Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Shadrach]

I’m going to try that method! Those are tricky shots Shad, nicely done! I love how you can see Henry’s eye focused on your finger.

One of my Catalan chicken keeping friends had a head cam and he got some incredible pictures. Even with a camera in my pocket I miss so many interesting pictures.

 

[Iluveggers]

Rained all day today. Opened the door for the girls after work, and surprisingly they frolicked through the rain & mud. Just went out to close them back in the run, and they were soppy wet. It’s the second day we’ve had in the 50s, but it’s dropping down to 30 tomorrow morning around 6. Assuming theyll be dry by then. I’m over all this cold weather.

 

[Shadrach]

This is scottish humor ?

No, not humor. It's a statement of fact.
I started off with 26 and between relocation and death I'm left with five. I didn't get much of a say in any of it and neither did the chickens.
Add two I knew quite well of my sisters chickens. At my sisters I spend much of the day with the chickens there.
Say 23 chickens in the last eighteen months.
They were all my friends. I know they were my friends because they were who I chose to spend my time with.

 

[Shadrach]

That's exactly how my partner does it. With our more timid ex-batt Nougat he hands out the food openly in front for all the chickens to fight for, and in his back with his other hand he gives it discreetly to her in a closed fist like you do. She's very used to it so she goes straight behind him when there's some treat to be had.

I do it with all of them now; not every time, but at least once per visit. It has many advantages because it's a bit sneaky. I've found with some chickens they are just not interested in being captured. They are pretty quick, the cuddle dodgers. One I can think of called Donk, I never caught her fairly in daylight. She was just too fast and always knew when you were going to try for the catch.
Feeding with a closed fist like in the picture gives the keeper a bit of an advantage. Most chickens if they will take food from you at all will take it from the top of a fist. If you drop your other hand down to chicken body height and let it hang while moving the hand with the food in lower and to one side your other hand isn't, then you have two hands at body grab height. You just need to open your fist. The chicken follows the falling treats and you just close your hands around their body.

The other advantage is it tends to stop the food fights after a while. They seem to understand that everyone will get some. Once you've gone round a few times, some even loose interest and wander off. There is something about competing for food that I don't understand involved. Anyway, giving treats becomes a much more orderly affair and of course, it's pleasant to do and because the chicken is concentrating on their aim you don't get pecked on the hand provided there is food on show.

 

[Shadrach]

I don't need to write any more about the weather do I.

I could write a bit about C's cooking though and not just about the illegality of feeding kitchen scraps to chickens. A couple of things are quite apparent though, C can't cook rice and the chickens didn't like it either.

After a wash out they were all pleased to have pellets and the tuna which didn't go anywhere near my kitchen.

They didn't come out for more than a few minutes. We sat on the roost bar playing I spy for a bit and in a lull in the downpour I got them cleaned out while Henry stood on the ramp waiting for me to finish cleaning so he could go to roost.
Chickens on roost bars are an invitation for inspection. I do a crop and rear end check most evenings. Checking Fret's crop.

Mite check for Henry.

Almost forgot. A double rainbow when I was waiting at the bus stop.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Hey All Ex Batts. We had drizzly day gave out what was left of the meal worms.
Bet not as wet as you Shad.

 

[Iluveggers]

Shad I’m shocked they didn’t eat the rice. My chickens go crazy if there’s a little rice leftover for them. C’s must have been awful!

 

[Shadrach]

Rained all day today. Opened the door for the girls after work, and surprisingly they frolicked through the rain & mud. Just went out to close them back in the run, and they were soppy wet. It’s the second day we’ve had in the 50s, but it’s dropping down to 30 tomorrow morning around 6. Assuming theyll be dry by then. I’m over all this cold weather.

Surprisingly those that don't mind getting wet don't seem any the worse for it the next morning.
There is a very important exception to this; mother hens with young chicks. In a sudden downpour the mother may not be able to get the chicks to shelter Bear in mind that a chicks feathers give zero protection from the rain. If the mother can't move them, then she will shelter them where she stands. This means opening her wings and both sides of her body underneath her wings tends to get wet. This is the one place you do not want a chicken to get wet and cold.
I almost lost a hen called Tan for exactly this reason. She had stood in the open with her three chicks under her for over an hour before I found them and she could hardly stand.

 

[Shadrach]

Shad I’m shocked they didn’t eat the rice. My chickens go crazy if there’s a little rice leftover for them. C’s must have been awful!

I wouldn't have eaten it and I'm not a fussy eater.

 

[Iluveggers]

Surprisingly those that don't mind getting wet don't seem any the worse for it the next morning.
There is a very important exception to this; mother hens with young chicks. In a sudden downpour the mother may not be able to get the chicks to shelter Bear in mind that a chicks feathers give zero protection from the rain. If the mother can't move them, then she will shelter them where she stands. This means opening her wings and both sides of her body underneath her wings tends to get wet. This is the one place you do not want a chicken to get wet and cold.
I almost lost a hen called Tan for exactly this reason. She had stood in the open with her three chicks under her for over an hour before I found them and she could hardly stand.

This is good to know, my broody has two weeks left, but I’ll keep her in the covered run if it does get rainy, at least until her littles get a bit older. She sitting so well! I’m excited to see how this goes!