Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[bruceha2000]

for example, don't give more than a handful of scratch daily for so many chickens

How big are your hands

My girls (20 currently) get a 5.5oz cat food can of BOSS in the morning and the same of scratch in the evening. They also get a 56(?) oz jar of layer feed morning and evening. I guess that approximates the 10%rule, quite by accident. No way they nicely make sure each hen gets an equal share of the treats.

When there isn't snow on the ground they go out and eat whatever they find of interest.

 

[Shadrach]

Are they yummy chicken-snack bugs?

I believe so. The only one that seems keen on the larger worms is Ella. Lima likesone of the tiny bugs that she finds under roosts mainly. Carbon and Fret will eat the smaller worms but there are two types of worms none of them touch.

 

[Shadrach]

feeling wistful? or am I taking the lyrics too seriously?

Maybe.
More like you are attributing the singing of the song by me but actually it's the rooster singing.

 

[Shadrach]

Yup, cool tune. A bit heavy on the compressor for the drums but nice bass line and yes I agree, very Ben Harperish. Not a bad thing in my book.

The rooster is Notch. I learn't a lot from Notch. He was a flogging monster when he was young. We got there in the end.

 

[Shadrach]

Of course they don't get it daily.

I found the sardines for $1.07 a can and the tuna for two dollars and change.

They will eat it off a fork.

Love to see a picture of the fork feeding.

 

[Shadrach]

do you have an aldi near by?

View attachment 3409999

In water. Good choice.

 

[Shadrach]

Dark humour and politics.

It may not be clear in the picture. This is an advertisment for a funeral directors business.

 

[Shadrach]

I know it's Sunday but I went to the allotments anyway. The sun shone a little, the temperature was 10C and there was minimal chance of rain. Go get them out!

A bit of feed left in the tray. I've got a reasonable idea of how much feed to leave if I plan on missing a day.

Seem to have got the worst of the stones out now. Three level wheelbarrow loads! Progress through the bushes should speed up now the chickens can get at the soil.

Ella stayed out most of the three hours I was there. I felt her crop at roost time again tonight and it felt a lot better than it has been recently.

 

[GregnLety]

Yup, cool tune. A bit heavy on the compressor for the drums but nice bass line and yes I agree, very Ben Harperish. Not a bad thing in my book.

The rooster is Notch. I learn't a lot from Notch. He was a flogging monster when he was young. We got there in the end.

Love a good rooster. I wasn't fond of Cholo in the beginning. Love to flog me but never my wife. We've made our peace, meaning he tolerates me better. He lost his lead hen 2 days ago and a second hen two weeks ago. I am not home to see how he is taking it. By happenstance my wife started a batch of eggs in the incubator the day before Gorda died in hopes of more hens for him. Gorda and Cholo below.

 

[Shadrach]

Love a good rooster. I wasn't fond of Cholo in the beginning. Love to flog me but never my wife. We've made our peace, meaning he tolerates me better. He lost his lead hen 2 days ago and a second hen two weeks ago. I am not home to see how he is taking it. By happenstance my wife started a batch of eggs in the incubator the day before Gorda died in hopes of more hens for him. Gorda and Cholo below.View attachment 3410100

I've had a few that wanted to take me on over the years. Notch came as a bit of a suprise because I had much more experience when he and his brother were hatched. Notch wanted to fight everybody. He got away with it for a while. Threw his brother Rip out of the tribe, terrorized the bantams until Mag had had enough and sorted him out. We had just got to an acceptable arrangement when he boke a spur off tight to the leg. He was running around spraying blood everywhere he went. I caught him and took him home. He sprayed blood all over the wall when he first got in and I just let him go to calm him down a bit.
Cut the spur off which was dangling by a bit of skin which helped even more to calm him down. I suppose he could feel it banging on his leg but didn't know what to do about it.
Anyway, got him clean up. stopped the bleeding while he was on my lap and coated the wound in Stockholm Hoof Tar. He never went for me again and I could just pick him up during the day from then on.