Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Perris]

Regarding foraging, and how chickens decide what is edible and what is not, I came across this in my reading to identify what's growing wild here:

"This is also a test of bravery the first few times you do it . So again ONLY if you are 100% sure you have a Russula! Have a tiny nibble of the flesh and leave the slightly chewed bit on the tip of your tongue for about 15 seconds.

If you start to feel a burning a bit like a hot chilly then spit it out. Doing this with even the most toxic Russula will not harm you in any way."

I should add it goes on to say NEVER USE THE NIBBLE TEST FOR ANY OTHER FAMILY OF FUNGI !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
https://www.wildfooduk.com/articles/identifying-russulas/

I guess the chickens are doing something like this.

 

[MrsNorthie]

It's like a stampede when I approach the door.

I get it twice, when I try to enter the main run and again when I try to go into the nursery run. The babies are getting big, but I have to step lightly, they have a bad habit of running right under the foot that is about to come down. I swear they are part cat.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Really good Morning this has turned real chatty.
Morning X Batts new tax new roos.

 

[TropicalChickies]

I did wonder 3 months ago, so much later, if she had been a carrier of mycoplasma as I got sign of respiratory disease. But the four chickens that showed it seemed to recover

What I understand about these respiratory diseases like IBV and mycoplasma is that not every chicken dies or even shows acute symptoms if infected. Some diseases like Newcastle and Avian Flu have both high morality (death rate) and morbidity (contagion), but others like IBV and mycoplasma can have low mortality overall even though they are very contagious. Im pretty sure there was one or the other in my original flock because only one died outright from cyanosis and suffocation, although they all showed some form of symptom. Another had pretty severe respiratory symptoms on an off, but lived a year and a half with them.

The problem with these diseases from what I understand is that they, yes, can strengthen a birds immune system if they survive, but they also can leave internal lesions in other systems. There's a strong link between IBV contracted in early life and ovarian cysts later in a hens life, for example. I have a very good study on that, need to look for the link.

Point is, it's a hard decision to make if you suspect one of these lower mortality/high morbidity diseases. Not every bird will sicken and die, but they can get internal damage that shows up later. That's why I closed my little group of hens for as long as I did. I hope it was long enough.

Anyway, I know there's a forum for disease discussions, but since this also relates to keeping conditions, I hope it's still considered relevant to this thread.

Patucha's egg today. Hard, smooth, normal sized. A teeny fold on top. I think she's ok. I just wish she would take a break, she's laid 5 out of 6 days. She's usually more of a 4x per week hen, but she has gone on laying sprees before.

 

[Perris]

The problem with these diseases from what I understand is that they, yes, can strengthen a birds immune system if they survive, but they also can leave internal lesions in other systems.

This is my understanding too. However, almost all the studies I've found are ultra-short-term. Hardly any involve birds more than 6 months old, never mind years old, so I am wary of generalising their results; I'm not sure their subjects had enough time to heal properly. I've had birds who essentially ceased laying for a year after an illness, but resumed the following season and have laid well since. I've had others who never laid again as well. But since I'm not in this for gain, I don't mind keeping some unproductive birds; they earn their keep in other ways, like the roos

 

[TheFatBlueCat]

A few notes on young rooster behavior and the logic of the tribe -- just based on a few personal observations of events happening now. Current keeping circumstances:

• Free range (no fenced areas or closed runs). 8 acres of forest, garden, grass areas and outbuildings available to chickens.
• Ranging area utilized by chickens: 1 to 1.5 acres
• Two coops.
• 11 chickens. 1 10 month cockerel acting as boss rooster. 2 senior hens. 3 junior hens/laying pullet. 4 juveniles (3 cockerels, 1 pullet). 1 special needs house hen.
• 2 hens are brooding eggs

1. Since 3 of the juveniles (the family group of Prima, Tobias, and Segundo) moved to their own coop, they are quite independent of what is now the "senior tribe." They are establishing their own ranging area on an area of the land not utilized much before. They bump into their "neighbors" in overlapping zones throughout the day, but keep mainly to themselves.

2. The total ranging area used by chickens in general has increased. Previously to the junior tribe beginning to establish, they all stayed in a small area relative to the space available to them, roughly 3000sqm (not even one acre) -- and quite close to our kitchen building of course. Now both groups range out further. Although the juniors have their own space, the seniors are ranging further out too in the opposite direction. From this I would venture to conclude that chickens in general prefer to have quite a bit more space than many feel acceptable.

3. Based on observations of Lucio, a young rooster just getting experience can effectively herd, guard, answer escort calls, and feel calm and confident with 3 hens. Since Dusty and Tina went broody, and Lucio only has Patucha and Rusty to take care of, he is significantly calmer. Additionally, by moving the family group of juveniles to their own space where they eat and sleep, feeding is much easier for everyone. Lucio obviously feels less anxious herding a smaller group out to feed. He is most concerned that his favorite hens get all the food they want. Then he eats. Keeping away fewer competitors away from his favorites eases his task.

4. The personality of the senior hen seems to play a big role in the whole dynamic. Tina is, to put it nicely, something of a manipulative harpie shrew. When she's around, she wants all of Lucio's attention, until she doesn't. With Tina broody, Patucha as second in command is much more mellow, and is more content to share Lucio's attentions with Rusty.

5. A broody hen, even if she is a senior hen and favorite, does not get the same treatment from Lucio when she is brooding. When Tina (senior and favorite) comes off her nest to eat, Lucio does not give her any tidbits and even chases her away if Rusty and Patucha want more food. Apparently, since a broody doesn't make herself available to mate, she temporarily sacrifices her favorite status (?)
Has anyone else observed this? Or is it more due to Lucio's immaturity?

6. A junior pullet coming into lay is "ripe" for a junior rooster/maturing cockerel to get a mating opportunity. In the past five days, Frida (the youngest laying pullet) has laid her first three eggs. Lucio has not responded to her escort call after laying her egg (in a known safe place) -- not even once. But who is quietly waiting in the wings? Young Captain Solo...

I suppose these observations are par for the course and nothing new for the folks on this thread who already have an appreciation and understanding of rooster and tribe dynamics. But given they fly in the face of most conventional "chicken wisdom" -- one rooster to a big flock, everyone living in one space for example -- I thought I would share for anyone who stumbles on this thread with an open mind and different feeling about keeping circumstances. The more stories and observations presented about alternatives to the conventional view, the more choices people have regarding their own keeping arrangements, given adequate space.

View attachment 3601051
A calmer scenario.
View attachment 3601055
Good fella.

Isn't it fun to watch what is happening just for the sheer joy and interest of it all?! I have learned so much about chickens, and realized I still know so little, by watching my flock. It is all quite individual too I suspect, I haven't got enough data points to make any conclusions. Nor do I think I should be making conclusions.

My head rooster (3 years old) I think would prefer to have around 5-7 hens in his care. He has 19 right now, but I wouldn't say he has all of those in his care. He sticks to a core group of around 7, it changes day by day but always includes about 5 hens. He also loses interest in a hen if she is broody, but is interested in the chicks once they hatch and does not chase away the hen and her chicks. Until she weans them of course and then all the adult flock chases them away.

I am hoping my two young cockerels will fit well into the flock to help the head rooster out. I'll likely select one to keep until it doesn't work out having 2 anymore. I've had two roosters before, recently, and it was good, however I'm in a semi-residential area and have to be somewhat mindful of my neighbors. All-day crow battles aren't appreciated. So far those cockerels aren't interested in the hens, they're slow to mature, which is their breeding I guess being barred rock crossed with orpington, both slow breeds! They are MASSIVE though, larger than any of the hens now except a couple, and they're only 4 months old. I do like big chickens. I was going to make a very inappropriate play on words but I restrained myself

 

[Shadrach]

A few notes on young rooster behavior and the logic of the tribe -- just based on a few personal observations of events happening now. Current keeping circumstances:

• Free range (no fenced areas or closed runs). 8 acres of forest, garden, grass areas and outbuildings available to chickens.
• Ranging area utilized by chickens: 1 to 1.5 acres
• Two coops.
• 11 chickens. 1 10 month cockerel acting as boss rooster. 2 senior hens. 3 junior hens/laying pullet. 4 juveniles (3 cockerels, 1 pullet). 1 special needs house hen.
• 2 hens are brooding eggs

1. Since 3 of the juveniles (the family group of Prima, Tobias, and Segundo) moved to their own coop, they are quite independent of what is now the "senior tribe." They are establishing their own ranging area on an area of the land not utilized much before. They bump into their "neighbors" in overlapping zones throughout the day, but keep mainly to themselves.

2. The total ranging area used by chickens in general has increased. Previously to the junior tribe beginning to establish, they all stayed in a small area relative to the space available to them, roughly 3000sqm (not even one acre) -- and quite close to our kitchen building of course. Now both groups range out further. Although the juniors have their own space, the seniors are ranging further out too in the opposite direction. From this I would venture to conclude that chickens in general prefer to have quite a bit more space than many feel acceptable.

3. Based on observations of Lucio, a young rooster just getting experience can effectively herd, guard, answer escort calls, and feel calm and confident with 3 hens. Since Dusty and Tina went broody, and Lucio only has Patucha and Rusty to take care of, he is significantly calmer. Additionally, by moving the family group of juveniles to their own space where they eat and sleep, feeding is much easier for everyone. Lucio obviously feels less anxious herding a smaller group out to feed. He is most concerned that his favorite hens get all the food they want. Then he eats. Keeping away fewer competitors away from his favorites eases his task.

4. The personality of the senior hen seems to play a big role in the whole dynamic. Tina is, to put it nicely, something of a manipulative harpie shrew. When she's around, she wants all of Lucio's attention, until she doesn't. With Tina broody, Patucha as second in command is much more mellow, and is more content to share Lucio's attentions with Rusty.

5. A broody hen, even if she is a senior hen and favorite, does not get the same treatment from Lucio when she is brooding. When Tina (senior and favorite) comes off her nest to eat, Lucio does not give her any tidbits and even chases her away if Rusty and Patucha want more food. Apparently, since a broody doesn't make herself available to mate, she temporarily sacrifices her favorite status (?)
Has anyone else observed this? Or is it more due to Lucio's immaturity?

6. A junior pullet coming into lay is "ripe" for a junior rooster/maturing cockerel to get a mating opportunity. In the past five days, Frida (the youngest laying pullet) has laid her first three eggs. Lucio has not responded to her escort call after laying her egg (in a known safe place) -- not even once. But who is quietly waiting in the wings? Young Captain Solo...

I suppose these observations are par for the course and nothing new for the folks on this thread who already have an appreciation and understanding of rooster and tribe dynamics. But given they fly in the face of most conventional "chicken wisdom" -- one rooster to a big flock, everyone living in one space for example -- I thought I would share for anyone who stumbles on this thread with an open mind and different feeling about keeping circumstances. The more stories and observations presented about alternatives to the conventional view, the more choices people have regarding their own keeping arrangements, given adequate space.

View attachment 3601051
A calmer scenario.
View attachment 3601055
Good fella.

All sounds perfectly normal to me. The more tribes that come to be the more territory they occupy. About an acre per tribe was what the tribes in Catalonia laid claim to and they, like yours moved through other tribes claimed territory depending on what resources they were after. Mostly these tribe movements wnet smoothly; a bit of posturing by the males at times, maybe the odd scrap while the hens looked on in a bored manner.

Has anyone else observed this? Or is it more due to Lucio's immaturity?

Yep, normal as well. I don't understand why it happens. Broody hens are on their own when it comes to food. The smarter ones pick a time to come off the nest when they know the others have fed and moved on from the feed stations.
I used to feed them when they got of the nest away from the other chickens, usually outside my house. Most knew and would come to the door for food.
I could usually hear when a broody had left the nest because of the clucking they do when they meet other chickens.

 

[fuzzi]

This is my understanding too. However, almost all the studies I've found are ultra-short-term. Hardly any involve birds more than 6 months old, never mind years old, so I am wary of generalising their results; I'm not sure their subjects had enough time to heal properly. I've had birds who essentially ceased laying for a year after an illness, but resumed the following season and have laid well since. I've had others who never laid again as well. But since I'm not in this for gain, I don't mind keeping some unproductive birds; they earn their keep in other ways, like the roos

Entertainment value?

 

[Shadrach]

Three hours today. Thw wind had died down and the sun shone on and off. A little bit warmer and I would have written a lovely afternoon.
Fret came out onto the allotments after I had taken her off her nest. Henry is very good around her but makes no attempt to forage for her.
Her nest looks in good order; eggs close together and clean. I got on with some weeding while Henry sat in the sunshine after Fret had gone back to her nest. I've got lots of tomatoes still green so I cut most of the non fruit bearing branches off in the hope that more nutrients will reach the fruit. My onions are drying in one of the greenhouses and my plot still looks very much alive compared to many of the others.

It's taken a while and quite a lot of talking which is work to me, but we finally have a plot holders agreement to vote C out of control should it be necessary. All the commited plot holders would like to see some changes and all acknowledge that they are not going to happen while C is the allotment representitive. It's going to take some time but the landslide is moving. We have three trustees and a new accountant ready to take on the jobs. I don't think this will happen without problems but if the plot holders stick together change will come,

 

[Molpet]

holders agreement to vote C out of control should it be necessary.

Did anyone figure out who's name is on the allotment paperwork or if there's paperwork