Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[RoyalChick]

Some birds do have these pendulous crops. Sometimes it's a health issue and the crop doesn't drain properly because the crop exit is higher than the bottom of the pendulous crop. Some people use crop bras to resolve such problems.

So far Bernie’s crop empties fine overnight and she fills it up to that level at least three times a day to my observation.
I am not sure she fills up so much when she is confined with only commercial feed available. It seems to be when she forages that she takes in a higher volume.
What astonishes me is that if I happen to stop by with some chopped nuts or blueberries she is still more than capable of cramming them in!

 

[Shadrach]

So far Bernie’s crop empties fine overnight and she fills it up to that level at least three times a day to my observation.
I am not sure she fills up so much when she is confined with only commercial feed available. It seems to be when she forages that she takes in a higher volume.
What astonishes me is that if I happen to stop by with some chopped nuts or blueberries she is still more than capable of cramming them in!

Fudge didn't in general have any problems with hers. The one time she did it was during moult and a bit of massage sorted it out.
Crops are not infinitely stretchable. Each bird has a different crop presentation and different capacity. Carbon for example has a well hidden crop; you can see the bulge but it's not until one feels it that one knows just how full it is.
Some of the bantams in Catalonia had about a 40 gram crop capacity while Fat Bird could get almost double that down her greedy burp if she stuffed it in.
Of course, Fat Bird was more than twice the size of the bantams and had a larger crop capacity, and required more food.
I think feeding twice a day with at least six hours between feeds covers most birds.
One general indication of crop capacities in general is demonstrated by the recommendation of the volume of water to give a bird in one go when trying to flush a crop; most I've read advise 40ml to 60ml. More than this is likely to flood the crop to the point that there is a risk of water being taken into the lungs.

 

[BDutch]

Safe to assume that she's talking about caged birds.
…

This paper of Nicol is really very old if I recall. Maybe it’s the opposite and the chicken keepers in those days let the chickens free range most of the day. In such a case 1-2 h commercial feed seems enough to me.

 

[BDutch]

No.

Why dont you buy a treadle feeder? Seems convenient if you or anyone else cant feed the chickens during the morning and early afternoon sometimes,

 

[Perris]

This paper of Nicol is really very old if I recall. Maybe it’s the opposite and the chicken keepers in thise day let the chickens free range most of the day. In such a case 1-2 h commercial feed seems enough to me.

Nicol is a book and it was published in 2015.

 

[BDutch]

Nicol is a book and it was published in 2015.

You read so much I got confused.

 

[MrsNorthie]

cage shape and lighting.

Safe to assume that she's talking about caged birds.

Wouldn't caged birds use less energy and require less food than those that get to range, even in smaller areas? I keep a steady supply of food for them from sunrise to sun down, in the form of fermented feed in the various feeders and dry grains scattered to supplement their foraging activity. I figure that if they have food available, all day, everyone gets to eat exactly what they need.

They seem to "graze" all day combined with a flurry of activity and periods of rest and dust baths. A few do head straight for the feeders when they are released from the coops, but others seem to casually mill around and greet the others, and start foraging. I let them out as soon as there is a glimmer of daylight, and they all start meandering to the coop between dusk and dark, but Spud and Pip have figured out that if they trigger the motion lights, they can stay out in front of the coops waiting for me to come tuck them in. I will have to measure how much food I am putting out, each day, and how much is left in the feeders at night, to really get an idea of how much they are consuming.

 

[Molpet]

It is hard for me because I have such a love of animals, they are so much better than people. We are going to raise some meat chickens and turkeys, and a few pigs, all small scale to keep their living conditions happy and healthy, and I will still love them all, just can't help myself. LOL

Turkeys are hard, they have a different personality. I wish the nearest processor was closer than 2 and half hours away. They have a 25 minimum and you have to be there at 8 am and take them home that day.

 

[Ladies-Eight]

Ex Batts good morning one and all!

Temperature is in the 70s with rain.

Have a great day!

 

[Shadrach]

Why dont you buy a treadle feeder? Seems convenient if you or anyone else cant feed the chickens during the morning and early afternoon sometimes,

I was thinking about it and then Fret went broody and hatched and it's only now that Dig and Mow weight enough to operate the lid.
There are other complications; I can see Fret refusing to go anywhere near the contraption in case it eats her. which apparently they really do from time to time.
Then there's the fermented feed problem. How would that fare in one of these feeders left for say 48 hours at ambient temperature.
I'm thinking about it.