Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[pennyJo1960]

I know how fortunate we are to not have a loss from the air.
I don't want to jinx myself. I know there is many places in their yard to hide also.

 

[ManueB]

ooh - got wordle in 2 today! never managed that before.

Now I tried wordle because of you for the first time and I'm afraid this is going to be a new addiction .

Large Aerial Predator

There has been a large, elusive hawk around here a few times lately. Today I finally got to see it out in the open, as it was fighting with the resident red shouldered hawk and a pair of ravens was trying to drive them both off. They were successful, and it was quite a sight!

I just don’t know what the other hawk was. It was larger than the red shouldered hawk, but did not appear to be a red tailed hawk, which is the largest species of hawk around here. Perhaps it was a light morph and that’s why I couldn’t see a red tail. I described it online to the local community and somebody suggested it could be a goshawk. However, I don’t think we have those here. I’m sure curious to know if that’sca possibility, and I remember, Shad, that they were the biggest threat to the chickens where you used to live. The chickens here have been very common, and they’re very nervous lately pair. Sometimes they will not come out of the run when I open the gate, and sometimes even decline to come out of the coop itself. I assumed they were afraid of the red shouldered hawk that lives here, but now I’m wondering if it’s more about this even larger raptor. Sorry, no photo of the hawks, but here, are my feathered friends. For some reason they are very interested in their old bunny run. I think they feel safe and protected and there is a change of scenery from their own run. I personally think the rest of the yard is a lot more interesting.

View attachment 3366554

I have the same issue. We had a hawk attack on the 24 of december and though the hen, Blanche, had only what seemed as superficial wounds she is not doing good, and her team is terrified. The small rooster Théo is completely stressed out. They stay in the coop or in the run for a good part of the day. I feel a bit sad too that they have this behaviour, but on the other hand if they were completely careless I would also worry about letting them be outside. Tell yourself they are showing life survival instinct.
I'm not good enough at identifying hawks to know if it was a goshawk. Since it crawled under our very dense laurel tree to get to her, it seems likely. I don't know if any other hawks are able to walk in such intricate vegetation. They are not counted as endemic here by the bird reserve we are close to, though.

Yesterday my other rooster Gaston alerted me again to the lone golden eagle flying above the garden, that I mentioned on my thread a few days ago. This unfortunately makes my initial theory likely - the couple that live three thousand feet above in the mountains had a juvenile this year, and it may have come to live at a lower altitude.

It stayed dry today but there were 45mph wind gusts and after forty five minutes they mainly kept under the coop hoop.
There were pellets in the feed tray when I got there and none were particularly hungry until I got the mackerel out.
I take a tin which means the five get a lot more then they did when there were twenty and more even though I took two tins then. Henry gets a reasonable share now.
I cleaned the coop out and scraped the floor and roost bars. If it stays dryish I'll get the coop run door done finally.
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So being fewer does mean they get a better quality of life on some points, feed and space at least. It's sad that C. took in so many chickens.
Henry has become your pal. Could it be he knows there are some similarities between the two of you ?

 

[Perris]

Now I tried wordle because of you for the first time and I'm afraid this is going to be a new addiction

But as it's a once daily thing, it can't overtake your time

 

[GregnLety]

Roosters for @Shadrach, the lavender Orringtons are father and son

 

[Marie2020]

View attachment 3366844
Here we have a lot of goodies too.

. What is it? It looks yummy

 

[Marie2020]

Hr does, lots.

 

[Shadrach]

I think that says a lot about her health, Shad! He woukd not want to further hus genes wuth an unhealthy hen, right?

I don't think it works like that.
Henry will mate with any hen that lets him. It's the hens that decide whether a mating leads to producing offspring.
The hen can refuse a roosters advances. She can eject his sperm. She can not go broody sit and hatch and finally she can kill any chicks that hatch.
There are lots of subtleties involved but essentially the furthering of the species is in the hands of the hen. A horrifying prospect I know but that's how it is.

 

[Shadrach]

Henry has become your pal. Could it be he knows there are some similarities between the two of you ?

I think it's more probable that Henry feels sorry for me. After all what hen is going to want to mate with some ugly featherless inept human when he's about.

 

[BDutch]

. What is it? It looks yummy

It’s a white sangria, with ice, mint, slices of orange and apple in it. And probably sugar or a sweet white wine because it was rather sweet. Looks and tastes like a cocktail but has less alcohol and half the price.

Edit + mint.

 

[BDutch]

But as it's a once daily thing, it can't overtake your time

I’m addicted to one of these games from time to time too. Now its Toon blast that takes too much of my time. .
I can play it without internet connection too (with less goodies). If you ever played Candy crush and liked it, you will like this one too.