Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Shadrach]

A bit under two hours today. It started to drizzle and half an hour later is was raining and it didn't stop. It still hasn't stopped as I sit at home typing this out.
I fed the geese this evening. They were shut in when I got there and it didn't look like anyone had been there to do their water or give them food since yesterday. I haven't seen C for days, not that I'm complaining about this.

After feeding and cleaning we sat on the roost bar and watched the rain. Shortly after I put their food in the tray for the morning, they decided that was enough of that and went off to roost in the coop at around 8.15 pm, an hour and a bit before official sunset.

 

[Shadrach]

I use a thing to throw tennis balls for dogs. Can put it under a hen, cover an egg and drag it out. I also have a old person grabber but the hens peck the egg
View attachment 3573012

Honestly, you can't be going around grabbing old people!

 

[Shadrach]

I'm sure she would have recognized the concept of a compost pile though

Indeed they had a couple.plus a scrap feed bin. What they don't have apparently is all the packaging and general crap that somehow fill my rubbish bin week in week out and quite carefull about in what I buy stuff (I take a shopping bag or rucksack) and I go out of my way to buy food in particular unpackaged.
The relatives do have tins but they get used for something in the garden apparently.
It's true that recycling acounts for some of the rubbish I aquire but there is still far too much going in the general waste bin.

 

[Shadrach]

If my chickens start to lay outside it was not just to lay an egg. It’s the start of the cooperative breeding proces.

Yup, a when a hen changes from nest box laying to outisde nest laying it has usually been a sign that they intend to sit and hatch, yet people will still say a hen doesn't plan broodiness.

I often let them sit on their outside nests for the three days I've mentioned before that ensures they've switched their egg laying off. Sometimes it took me those three days to find the nest. Even the four acres the tribes tended to confine themselves to was a large area to search in the terrian there.

 

[Shadrach]

How would you recommend I get her to put her clutch where it would actually be a safe and lovely spot to sit and hatch?

I used to wait until they had sat for two or three days and collect them and their eggs during the early night. Sometimes I put them in their tribe coop, sometimes in one of the maternity coops, sometimes in my house nest box. It depended on the hen in most cases. Mostly (90%) of the time this worked and the hen continued to sit but bear in mind that none of the places, even the pet carriers on occasions were strange unkown places. I think this makes a difference and I've suggested before that keepers of ranging chickens keep their pet carriers outside and open.

 

[RoyalChick]

I use a thing to throw tennis balls for dogs. Can put it under a hen, cover an egg and drag it out. I also have a old person grabber but the hens peck the egg
View attachment 3573012

I have an empty cat food can screwed to a scrap piece of wood.
But I was recently gifted a telescopic back scratcher shaped like a hand and it is perfect!
Not sure it is exactly this one but very similar.

 

[TropicalChickies]

I used to wait until they had sat for two or three days and collect them and their eggs during the early night. Sometimes I put them in their tribe coop, sometimes in one of the maternity coops, sometimes in my house nest box. It depended on the hen in most cases. Mostly (90%) of the time this worked and the hen continued to sit but bear in mind that none of the places, even the pet carriers on occasions were strange unkown places. I think this makes a difference and I've suggested before that keepers of ranging chickens keep their pet carriers outside and open.

Ok, thanks, I'll try that. The broody apartment I made is just off the side of the main coop where Dusty sleeps so it should feel familiar to her. She'll probably lay for the next two to three weeks or so and then go broody if she follows her pattern.

 

[TropicalChickies]

This caught my eye. I wonder how much of it's true.
https://morningstaronline.co.uk/art...rops-33-in-lula-first-six-months-as-president

Amazonian deforestation had exploded to such an unprecedented rate under Bolsonaro, I believe that the reported drop is probably true, or close. It doesn't mean the situation is any better in absolute terms, only in relative terms. And we're talking relative to lawless and wholesale destruction under an ecocidal psychopath. (Bolsonaro's "nickname was "Captain Chainsaw" -- which he encouraged)

 

[Nomadicus]

I made history today. Every single coop went to bed without a fuss. Even the bossy Cornish gal.

 

[Perris]

Quick update on Chirk for those interested.

It was 5 weeks yesterday since he was deposed (and we now think he was deposed because he was falling sick with whatever it was he caught). He spent a week getting worse, till he seemed at death's door, then the next 2.5 weeks laying on his side, able only to lift his head and pedal his legs, and since the end of June he's been able to sit up, and stand with support for his right side. He resumed crowing a week ago (a sure sign he's feeling better), can now get up and sit down without losing his balance (most of the time), and he tidbits and chats to the girls who come to visit inside or in the temporary pen when the weather's nice. He has even managed to get up the ramp and into the coop there when his son (or possibly sibling) Fforest approached and frightened him (though they can't get to him, it's just an instinctual reaction given his weakened state).

Interestingly Killay did not approach in such a manner, Chirk did not feel the need to run away when he came calling, and Killay moved on quickly deeming there was nothing to see or worry about here. This makes me think there is still the possibility of Chirk's reabsorption into the flock when he's better, just like his dad after his survival from fox attack. Hope springs eternal of course.