities/availability and relinquish control to others. Imagine how relieved C would be if they let others take over.

 

[Marie2020]

C has decided to re-home the geese and chickens. This may change, but I think it’s going to happen.

In C’s words, “they are too much bother and expense.”

A lot depends on what their new homes are like but this hopefully will be a good thing.

My View.
If one is going to keep chickens then they should be kept to some kind of standard. If you can’t achieve the standard then don’t keep chickens.
Even with the work, time and money I’ve put in we are not achieving even a minimum standard of care.


These are all Ex battery and rescue chickens apart form Fret who C paid for. The Ex Battery hens are in my view retirees and/or palliative care patients. The standard of care for them should be set higher. These are, as someone in the group put it, retired hens. Retirement should at least mean (being retired I have a view on the subject) free from hunger and cold, adequately housed, provided with medical care etc.

At the moment even with my bag a month, more recently every six weeks, they are not getting properly fed. I pointed out the maths of this to the group. C told the group they buy 3 bags of feed a month. C complains about that. Then I did the maths and on the minimum recommended quantities from the feed manufactures we were two bags and a bit short; closer to 50% short in fact if my contribution is deducted. Then there is the problem of what they get fed.

I showed the group what 26 chickens in the old coop looked like at roost time. It makes battery conditions look spacious. Apparently they were a bit shocked. It shows just how little any of them have to do with the chickens. It was C’s partner who took care of the chickens until three years ago and from the pictures that were posted on the fields website the stocking density and keeping conditions they did a reasonable job.

When one adds the state of the run, C’s complete lack of construction skills and their lack of chicken knowledge right down to not knowing where a hens crop is and outright refusal to use vet care for any problem, health care didn’t feature until I went there. A couple of group members in the past have pointed out the chickens and coops had mites and C had the usual meltdown response. Not really what one wants as a retiree chicken. It’s not like they have nice pointed beak to pick them off with because they had their beaks cut.

I’ve been told by most of the members that if C was to hand over the field to the group or another competent member they would participate in the care of the field and any livestock. Most of them live within walking distance. While C is there those that last more than a year either leave the group, or just don’t bother with anything other than their own plot.

I could and would and am doing so, make up any feed shortage but what I can’t do is make sure they get fed it.

With the current state of the run, I was asked to cost what it would cost to make the run rat proof so feed could be left out all day. Nobody liked the sound of that.

C works shifts. They travel on public transport. Sometimes the journey time to and form work is an hour each way. The shift lengths vary from eight to twelve hours. Today sunrise was at 8am and sunset at 4pm. It just isn’t possible for C to feed the chickens twice in the daylight which is when most of them will eat even if the shift is a day shift. Nobody in the group is prepared to do it. A few have in the past that I know of.

An added problem is none of the group I’ve spoken to trust C. They have been concerned about financial accountability for some time. I think that if the field group had control of finances and took the what to spend on decisions most of them would happily donate as my fundraise for the woodchip demonstrated, which I’m refunding due to the change in circumstances.

I spoke to a couple of the group members this evening when I took their donation refund round. They think under the circumstances it is cruelty to keep the chickens and geese in the current circumstances.

I can’t help but agree with them. Before I arrived the chickens might have got out for a few hours at the weekend if C was working in the allotments. Now they are out two hours or more daily. Even at my most optimistic I can’t see anyone standing out in all weathers for a couple of hours a day governed by the movement of the sun. It’s just not going to happen. As C pointed out in their rant, you would need to be a halfwit to do such a thing. I think they were referring to me.

Finally, the DEFRA recommendations are going to be tightened up we are informed and while pets may be given exemptions, registered smallholdings with declared livestock will not be. The field is a registered livestock smallholding. This will mean at the bare minimum the livestock confined to a covered run if not confined to the coop. Apparently the smallholder who is found to be in breach of the new regulation risks having their smallholding license revoked. This would put the field back into council hands and they want to build on it.

Even with my new coop alterations keeping 19 chickens in that space is as bad as battery conditions.

I know some of the group have been talking to C and have concerns about C’s mental health. Perhaps C has been made to accept the reality of the situation.

C has said they intend to keep two, or three chickens in their back garden. They do have enough space.

All I can hope for is the chickens go to someone who will care for them properly. Of course I will miss them but if they have even a chance of a better life than they have now it must be a good thing.

From what I've seen here you have done amazingly well under dire circumstances. This is really sad news, I'm really sorry shadrach I'm really concerned how these birds will be rehomed.

Please forgive my saying, I'm so glad I will never meet C, for her sake because she wouldn't like what I would say to her...If I worked in animal control she wouldn't be permitted to keep animals of any kind.

As I stated at the beginning of this thread Pear Tree Farm who “rescues” these spent hens should never have allowed C to have them in the first place.

Absolutely, it's worrying...I hope their staff have improved since making that blunder

I’ve been asked by one group member and one other so far if I would be prepared to help with their chickens a couple of days a week.

They'd be really lucky if you say yes.

I’m going to think about it.

I imagine it will take some time to re home them so there will still be chicken pictures and news from me for a while.

"Should I keep the thread going once this is all done?"

Most definitely imo