Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[MaryJanet]

If my long term plan was to continue feeding them pellets then a treadle feeder would ease, if not solve some of the problems but I gather from people that getting them to use the feeder is often far from easy.
In the short term I'll leave more feed in the coop overnight and see when there is some left.

The other thing is the waste of feed while the hens are learning, because the feeder has to be propped open all day and the wild birds help themselves.

 

[Shadrach]

As she's 6 and he's 4, I think if they were going to get it on, they'd have done it already

"You've got to let love rule."


Sorry bout that. Listening to it now.

 

[Perris]

I tried a new supplement today; the peel and pith of a small easy peeler type orange, after reading https://www.arccjournals.com/journal/asian-journal-of-dairy-and-food-research/DRF-307 and in particular reading that "Citrus co-products obtained from juice production are composed of peel and pulp. Several bioactive substances, such as dietary fiber (pectin, cellulose and hemicellulose), minerals (potassium, calcium and magnesium), organic acids (citric, oxalic and malic), vitamins (vitamin C), phenolic compounds and flavonoids (hesperidin, narirutin) (Azizi et al., 2018) are abundant in these fractions."
I cut it into little pieces, and chanced to see a couple of birds try a piece and drop it, but there was none left when I went back to collect the bowls - and there was some grain, so some of them evidently thought it was OK, and didn't eat it just because there were no alternatives left.

 

[Shadrach]

It was supposed to piss down all day when I looked at the weather forcast last night. Not a drop fell.

There was a solid deposit just hidden by the roost bar on the left. Carbon is on the probiotics now. Not sure where we go from here.

First feed. Carbon didn't eat much.

Coming back after tea break. They've already been out and all they want is out again. They didn't even stop to eat.

Carbon looking hunched and cold.

When Carbon is moving around, which she does a lot she looks fine.

Dig. He's growing up. He spends more time on the outskirts of the group and more time foraging on his own.

 

[BDutch]

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.

Personally I would choose to put pellet feed in a treadle feeder in the evening. If you arrive late at the allotment they have enough food without feeding the rats. If it works .. the chickens can eat all they want in the morning. And the fermented food comes with the bucket boy in the afternoon.

After they learned to use the treadle feeder it gives you the opportunity to miss a bus or to drink a cup of tea at yours daughter place from time to time without getting nervous or feeling guilty.

Apart from the materials the things are made of the chickens still chuck feed out of them and the rats eat that.

I never had one, but I thought the whole idea of a treadle feeder was exactly this. Prevent spoiling feed and not attracting rats or mice . Maybe there are a few good ones that don’t spill?
Anyway if you fill the container in the evening without spilling the rats have no feed during the night.

The person who lives in my neighbourhood bought one and is very pleased with it. She has both large and bantam Sussex. She has one with a green plastic step.

 

[Shadrach]

I think these were taken using the camera on my phone and I don't recall whether I've posted them before or not.

 

[MrsNorthie]

I tried a new supplement today; the peel and pith of a small easy peeler type orange, after reading https://www.arccjournals.com/journal/asian-journal-of-dairy-and-food-research/DRF-307 and in particular reading that "Citrus co-products obtained from juice production are composed of peel and pulp. Several bioactive substances, such as dietary fiber (pectin, cellulose and hemicellulose), minerals (potassium, calcium and magnesium), organic acids (citric, oxalic and malic), vitamins (vitamin C), phenolic compounds and flavonoids (hesperidin, narirutin) (Azizi et al., 2018) are abundant in these fractions."
I cut it into little pieces, and chanced to see a couple of birds try a piece and drop it, but there was none left when I went back to collect the bowls - and there was some grain, so some of them evidently thought it was OK, and didn't eat it just because there were no alternatives left.

Hubby was under the weather, so I got him some oranges to make him some fresh squeezed juice, and also provided some to our chickens and they loved it. I have read that it is very good for the, just not in excess, so it is another healthy treat that we have added to their menu.

 

[ManueB]

There are programmable automated feeders for cats and dogs I am not sure if they would work with pellets. I don't know why it hasn't been manufactured for backyard poultry because it seems like something that could help a few small backyard chicken keepers.

I always saw citruses on the list of food that should not be given to poultry ! I’ve meant to take these with a grain of salt as I have given some of the foods mentioned on those with no apparent issues ( baked potatoes, onions..).

 

[Perris]

I think these were taken using the camera on my phone and I don't recall whether I've posted them before or not.View attachment 3685323View attachment 3685324View attachment 3685325

wonderful photo of Henry, and of them all. I don't think you had already posted them.

 

[BDutch]

There are programmable automated feeders for cats and dogs I am not sure if they would work with pellets. I don't know why it hasn't been manufactured for backyard poultry because it seems like something that could help a few small backyard chicken keepers.

Not a bad idea at all. My neighbours have one like that for their cats. It works on wired electricity. But in the ad it says it can work with a battery too.
Their device it not easy to operate. It gives a portion of feed every .. of time. If not all the feed has been eaten it keeps on giving feed/spilling. Maybe a smaller , two portion device, is more convenient? It can hold fermented food too.
For the picture: The portion feeder ad is in Dutch

I always saw citruses on the list of food that should not be given to poultry ! I’ve meant to take these with a grain of salt as I have given some of the foods mentioned on those with no apparent issues ( baked potatoes, onions..).

I have seen list with so called poisonous food on it to warn chicken keepers with actually good food for birds, but known to be poisonous food for mammals.
Like berries.

Spoiler: Explainer: why are berries not poisonous for birds

Yet birds can eat the berries without any problems. How do they do that?

Poisonous pit
Berries consist of a pit (the seed) surrounded by the soft flesh. In most berries, the poison is not in the flesh but in the pit itself. Birds swallow the berry whole. The kernel is not digested in the bird's belly but remains whole. Later the bird poops out the poisonous kernel again. At this location, a new plant can grow from the seed in the pit. This is how a bird helps the plant.

Humans cannot eat these poisonous berries. Our stomach digests not only the flesh but also the stone. This is how the poison enters our body and we become ill.