Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[MaryJanet]

Maybe the next day will be dry and hot where you are ?

It was warmish Tuesday (low 20s celsius) but today is chilly (15C).

She's already decided to not be broody after all. Maybe the chilly weather put her off. I'm wearing 4 layers.

 

[BDutch]

It was warmish Tuesday (low 20s celsius) but today is chilly (15C).

She's already decided to not be broody after all. Maybe the chilly weather put her off. I'm wearing 4 layers.

Does that include your underwear?
That way I have three layers, and four if I get on my bike.

Weather here is fine. But I read that a huge storm will hit Ireland an West England today. It even has a name and they expect 8 meters high waves at the coast in the south of Ireland.

Abby on her favourite spot. She slept on this branch last evening (put her in the extension before midnight )

 

[TropicalChickies]

Has anyone ever noticed a hen drinking twice to three times more water than usual the day before she turns broody? I have. Mary the Australorp drank loads of water Monday and was broody Tuesday. I'm wondering if she's an outlier or if that's a thing hens do. Can't say I've noticed it in the other hens, but I haven't been watching for it.

I've noticed they definitely eat more before going broody. Like they are trying to store a reserve. Haven't noticed the drinking more.

 

[TropicalChickies]

Re roosting on the floor, I think you mean this one, it's a Nicol observation on commercial hens
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...rescued-chickens-thread.1502267/post-27166936

I've been wondering about this roosting business myself. Dusty -- my black frizzle mum -- took her chicks up onto the roost bar for one night. On their four week birthday. The next night the chicks were going up to roost and she called them back down to the floor. They are in the juvenile coop and there was no aggression or pecking from the others. But Dusty called them back down and they've been sleeping back on the floor for a week.

Tina, on the other hand, took her two chicks up to roost last week and they've stayed on the roost bar at night since then.

Tina and Dusty are in separate coops so it's not a rivalry. Actually, the two mums have been really cooperative while rearing their chicks! Dusty is a brand new mom and only 11 months old, so sometimes she would get scatterbrained and leave her chicks behind too far, and they would run to Auntie Tina and she didn't mind looking after them at all. She would even let Dusty's chicks eat with hers, which I didn't expect. (Dusty would recall she had babies at some point and then go frantic looking for them, while they were chilling with the other chicks.) Granted, the chicks all looked pretty similar for awhile, but still... This strikes me as unusually benevolent behavior on Tina's part.

Anyway, all four chicks are 5 weeks old and their mums are still mothering them pretty closely. So we'll see if Dusty takes hers back up to roost this week sometime. I think she will.

Notice how red Dusty is in this photo! She started laying again 2 days ago and crouches if Lucio is so much within 20 feet of her. I guess she's having so much fun being a mom, she can't wait to do it again! Tina hasn't started laying again yet and I recall with her last brood she didn't return to laying until after the chicks were on their own. I'm wondering if this is an age factor (Tina is older) or a breed factor?

Teen mom Dusty. She's very sweet and loving with her chicks ... But occasionally forgets about them...

 

[Ladies-Eight]

Ex Batts good afternoon one and all!

I've been so busy this week I've not been able BYC, so I'm trying to catch up today.

Temperaturee is in the 80s and cloudy

Have a great day!

 

[fuzzi]

Waiting for them to use the roost bar before she ditches them (?) I don't think so. I don't think they'll stay on the floor either. They have both shown an instinct to roost in the tree and on the extension roost bar. Most of the the Ex Battery hens used a roost bar evenually. They're just not big enough to defend themselves from Carbon yet. If they stay on the floor for a while it's not a problem for me but Fret obviously wants them to use a roost bar. Maybe they'll use the other roost bar. Maybe they'll learn to get up on the other side of Henry where Carbon cant peck them. Maybe I'll be getting them out of the tree.

Kids!!!!

 

[fuzzi]

Does that include your underwear?
That way I have three layers, and four if I get on my bike.

Weather here is fine. But I read that a huge storm will hit Ireland an West England today. It even has a name and they expect 8 meters high waves at the coast in the south of Ireland.
View attachment 3646483
Abby on her favourite spot. She slept on this branch last evening (put her in the extension before midnight ) View attachment 3646484

Ooh, pretty!!!

 

[MaryJanet]

oes that include your underwear?
That way I have three layers, and four if I get on my bike.

No, if I counted underwear, it would've been 5 layers.

But two of the layers were summer clothes, so we could count them as one winter layer.

 

[MaryJanet]

I've noticed they definitely eat more before going broody. Like they are trying to store a reserve. Haven't noticed the drinking more.

I think we've all noticed pre-broodies eating more.

It was the first time I'd seen a pre-broody drink so much, and that's why I asked about it.

 

[BDutch]

No, if I counted underwear, it would've been 5 layers.

But two of the layers were summer clothes, so we could count them as one winter layer.

Here it was too warm on the bike for a thin coat In the afternoon. We have such a wonderful autumn (so far).