Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Shadrach]

I don't think I've posted this before. There are a lot of observations in this, often coming to the least likey conclusion, but they've been watching chickens behave.
They've recognised the chickens preference for cover. They've got the 50 metre radius reasonably close. They've heard the egg song and seen the effect on the rooster. They've seen the rooster escorting the hens. They've even seen the preference for their own breed.

https://chicken-yard.net/chicken-behavioral-research/

 

[Shadrach]

9C and mostly dry.
No feed in the tray.

This gives an idea of the state of the allotment run.

We did some weeding on my plot and a couple of others.

 

[BDutch]

I don't think I've posted this before. There are a lot of observations in this, often coming to the least likey conclusion, but they've been watching chickens behave.
They've recognised the chickens preference for cover. They've got the 50 metre radius reasonably close. They've heard the egg song and seen the effect on the rooster. They've seen the rooster escorting the hens. They've even seen the preference for their own breed.

https://chicken-yard.net/chicken-behavioral-research/

Mine don’t go further than about 25 meters. But small bantams. So the 50 m for ex-bats is not strange in comparison.

Yesterday I put some pumpkin peel and other veggie peel in the blender/cutter. The chickens never wanted to eat the peels. But they do like them if cut to small pieces.

 

[Jojosine]

Hello Jojosine. Do you live on the coast?

We don't even live near the coast. We live inland, but up a hill and the glen (valley) funnels the wind towards our house. Every year we wonder what the wind has in mind to destroy this time.

 

[Jojosine]

9C and mostly dry.
No feed in the tray.
View attachment 3395721
This gives an idea of the state of the allotment run.
View attachment 3395720
We did some weeding on my plot and a couple of others.
View attachment 3395717View attachment 3395716View attachment 3395719
View attachment 3395715View attachment 3395714

Nice rooster! White Sussex?

 

[Ladies-Eight]

Ex Batts good morning one and all!

54 cloudy 95% humidity feels like 57 rain 32%.

Have a great day!

 

[Perris]

I have just witnessed Coed (the pheasant) trying to mate Quenell (SFH pullet); she was not impressed, but didn't run far away either. His self-integration efforts are reaching new heights!

 

[Solanacae]

What are they putting in the feed to prevent egg laying?

I had heard the same thing the other day.

I’ve seen this on the local chicken FB page. Generally accompanied by the statement that they switched feed two days previous and now they’re getting eggs. I’m considering making responses that I can copy and paste, like how do determine if a hen is laying, and the fact that switching feed does not immediately affect a chicken, it takes a while (more than two days) for you to see it’s impact in the health/laying status of a bird. Also the fact that, while it may only take a couple days from releasing a developed yolk from the ovary to landing in the nesting box, it takes a while for that yolk to mature in the ovary. Switching the feed and getting eggs within a day or two is correlation and not causation, and the weather/daylight have far more impact than the poster is giving credit.

This is how the majority of people view hens, even here on BYC.
Some come to like the chicken through experience but the majority of these initially got them for the eggs they lay.

I got mine for eggs. I’d been wanting them for years but couldn’t get my husband on board until the 2020 pandemic shutdowns left grocery shelves bare of all sorts of things, including eggs. Of course the grocery stores got eggs back in stock well before mine started laying, but I was happy to finally get them.

Tax in advance

They like boot snow and a fresh bag of leaves

I have a couple who live boot snow too.

 

[Solanacae]

Tax from the last few days:
I let everyone out to do a little work in the garden for me. First picture shows Estella and Genevieve trying to decide if the allure of the garden (which all the older chickens were super excited about) is worth walking past Sisko, who likes to trail after them and point when they stop walking. They ventured over after I put the dogs inside the house. Einstein and Curie needed no encouragement and were out with the big girls as soon as the gate was open.

Curie and Einstein preening.

Caramel really likes the seeds on the grasses along the rock wall that we want to get rid of. She's welcome eat as many as she'd like. The second picture is her mid-jump for some. It made me happy to see them out in the garden. Maybe they’ll find some overwintering squash bugs and eat them up for me.

Cordelia, looking really good - her comb wasn’t this bright all last year.

Just about everyone enjoying the midday sunshine.

 

[Shadrach]

Nice rooster! White Sussex?

Henry is a Light Sussex. I dread to think what a Heavy Sussex weighs. Henry weighs 4.4 Kg.
The Light Sussex breed comes in other colours as well as white.