Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[ManueB]

From what I've read, many people who keep female only chicken groups establish routines, have some hens that will lap sit, others that they pick up on a regular basis. Feeding habits are almost always a problem as can be egg collecting and coop cleaning etc etc.

Not always, but often enough, having a rooster, particulalry a rooster new to the group means the keeper has to adjust these habits for some months while gaining the trust of the rooster. Gaining the trust of a rooster is rather different to gaining the trust of a hen because the rooster isn't just looking out for himself. He has to assess the risk to the hens as well as himself. I've very rarely had a hen that will try to flog you if you do something they don't like (the exceptions to this were some broody hens with young chicks). I've had plenty of new roosters get very stressed by me doing something out of habit.

So this is possibly going to be a problem. I don't think one can raise roosters the same as hens and have a high probability of a sucessfull outcome. It's something I've written here often which is imo the root cause of many of the later problems people come to BYC with on rooster behaviour.

Rooster/cockerels are not male hens.

For people who free range this isn't so much of an issue, territories are less well defined so encroachment on is less likely to elicit a hostile response from any males.
Food is less of an issue for free rangers and that reduces stress when keepers supply food.
There are lots of things of this nature that many people don't take into account.
They've had no reason to with female only groups.
Usually the rooster just moves the group away. A rooster in a run can't really do this. The run option rather than fight option isn't there.

I know that some people don't have any problem, but if they do, the above and more are likely to be the root cause.

So, my concern is having a rooster will disturb the relationship you have with your hens and you may not like this.

I have only two roosters so I don't know how significant my experience is, but for me bringing in a three months cockerel, Théo, in a hen only-flock didn't work well. The hens did not accept him and he was too small to assert. It took him months to take his place as a rooster. The hens saw us as as their roosters or food provider or whatever, so he obviously saw us as competitors, even though we made an effort of not picking them up, adjusting the way we give treats, and food. He was afraid of us from the beginning although I spent a lot of time with them and he remained afraid of us.
It's still a problem with him in certain situations, for example when I refill the feeder, or if we are too close to one another in a place where he can not easily move away from me, like if I have to go in the run and he is in the entrance. Like I mentioned before he is very tiny and beautiful and I love him nonetheless, but I don't feel we get along well and he looks to be often stressed out.
My other rooster Gaston has hatched here and grown with his three hatch mates seeing a senior a rooster and adult hens that know what a rooster is. He is completely different, more calm, and more trusting of us. He is not human friendly and we don't pick his hens up or treat them directly when he's around, but if we have to do it he lets us.
I've been too long but what I'm trying to get at is that what's always said that a cockerel will be better educated if there are adult hens, works only if the hens know what a rooster is. I think in a hen only flock it may be best to bring an adult rooster that already knows his job.

We are waiting to see if we will be able to keep all 4 of the cockerels at the farm. (About 50 pullets/mature hens). They are now 100% free range from dawn til dusk, and have over 100 acres to explore (although they seem to stay near the house/coops). The boys have started integrating with the older hens, and I was there today watching them try to “woo”. One of them was doing the foot shuffle/dropped wing next to a few, but no takers. Looks like the old girls are teaching them some respect and how to treat a lady. There are two barns, one houses the 20 or so older hens, the other the 30ish 7 month pullets.

So far, so good. A few of the girls will willingly squat, and others have enough room to run away. Family decided they can all stay unless:
1. A person gets attacked
2. The boys draw blood on each other
3. A boy causes extreme stress on any of the girls consistently

I am hopeful that the available range space and two barns will help them learn to coexist in one big flock or a bunch of smaller co-flocks. The EE twin boys are inseparable and tend to hang w the older girls. The most dominant OE cock has established himself as the leader…first to crow, will take treats and call the girls, and most of the pullets willingly crouch for him. The BO cock is very laid back, is extremely docile, seems to have 1-2 girlfriends, and stays out of the way of the other boys. I spent a few hours there today, and had a lovely view from the kitchen window of chickens just chickening in the (cold) sunshine.

This is going very well and you must be really happy about it !
I think one has to be clear about what it means to be attacked by a rooster. It's obvious from all the rooster threads that not everyone defines it the same way. I'm the first to be guilty of using the word attack when Théo comes threateningly at me but stops short and turns around. I don't consider this, or an ankle peck that doesn't hurt, to be an attack. So I would discuss with your folks, especially since you have children around, where you draw the line. I see a lot of ritualized threats like with human teenagers that doesn't actually amount to anything

Have you ever made a dust bath with one of those plastic tubs you're using as nest boxes? I've got a 40 litre plastic tub I've been thinking of drilling drain hole in the bottom and sinking about half way into the ground and filling with sieve earth to make a dust bath in the coop run.

My exact question, I was wondering if the allotment chickens had an opportunity to dustbathe in winter. You are thinking of leaving it open to rain hoping it drains ? I think this would only work if there was no rain for a least a week. We have the wooden barrel the chickens use for dustbathing that do drain as they are not tightly assembled, and if we don't cover them they take days to dry up.
I've seen just what you describe on french forums but the people leave it covered when it rains (it's outside).

 

[ManueB]

Théo

Gaston

 

[Perris]

I am hopeful that the available range space and two barns will help them learn to coexist in one big flock or a bunch of smaller co-flocks

If I remember aright, chickens can identify up to about 60 other individuals, which is why that's the number they use for colony cages - maximum size for a flock whose members recognize each other as 'one of us'. That, and having two barns, makes me think yours are likely to split into two flocks, if not more; I look forward to your updates on how it develops

 

[Perris]

Three of the chickens sources I've found are known to people that have come to the allotments that keep, or know someone who keeps chickens. One more from a friend of mine.

That makes sense. Maybe one of them supplied Henry and Matilda...? And the geese? (unless that so-called rescue outfit deal in more than ex-batts). I find it very hard to track down proper breeders, and the ones I've found are widely scattered.

 

[Perris]

I went a bit underdressed today for some unknown reason; I knew it was going to be cold.

I think you were lulled into a false sense of security by our ridiculously mild winter thus far. All the plants that had burst their buds were too, so it's not just you.

 

[Ladies-Eight]

Ex Batts good morning one and all!

51 sunny 76% humidity feels like 45 rain 0%.

Have a great day!

 

[Shadrach]

I have only two roosters so I don't know how significant my experience is, but for me bringing in a three months cockerel, Théo, in a hen only-flock didn't work well. The hens did not accept him and he was too small to assert. It took him months to take his place as a rooster. The hens saw us as as their roosters or food provider or whatever, so he obviously saw us as competitors, even though we made an effort of not picking them up, adjusting the way we give treats, and food. He was afraid of us from the beginning although I spent a lot of time with them and he remained afraid of us.
It's still a problem with him in certain situations, for example when I refill the feeder, or if we are too close to one another in a place where he can not easily move away from me, like if I have to go in the run and he is in the entrance. Like I mentioned before he is very tiny and beautiful and I love him nonetheless, but I don't feel we get along well and he looks to be often stressed out.
My other rooster Gaston has hatched here and grown with his three hatch mates seeing a senior a rooster and adult hens that know what a rooster is. He is completely different, more calm, and more trusting of us. He is not human friendly and we don't pick his hens up or treat them directly when he's around, but if we have to do it he lets us.
I've been too long but what I'm trying to get at is that what's always said that a cockerel will be better educated if there are adult hens, works only if the hens know what a rooster is. I think in a hen only flock it may be best to bring an adult rooster that already knows his job.

This is going very well and you must be really happy about it !
I think one has to be clear about what it means to be attacked by a rooster. It's obvious from all the rooster threads that not everyone defines it the same way. I'm the first to be guilty of using the word attack when Théo comes threateningly at me but stops short and turns around. I don't consider this, or an ankle peck that doesn't hurt, to be an attack. So I would discuss with your folks, especially since you have children around, where you draw the line. I see a lot of ritualized threats like with human teenagers that doesn't actually amount to anything

My exact question, I was wondering if the allotment chickens had an opportunity to dustbathe in winter. You are thinking of leaving it open to rain hoping it drains ? I think this would only work if there was no rain for a least a week. We have the wooden barrel the chickens use for dustbathing that do drain as they are not tightly assembled, and if we don't cover them they take days to dry up.
I've seen just what you describe on french forums but the people leave it covered when it rains (it's outside).

It would need a cover/ lifted roof.

 

[Shadrach]

If I remember aright, chickens can identify up to about 60 other individuals, which is why that's the number they use for colony cages - maximum size for a flock whose members recognize each other as 'one of us'. That, and having two barns, makes me think yours are likely to split into two flocks, if not more; I look forward to your updates on how it develops

109 at last count I believe.

 

[Shadrach]

That makes sense. Maybe one of them supplied Henry and Matilda...? And the geese? (unless that so-called rescue outfit deal in more than ex-batts). I find it very hard to track down proper breeders, and the ones I've found are widely scattered.

I doubt I will ever get a proper history of the chickens that have come and gone here.

 

[Shadrach]

I got a bit carried away with the pictures; sun stroke probably.
It didn't get much above freezing but the sun shone.
The geeting on arrival.

Out in the run.