Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Ladies-Eight]

I live in South Carolina and we have an amazing vet that treats our dogs (half the price of the vet we used to go to..) He also treats chickens, so if we are ever in a pinch, we have a good guy to go to. He is a lucky find.

That's great.

My vet hired a vet and she will treat chickens if needed.

 

[Ladies-Eight]

Ex Batts good morning one and all!

The flocks are beautiful.

Temperature is in the 60s.

Have a great day!

 

[no fly zone]

I'm so sorry for your loss.

Have you moved north yet?

not yet. a few more days.

 

[RoyalChick]

Could you expand a bit on what it means in your setting when one roo takes over dominance? Does that mean the senior who gave up on dominance can't pick which hen he mates, or which coop he will roost in ? Does he stay with the junior roosters, or outside the flock, or still with everyone?

Glad to know Lima had a good day and that the shade box seems to be doing the job. Did you try lying down under it. or measuring the temperature?

It just dawned on me to ask : does your current arrangements mean C. has nothing to do with the chickens anymore or do they still feed them some mornings ?

It's not the first time I've seen this mentioned. But I wonder how long these chickens can live ? Did yours have a different diet from the start than the ones that get processed, or did you decide lately to keep them alive ? I know very little about them but I kind of had the idea that some of the CX weren't even able to walk when they reached the seven weeks.

I have a cheap electric grater / cutter, I think it's my only electric kitchen appliances with the hand blender. I can't recommend it though precisely for the reason you mention.
Great shot at getting those chicks outside . I know what you mean about Janice thinking she knows best ! I've been trying hard to think of it from Léa the broody's view point. That human thinks she knows better about raising my kids than I do ? She's not even able to tell that there won't be a storm in the next hour !
View attachment 3530783

That is a delightful picture of her - I love the expression on her face.
Seriously, you think that is better than what I am doing? I will listen to you when your ideas are aligned with mine. Now please move aside, my babies and I have places to be.

 

[ManueB]

I had to carefully control the feed when they were very young. I have grown roosters that can actually run. I did learn that you must not let roosters run with the hens. They will actually hurt the hens trying to breed. Here's a short video of the result of breeding Bresse roosters to Cornish Rock Cross hens. This is what I am working on too. The goal is to produce a healthier meat type bird that has big breasts, grow fast, and can breed naturally.

Thank you for the explanation. The video didn't come through, but I'm fully aware of what a bresse chicken is, having been married a long time ago to someone from the Bresse plain. Still, I'm not sure I fully understand the logic behind crossing chickens of such an opposite nature : one of the fastest most industrial chicken type, with a very old and slow growing breed, that requires specific ways of alternating pasture and cereals to develop it's unique taste. I suppose you want the best of both .

it's only happened once before, in 2020, and the conditions were very different: Sven, the then-dom, was badly wounded by a fox, so Chirk, barely 1 yr old, just had to take over the role, and when he recovered, Sven just accepted his new role as sub as Chirk wasn't prepared to give it up again.

In terms of how dominance is established and maintained here, up till now it's boiled down to the subs running away from the dom as and when the dom can be bothered to chase them (which is very infrequently, especially as the sub birds don't challenge the dom). He does it now and then just to remind everyone who's boss I think. There's no fences so no potential traps and they all know a myriad routes through the undergrowth.

There's no possessiveness over any of the hens - the hens decide who they want to mate with, usually (the odd head grab does occur) - and last year's clutch proved Venka was mating with both Chirk and Phoenix - but sometimes one or another roo will interrupt another's mating attempts. In almost all cases the worst case scenario is a chase until they're exhausted. Killay has been testing Chirk for months, provoking him and then running just far and just fast enough to avoid being caught, almost skipping aside, reminding me of football players dodging each other's attempted tackles. Yesterday he stopped running, and they were both head down and flared hackles on and off for a while. Chirk was jumping and lunging with feet first, but Killay was dodging and Chirk usually landed on his back. It didn't take long before he was worn out (he is 4), and then it was Killay chasing Chirk, and it was all over bar the shouting.

At roost time Chirk tried to sneak into one of the medium coops, but Killay saw it of course, and when Killay approached the ramp, it was obvious from Chirk's voice and the shavings being expelled that he wouldn't be kicked out without a fight; Killay just walked away.

I shut the coop door to avoid any further high emotion until Killay had gone to roost, then reopened it, and a couple of the hens that were not enthusiastic about roosting (posted photo of them on high bar last night) chose to roost with Chirk (they could have gone to another coop).

This morning he didn't come out for breakfast till everyone else had moved on, and I guess he'll be spending the days on his own or with the other older members (both Maria and Venka sought him out yesterday afternoon) till the dust settles. And then we'll have to wait and see. Sven remained with the flock for 3 of his 4 years as sub. Amadeo and Fforest are with the flock, no issues, and as long as they don't challenge Killay, I expect it to remain that way for them. Phoenix sired quite a few of the current flock; being sub just means they don't get first dibs at food time and need to move on if the dom comes along, it doesn't mean they live unfulfilled lives.

Thank you too for that detailed description. It's fascinating, especially to hear how Sven and Chirk had found a way to make it work ; I would be interested for a follow-up in a week or two to know how it goes for Killay !

 

[bruceha2000]

For getting used to humans, move slow, be predictable, learn about what helps them feel safe and what they see as threatening.

And remember that each chicken is an individual. I have a few that I trip over when I get their feed and others that keep their distance. The former will gladly take food from my hand the latter will never get quite close enough. And it isn't breed dependent. I have 2 Easter Eggers that you could not tell apart though I can. Rhea will be "right there" when I have food, Hera will move away and wait until I toss it to her. Of course the "friendly" ones get more of the treats because they'll make a mad dash for whatever I throw as well as what they have taken from me.

I had no idea people kept broodies in cages.

Mine are kept in cages until they are no longer broody No rooster, nothing to hatch but their hormones don't understand that.

No mow May is great to give many blooming wild flowers a chance to survive. And the insects profit too.

I did no mow May last year, then had to mow with the flail mower on the real tractor. It isn't nearly as maneuverable as the garden "tractor" and can't get to all the aras I mow but the GT will just hog up and die when it meets month high grass. Skipped it this year, I've got plenty of unmowed area in the fenced acre and the unfenced 3 acres.

But I mow at 4" so lots of small flowering things are uncut and of course dandelions grow up so fast they are barely affected. Yesterday I saw a pair of Goldfinches eating dandelion seeds, picking off the individual seeds with fluff still attached, tossing the fluff and eating the seeds.

He's never come over this far.

A few step in posts with string run through them? Easy enough to get the mower under, unlike a full fence.

I take his garbage to the road because he can't walk that far due to heart issue.

Yet he can mow not only his yard but way too much of yours as well?

 

[JedJackson]

Taxes.

Opening the run a bit.
After 1 minute
View attachment 3530764

After 3 minutes
View attachment 3530765

After 5 minutes
View attachment 3530766

After 20 minutes and two chick break outs , they started to return by themselves. Janice got angry to me again saving her chicks.

These are so pretty and cute!

 

[Molpet]

A few step in posts with string run through them? Easy enough to get the mower under, unlike a full fence.

My mower has a roll bar and a loader bucket on it. JD 1023. I got that because I was having troubles pushing the wheel barrow up the hill.... and that was before long COVID fatigue.
There's a 1960s direct burried Romex electric line to the shed that I don't know exactly where it is. I found it in a flower bed by the house, and know it's about 6 inches deep.

 

[Molpet]

Doe feeding Fawn.
Hopefully will count for taxes

 

[Shadrach]

It just dawned on me to ask : does your current arrangements mean C. has nothing to do with the chickens anymore or do they still feed them some mornings ?

C doesn't have anything to do with the chickens anymore.
I leave feed out for them overnight.