Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Cat Ballou]

it's a bit paradoxical that there's safety in numbers, suggesting stick together, but if the alarm goes up they all scatter in different directions. I guess from the flock perspective it's deterrence in the first case and spreading the risk if deterrence fails.

Gaston has really filled out and grown into those long legs! Are you coming around to the idea that some of us have long had that actually he's quite a handsome chap?

My young flock stunned me when I noticed they would spin around like a water ballet

 

[MaryJanet]

It's why I think it's much more complicated than the simplified pecking order explanation.

I agree.

For a long time, three of the four hens at my house have had what I call an egalitarian pecking circle, with Ivy outside the circle and pecked by everyone. Janet pecks Peggy, Peggy pecks Mary, Mary pecks Janet. Mary is the biggest and Janet is the oldest, while Peggy is the smallest and youngest.

 

[Shadrach]

Dodged the rain. It felt almost warm sitting in the sun for the first hour or so.
I've been scraping out some of the wettest top layer of mud in the worst areas.
There was feed in the feeder when I got there.

 

[BDutch]

@Shadrach I’ve been thinking. Is it possible that C prefers to keep it this way? That she isn’t keen on having a rooster in her backyard and likes it that you come to the allotment 6 days a week?

Yesterday I finally did see a flock of backyard chickens. I took my phone for a picture, but then a dog spotted us and started to bark showing he was not amused. So again no chickens to share.

The landscape 10 km north of Castro Marim. You can see the bridge between Portugal and Spain in the distance.

Nature is much more alive here in winter than it is in summer. Flowers, green grasses, ripe oranges, almond blossoms… The weather is great for a hike or to enjoy a drink and some food on a terrace. Again is was 18C and sunny until 4pm.

 

[ManueB]

Gaston has really filled out and grown into those long legs! Are you coming around to the idea that some of us have long had that actually he's quite a handsome chap?

I think all chickens are beautiful, roosters especially. I say Gaston is an ordinary looking cockerel, because he doesn't have the variety of colours other roosters do, he is just plain brown, and he has a short tail. But to my eyes he remains a sweet gorgeous teddy bear, I have to remind myself that he is a proud dominant animal one should treat with respect and caution.

 

[Ladies-Eight]

Ex Batts good morning one and all!

49 sunny 80% humidity feels like 47 rain 0%.

@Shadrach Has C finally gotten the importance of feeding the chickens the right kind of food?

Have a great day!

 

[no fly zone]

Skeksis finally laid an egg again. Her first since the last week of September.

 

[Shadrach]

@Shadrach I’ve been thinking. Is it possible that C prefers to keep it this way? That she isn’t keen on having a rooster in her backyard and likes it that you come to the allotment 6 days a week?

I think C is so capricious it would be hard to say. The current arangement is best for the chickens even if I don't go everyday.

 

[Shadrach]

Ex Batts good morning one and all!

49 sunny 80% humidity feels like 47 rain 0%.

@Shadrach Has C finally gotten the importance of feeding the chickens the right kind of food?

Have a great day!

Well, they're getting pellets rather than bird seed so that's a start. If I could persuade them to stick to one type rather than what's cheap or convenient to buy it would help.

 

[Iluveggers]

Nice weekend hovering around freezing temps. Let the girls out to do some work today. This time i brought my shovel and pulled a few spent plants that were still in the garden. It was hilarious. Usually everyone spreads out and I have to keep an eye that they don’t jump my little barrier into the garlic planting (they pulled the tops of a couple sprouts before the barrier went up), but I didn’t even need a barrier today! They sat and waited to see what goodness came out from under my shovel as I worked. At one point I had 6 in the 4x8 space with the other 4 within 2 feet of it. All 6 are in this pic (you can see the feet barely in the top)!