Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[MaryJanet]

What I read is that there is in fact ample food currently and the problem is distribution and over consumption in parts of the world; greed essentially.

And the profit motive is a huge problem too.

 

[MaryJanet]

Anyhooo... I apologize for highjacking the thread with geopolitics and such. It's just that I actually am really invested in these matters. Watching the chickens is my solace and comfort. So... Back to chickens. Apologies.

Of course all the good chat happens after Aussies have nodded off for the day

 

[Iluveggers]

personally, I am in favour of any law that changes industrial chicken farming for the better of the chickens concerned, and as one knock-on effect of this bit of legislation seems to have been to encourage a move back to dual purpose breeds and less excessive output (of eggs or lbs of meat gained per week) - albeit at minute scale thus far - I think it's a good thing.

This would be true if it were universal.

Interesting. I fear it will result in greater importation of eggs from countries with even worse conditions for the hens (eg de-beaking allowed unlike Germany).

This was my thought as well, but you put it much more eloquently!

People need to stop having such large families, but conveying that awareness to everyone is almost impossible

The Amish & Menanite around my are have very big families, but are very self-sufficient. I don’t think family size matters if you are not buying from the global economy.

We personally grew enough vegetables last year to not need to buy through October, and had enough extra to can sauce (which we just ran out of) and green beans (last two jars being eaten tonight). Fruit is still a huge need, so we planted two apple trees last fall and hoping to get two pear trees this year. Haven’t bought eggs in years, and will be trying our hand at meat birds next year once we get the tractor figured out. If my town allowed more livestock we would do more here, in the meantime we buy from local farmers whenever possible. I will not buy meat from the grocery store. If I had a fresh non-farmed seafood source, that would be my next supplier to buy from.

 

[MaryJanet]

I don’t think family size matters if you are not buying from the global economy.

That's right. There's no profit to be scraped from people who fend for themselves. It's the other billions of people worrying me.

 

[TropicalChickies]

I don't think that removes any of the triumph from what @TropicalChickies is doing.

People need to stop having such large families, but conveying that awareness to everyone is almost impossible.

Yep, urbanization removes people from understanding their needs and how to provide for them. When you think everything just "comes from a grocery store" and believe that the grocery stores will always be open and stocked forever, there's no incentive to plan a family like resources are limited and valuable. Living in a city is like living in a bubble. (Says one who lived in big cities for more than 20 years).

 

[TropicalChickies]

What a beautifully diverse crew!

Of course all the good chat happens after Aussies have nodded off for the day

View attachment 3485856

View attachment 3485857

View attachment 3485861

View attachment 3485862

 

[MaryJanet]

What a beautifully diverse crew!

Yes, they are quite diverse and wonderful! Although there are two ISA Browns and they're inseperable and aggressively defensive. They joined the crew at Christmas when the river was flooding. They're refugees from the river flood and haven't adapted to their suburban lifestyle yet, which is fair enough really. I ought to have more empathy for them, but their violence puts me right off.

 

[TropicalChickies]

Was the bumble foot treatment successful?

More or less. Poor Cleo came to my farm with bumblefoot on BOTH feet when she was just ten months old. She had been living in a penned area with a rough rocky floor and didn't get enough food, so she was constantly scratching in these sharp rocks. This was three years ago -- she's about 4 yrs now. On one foot we managed to clean all of the kernel out and it healed completely.

On the other foot, (the one bandaged in the picture) she never forms a big solid kernel -- just those stringy bits that are so hard to get out and always come back. So every few months, we clean out as much as we can. And I go to great lengths to keep her foot clean, wrapped if necessary, and give her Epsom salt soaks periodically.

Lately I've been using an antibiotic cream specifically for staph bacteria called Mupirocin. This seems to helping her grow more healthy tissue back.

But if anyone has a persistent bumblefoot miracle cure, I'm all ears!

 

[TropicalChickies]

Well, it took me a loooong time to find a purpose in life... Have some work to do now

So good to read this.

 

[TropicalChickies]

And the profit motive is a huge problem too.

Profit motive is one thing if the desire is simply to have a decent livelihood. Pay off a loan, own a bit of land, provide for your family and/or community. But the profit motive to accumulate billions of dollars -- I just don't get it. I really don't.