Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[RoyalChick]

This is something to be dealt with once the legal stuff is sorted out. The geese belong to C. I don't think anyone will object to them being there but some conditions would need to be met.
The chickens will belong to the group but I will be responsible for their care. I'm good with that. If they want to give me the chickens, then I'm good with that to.

This sounds promising though I am sure there will be lots of tantrums and maybe some setbacks along the way.
Poor geese.

 

[Perris]

Entertainment value?

a bit of that for sure - chicken TV beats broadcast TV any day - but the gardening services are what I had in mind

 

[BDutch]

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.

, really great news about the allotment Shad!
So happy for you.

. 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’ve been thinking about the chasing away chicks after weaning.

I didn’t have this problem with previous chicks growing up. But this time it was/is.

First time I had much more space with 3 hens and 6 chicks growing up within the flock.
Twice, I had only 3 chicks. who I kept apart from the flock for a few weeks and integrated with the company of the broodies. After the chicks were weaned there was no problem of chicks getting chased (2 girls and and 1 boy, the boys stayed for 6 months or longer .
Only once a problem occurred when I had 2 boys and one girl. I made a big mistake to give away both cockerels at about 14 weeks old, the lonely pullet got chased away when she wanted to roost. She had a hard time living within the flock.

This year was different with 9 chicks and 6 adult hens. There was not a problem until about a week ago when the chicks were 11 weeks old, weened and I had a few (other( hens who were broody and slept in the nest box. As soon as I managed to break their broody behaviour, these hens started to chase the chicksout of the coop (to the run) in the evening
They were not allowed to roost in the coop and slept on a branche in the run. I wondered if it was because it was a large group and I didn’t have not very much roosting space for all of them.

Now most chicks are sold and I only have 2 pullets (3 months old) and sleeping in the run. They are chased too even if there is plenty roost space now for all of them in the coop. I don’t like it the pullets sleeping in the run because its not a very safe place. And I wonder what the best tactic is to get them to sleep in the coop by themselves.

This weekend I didn’t want yo interfere because I wanted to give them time to adjust that there brothers and sisters are gone. But by the end of the week I plan to take the chicks from the roost in the dark and put them on a roost inside the coop. And also take the cover off again.

The 2 pullets:

The run with the pullets and cockerels on the roost in the run last week , under the party tent cover against the rain.

 

[TropicalChickies]

, really great news about the allotment Shad!
So happy for you.


I’ve been thinking about the chasing away chicks after weaning.

I didn’t have this problem with previous chicks growing up. But this time it was/is.

First time I had much more space with 3 hens and 6 chicks growing up within the flock.
Twice, I had only 3 chicks. who I kept apart from the flock for a few weeks and integrated with the company of the broodies. After the chicks were weaned there was no problem of chicks getting chased (2 girls and and 1 boy, the boys stayed for 6 months or longer .
Only once a problem occurred when I had 2 boys and one girl. I made a big mistake to give away both cockerels at about 14 weeks old, the lonely pullet got chased away when she wanted to roost. She had a hard time living within the flock.

This year was different with 9 chicks and 6 adult hens. There was not a problem until about a week ago when the chicks were 11 weeks old, weened and I had a few (other( hens who were broody and slept in the nest box. As soon as I managed to break their broody behaviour, these hens started to chase the chicksout of the coop (to the run) in the evening
They were not allowed to roost in the coop and slept on a branche in the run. I wondered if it was because it was a large group and I didn’t have not very much roosting space for all of them.

Now most chicks are sold and I only have 2 pullets (3 months old) and sleeping in the run. They are chased too even if there is plenty roost space now for all of them in the coop. I don’t like it the pullets sleeping in the run because its not a very safe place. And I wonder what the best tactic is to get them to sleep in the coop by themselves.

This weekend I didn’t want yo interfere because I wanted to give them time to adjust that there brothers and sisters are gone. But by the end of the week I plan to take the chicks from the roost in the dark and put them on a roost inside the coop. And also take the cover off again.

The 2 pullets:
View attachment 3601944

The run with the pullets and cockerels on the roost in the run last week , under the party tent cover against the rain.
View attachment 3601945

I've found it usually takes a few tries of moving them at night to a roost, but they catch on eventually.

Good news that you managed to sell the chicks -- any luck with someone taking the cockerels?

 

[fuzzi]

Good news: all nine were on the roost together last night, first time! The Sussex are 5+ months, Dominiques just turned 4 months.

Tax:
Dominiques discovering and making a mess with the oyster shell flakes. I just added those to the run this weekend.

They look bigger than the Sussex!

 

[Ladies-Eight]

Yes! The first time I saw Chipie's (my first bantam) egg, I was amazed at how smooth and shiny it was. It was like marble ! I didn't eat it because it was so perfect !
Now she is old she lays only ten to fifteen eggs a year and they are not that smooth anymore, but my other bantams also lay eggs like these.

Is this an after effect of reading @TropicalChickies 's article ?

I grew up to the songs of Quilapayun, Angel and Isabella Parra, Atuhalpa Yupanqui..my upper class city relutnics parents never got over being in Chile for civil

service when Pinochet took over.
Sembrando la tierra, Juan, se puso a considerar, por qué la tierra será del que no sabe sembrar?

I do not speak Spanish.

Please translate for me.

 

[Perris]

First glimpse of the new addition(s) to the flock:

 

[Ladies-Eight]

Ex Batts good afternoon one and all!

@Shadrach Glad to hear all the allotment owners are ready to take C on.

It will be less being on guard.

Temperature is in the 90s.

Have a great day!

 

[BDutch]

I've found it usually takes a few tries of moving them at night to a roost, but they catch on eventually.

Yeah I had that experience until I wanted to manage Janice (the pullet who’s brothers were given away both at once too early). She started to spend the night in the nest box again after her brothers left. For about 6 weeks I tried to learn her that she had to roos. At first I put her between the other hens wen it got shimmering/ dark. Later I tried the roost in the small coop. It didn’t work and I asked for advice. Someone on BYC (forgot who) advised to let her be. Janice probably was too traumatised and only felt safe in the nestbox.

The whole winter she slept in one of the nest-boxes. In spring she roosted by herself in the small coop all by herself. Finally she roosted with the other hens out of her own. but now she prefers to roost in the small coop again. I’m not sure what will happen if I put the pullets alongside.

I probably will give it a try for a week or so and see if the pullets will go to roost in the coop by themselves.
But I’ve learned from the previous experience that you can’t always manipulate their behaviour as we like it. Hopefully the pullets will feel safe and confident enough soon. Time will tell.

Good news that you managed to sell the chicks -- any luck with someone taking the cockerels?

The guy that wanted the trio Vorwerks and the duo Sussex to breed with them, also had a group of Auracanas at home. He hoped the two Dutch cockerels could live with them without fighting when they grow older (as brothers). He would give it a try.

 

[BDutch]

First glimpse of the new addition(s) to the flock:
View attachment 3602259

Congrats Perris!