Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[BDutch]

I love the idea of Fret brooding and hatching some nice fertile eggs.

Maybe a bit late in the season, but if you choose a though breed it should be all right.

 

[Shadrach]

Assume Carbon has broody intentions which should you see what I see you would doubtless come to a similar conclusion.
Do they know the tribe/group is in danger of dying out? Before I started looking after them neither had shown any inclinations towards broodiness I'm told. In fact the last hen to go broody at the allotments was Matilda's mother and that was when C's partner was still alive.

I'm going to have to make some alterations to the nest box. The base needs some insulation. It's one of the possible drawbacks of having nest boxes hanging off the back/side of a coop. The base gets the weather and without extra protection tends to get cold quickly unlike proper ground or boxes in the coop.

The run is in a decent condition now. Most of the crap I've got out and it drains much better since I deep dug it. The shade box I built provides a more secure feeling for the chickens as well as sun protection and a few small shelters and perches shouldn't be too difficult to make to provide some more interest in the run.

 

[MaryJanet]

Assume Carbon has broody intentions which should you see what I see you would doubtless come to a similar conclusion.
Do they know the tribe/group is in danger of dying out? Before I started looking after them neither had shown any inclinations towards broodiness I'm told. In fact the last hen to go broody at the allotments was Matilda's mother and that was when C's partner was still alive.

I'm going to have to make some alterations to the nest box. The base needs some insulation. It's one of the possible drawbacks of having nest boxes hanging off the back/side of a coop. The base gets the weather and without extra protection tends to get cold quickly unlike proper ground or boxes in the coop.

The run is in a decent condition now. Most of the crap I've got out and it drains much better since I deep dug it. The shade box I built provides a more secure feeling for the chickens as well as sun protection and a few small shelters and perches shouldn't be too difficult to make to provide some more interest in the run.

Improved health and environment might be factors too.

 

[Molpet]

Two hours today. It was raining this morning but this afternoon stayed dry at around 18C.
As those who read this thread will know, I've been looking for some hens to bring the tribe up to five or six hens. I've not had a lot of joy in this venture. Granted I haven't been addressing the problem flat out, but I've been looking and making phone calls.
You may also recall that Fret went broody a couple of months ago, sat, but didn't hatch because the eggs were infertile bar one which didn't develope.
It seems Fret has given up on my attempts to provide suitable company and has decided she'll have another go.

View attachment 3591030

She was out as normal but at roost time headed straight for the nest box. She's got four eggs. Apart from the ragged tail feathers you that can be seen in the picture above she's in the best condition I've seen her. She's feels a good weight and her confidence is high and while not a major struggle with only Carbon to compete with, she's the top hen.

Add to this that I had some concerns that if she sat and hatched while Lima and Ella were alive she may have had problems with them both should she have hatched.

Even stranger is while Carbon isn't obviously broody she's behaving in a pre broody manner. It's difficult to describe but I know it when I see it.

It seems to me the sensible thing to do is try to get Fret some fertile eggs, preferably Crested Cream Legbar eggs. Should she hatch any I supply and any of her own I think the chicks should fit in without problems.
I don't have much faith in Henry getting the job done. It's not his fault. He's getting on in years and I imagine his sperm count is pretty low and Fret and he are not the ideal mating match with regard to size and therefor accuracy.

In theory at least and in my experience and my preference, having a broody hen hatch and rear chicks is a far better option than trying to introduce outsiders.
Needless to write I'll be on the phone tomorrow trying to get some CCl fertile eggs.

Meanwhile.
View attachment 3591031
View attachment 3591033View attachment 3591034View attachment 3591035View attachment 3591036View attachment 3591037View attachment 3591029

Would you keep a cockerel as a spare?

 

[Shadrach]

Would you keep a cockerel as a spare?

I don't know. As you know, my long term interest is to have Ex Battery hens here with a Red Sex Link rooster.
My interest comes second to making sure as best I can that Henry's old age is as peacefull as he might wish, without hunger and pain and with the comfort of hens he knows and likes. He's not showing any signs of keeling over dead yet and neither am I. We are both getting on in years and long term for both of us is wishfull thinking rather than a likely reality.
I'll see what happens. If Fret hatches and some are male then they'll default to the to be eaten list. While they get on with Henry they can stay. Fall out with Hernry and Henry comes first. Henry has earned his retirement as far as I'm concerend.

 

[micstrachan]

As some of you know, I like dance, modern dance in particular and my tunes.
Here's a bit of both.

WOW! Absolutely mesmerizing. That weightless, fluid thing he does and tge way he gives the illusion of changing time are amazing!

 

[micstrachan]

Improved health and environment might be factors too.

THIS

 

[BDutch]

I don’t believe hens get broody because the environment is good and they want to get chicks to prevent extinction. Feeling healthy and an urge (instinct or whatever) to want baby chicks is more likely to be a trigger imo.

I’m writing this from what I have experienced and keeping in mind the things I have been reading from others in the 9 years I have chickens.

The good environment just doesn’t fit with the circumstances in my coop and run. I have 6 hens and 9, 12 week old, chicks. They hardley fit on the roosts in the coop extension and 2 - 3 are sleeping in the old tiny coop. Beside that when Katrientje got broody we had mites in the coop. But probably not enough to be nuisance.
When I was away for a vacation the mites had gone, but the chickens were not allowed to free range.
Furthermore the run is big enough but not ideal in size for so many chickens. More chicks would get the coop as wel as the run too cramped. In the second week of my vacation not only Katrientje got broody but 3 more hens did too. So it’s not just one stupid individual getting broody when the circumstances don’t ask for more chicks.

In what I experienced, I think its more hormonal, intuition or a strong feeling wanting chicks to care for. Feeling healthy and fertile probably (or maybe) is a necessary condition. Because moulting hens and in winter while the chickens don’t lay, my hens never get broody.

Breeding programs for max egg production have tempered the urge to breed. But individual chickens of such a breed/mix still do get broody sometimes. I often read they are not very reliable in doing so, and sometimes quit halfway the breeding proces.

People who like a combination of a good egg production and hatching by a broody often have a breed known for a good production like Barnevelders or RIR (rarely broody) and add just a few hens that are known for being excellent broodies. People who want to be in full control use incubators.

fyi, I have a few ads out to give away cockerels or sell duo’s. But so far people just show interest in buying pullets without a cockerel.

 

[MaryJanet]

I don’t believe hens get broody because the environment is good and they want to get chicks to prevent extinction. Feeling healthy and an urge (instinct or whatever) to want baby chicks is more likely to be a trigger imo.

I’m writing this from what I have experienced and keeping in mind the things I have been reading from others in the 9 years I have chickens.

The good environment just doesn’t fit with the circumstances in my coop and run. I have 6 hens and 9, 12 week old, chicks. They hardley fit on the roosts in the coop extension and 2 - 3 are sleeping in the old tiny coop. Beside that when Katrientje got broody we had mites in the coop. But probably not enough to be nuisance.
When I was away for a vacation the mites had gone, but the chickens were not allowed to free range.
Furthermore the run is big enough but not ideal in size for so many chickens. More chicks would get the coop as wel as the run too cramped. In the second week of my vacation not only Katrientje got broody but 3 more hens did too. So it’s not just one stupid individual getting broody when the circumstances don’t ask for more chicks.

In what I experienced, I think its more hormonal, intuition or a strong feeling wanting chicks to care for. Feeling healthy and fertile probably (or maybe) is a necessary condition. Because moulting hens and in winter while the chickens don’t lay, my hens never get broody.

Breeding programs for max egg production have tempered the urge to breed. But individual chickens of such a breed/mix still do get broody sometimes. I often read they are not very reliable in doing so, and sometimes quit halfway the breeding proces.

People who like a combination of a good egg production and hatching by a broody often have a breed known for a good production like Barnevelders or RIR (rarely broody) and add just a few hens that are known for being excellent broodies. People who want to be in full control use incubators.

fyi, I have a few ads out to give away cockerels or sell duo’s. But so far people just show interest in buying pullets without a cockerel.

When I was thinking of environment, I was thinking of the chicken corpses Shad found in that horrid old coop that had rats running everywhere. I'm sure the allotment chooks are far healthier in their bodies, hearts and minds than they were before.

That said, I'm sure hormones are far more relevant.

 

[ManueB]

When I was thinking of environment, I was thinking of the chicken corpses Shad found in that horrid old coop that had rats running everywhere. I'm sure the allotment chooks are far healthier in their bodies, hearts and minds than they were before.

That said, I'm sure hormones are far more relevant.

I also believe that before Shadrach began taking care of the allotment chickens, the coop was in such a state and what's more overpopulation was such a problem that broodiness was just too risky. I don't think it's comparable to your situation, @BDutch. The allotment chickens didn't have enough to eat and crammed on the floor to roost. A hen couldn't have stocked up on food before sitting and she would have had no way to feed her chicks correctly.

Letting Fret sit again is an interesting choice. Is it ok health wise for a hen to sit twice with so short a break, or are you taking this option only because of the specific situation of Henry and his hens ?

We are both getting on in years and long term for both of us is wishfull thinking rather than a likely reality.

Long term for a chicken isn't the same number of years as long term for a man. I certainly hope you get to see the next generation of allotment chickens and while I wish Henry a long life, I also hope you'll get to see his successor.

Any update on your move ?