Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Solanacae]

View attachment 3378055

Estella will exhibit the same behavior with Genevieve. While they are the same age, Estella came here quite a bit smaller than Genevieve. For a while I thought the chicken hoarder guy had given faulty information, but the difference in size is less noticeable now that they’ve had a couple months here. Estella would duck under Genevieve when she was cold or startled/stressed, like what a chick instinctively does with its mother. Considering the size difference and lack of a hen, I guess it was the best the poor thing could do. She doesn’t do it as often now, but I still see it on occasion. Genevieve is remarkably patient with it.

 

[micstrachan]

I was going to add a few comments to this but those I thought of wouldn't pass the family friendly requirement.
Fret does this trying to bury herself under Henry a lot. When they roost it's quite usual for Fret to bury herself under one of Henry's wings.

Sunshine used to do that in my armpit.

 

[micstrachan]

Cold and mostly sunny.
Food tray was empty when I arrived. They were a little bit hungry so I'll assume there was either enough with what I left in the tray last night or C had fed them.
I fed the geese as well, just in case. C arrived bringing a bag of feed and changed the water on the goose run.
A few moments after C had left, Carbon went into full alert mode; neck out, head up and I was lucky to look down the field just as a fox trotted through the gate, along the bottom of the field where I lost sight due to a pile of wood. All five headed back to the coop once the danger had past.
What would help me is if I could remember which eye sees long distance and which eye works close up. For a human a 180 degree fast scan is a lot easier and quicker than a full 360 degree.
They came back out after a few minutes. Time to get some new elastic for my slingshot.View attachment 3379034View attachment 3379035

Taken through the pop door instead a the large back door.
Henry has moved along the perch. He's been one perch space away from the wall with the main door in since moving in.
View attachment 3379033

Yes, please tune up that slingshot!

 

[ManueB]

Yes!

Tax
View attachment 3378880
View attachment 3378878
Chickens waiting for food while I clean and refresh the nestboxes.

Is the brown red chicken in the middle standard size ? It looks a lot bigger than the others.
You have been mentioning getting new chickens this spring, I was wondering if you have lost some, or if you are up sizing ?

Cold and mostly sunny.
Food tray was empty when I arrived. They were a little bit hungry so I'll assume there was either enough with what I left in the tray last night or C had fed them.
I fed the geese as well, just in case. C arrived bringing a bag of feed and changed the water on the goose run.
A few moments after C had left, Carbon went into full alert mode; neck out, head up and I was lucky to look down the field just as a fox trotted through the gate, along the bottom of the field where I lost sight due to a pile of wood. All five headed back to the coop once the danger had past.
What would help me is if I could remember which eye sees long distance and which eye works close up. For a human a 180 degree fast scan is a lot easier and quicker than a full 360 degree.
They came back out after a few minutes. Time to get some new elastic for my slingshot.View attachment 3379034View attachment 3379035

Taken through the pop door instead a the large back door.
Henry has moved along the perch. He's been one perch space away from the wall with the main door in since moving in.
View attachment 3379033

Far sight is left, starts with the letter F also present in left... and fox.

 

[BDutch]

Is the brown red chicken in the middle standard size ? It looks a lot bigger than the others.
You have been mentioning getting new chickens this spring, I was wondering if you have lost some, or if you are up sizing ?

Far sight is left, starts with the letter F also present in left... and fox.

The brown one, Katrientje, is a bamtam Red (rir). She weighs about 850-900 gr. The Dutch are a bit heavier as standard size for competitions and weigh about 500. - 550 gr. These tiny bantams are about the size of a pigeon. So yes, Katrientje is a lot bigger.

In 2021 after 3 bantam Reds hatched I had 7 hens and 3 chicks. I had to give away the cockerel and lost 4 chickens since.
1 Dutch 7 yo was killed by a fox,
1 naine de Tournaisis 3 yo probably died after an internal infection (she was laying eggs without shell from time to time)
1 Tournaisis 4yo found dead (she was perfectly fine the evening before).
1 Red 1 yo vanished free ranging.

After the arrival of Kraai last summer I have 6 small hens who lay small eggs. 4 of them are oldies and poor layers. For maintenance and because I don’t like buying commercial eggs I want a few more small bantam hens about the size of the others. I have enough space for 9 small bantam hens.

The bantam Reds are good layers, I love Katrientje for that. But they are not as good in fleeing as my Dutch and this is important too to give them a happy life, for several years. So I was searching what’s available and made a plan. Try to buy fertilised eggs when I have a broody and let my Dutch hatch a few bantam Vorwerk or a few Dutch chicks. Maybe both. Looking forward to it but nothing is certain and time will tell what will succeed.

 

[Perris]

remember this?

look at him now

the baby tree-hugger is all grown up. Surprisingly (to me at least) his colouring is actually not bad camouflage in there; it's his comb (and crowing) that gives him away

 

[Ladies-Eight]

Ex Batts good morning one and all!

59 fog 87% humidity feels like 56 rain 13%.

Have a great day!

 

[Iluveggers]

Little Roser found a new place to lay….guess she decided she didn’t like the nest boxes she’s been using after all. She’s the only one small enough to fit under there. It’s about 5 inches of head space. Yes, she did lay her egg there.

 

[Perris]

Yes!

Tax
View attachment 3378880
View attachment 3378878
Chickens waiting for food while I clean and refresh the nestboxes.

thanks for the link; I found it very interesting.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Mr Smudge on photo bomb he does so well.
Hello Yes a female is is a allot more trouble.