Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[RoyalChick]

Yes. Chickens can taste calcium.

At least in the US the layer feed is lower protein.
Mine will always choose a higher protein feed regardless of calcium level.
But they must also know when they need calcium or else the ‘oyster shell on the side’ approach wouldn’t work.

 

[townchicks]

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/10/231026131543.htm

This is interesting but I'm not sure if I'm convinced. My chickens have a mirror, in the "garden" area, but don't pay much attention to it. I suppose it could be that they know it's themselves but even when they first saw it there was no real excitement about it. I think that they would have to spend some time looking at it to begin to realize that it's their own reflection. Even the new girls didn't react to it. They didn't have a mirror in their old place, though it's possible that they did in their first home. I've had cockatiel s and budgies that would feed and try to mate with mirrors, and those are fairly intelligent birds. They do tend to hang around that spot, but it is also the shadiest part of that area. The old gang in the garden, Nevada, Louise, Harper, and Shelly

 

[Ladies-Eight]

Ex Batts good afternoon one and all!

I've had some of my hens just stand and look at the reflection then leave and immediately go back for a second look.

Temperature is in the 80s.

Have a great day!

 

[SimpleJenn]

Mine seem to like looking in their mirror

 

[Shadrach]

Four hours today. No rain this morning but by 3pm it was pissing down. We got a couple of hours out but the afternoon was spent under cover.

 

[BDutch]

We had nice weather today, but for tomorrow they gave a weather warning. Lots of rain, wind and maybe a thunderstorm and hail.

The chickens still prefer to go back to the run after 30-45 minutes free ranging. 2 chickens are having a serious moult.

We gathered fallen leaves today and put about 5 large baskets in the run. This is good to compensate the nitrates from the droppings.

This photo is from last week:

 

[fuzzi]

Mine seem to like looking in their mirror

I gave my chicks a mirror in their brooder when they were getting restless:

(https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/fuzzis-chicken-journal.1550586/post-26627647)

 

[Ladies-Eight]

Ex Batts good morning one and all!

The little chicks are just precious.

Temperature is in the 70s and foggy.

Have a great day!

 

[Shadrach]

Four hours today. It stayed mostly dry but the ground is still soaked.
Still having problems with Carbon which I will write about eventually.
The clocks going back has messed me about again. I get caught out every year.
The allotments were busy. Seven people throughout the day.
Going to meet a relative tomorrow I haven't seen in thirty something years.

 

[ManueB]

The clocks going back has messed me about again. I get caught out every year.

Same here. I hate it this way round.

Going to meet a relative tomorrow I haven't seen in thirty something years.

Hope it goes ok .

I seem to remember you didn't like them much but I was sad to hear bristolian guitarist Angelo Bruschini passed last week.

That and Mathew Perry makes me feel like i’ve gotten to that age where the people from your youth start dropping out.
Tax , for people passing too soon. When she was young my ex-batt Blanche didn't mind the rain at all. Now she hates getting wet.