Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[MrsNorthie]

However, they are getting the job done and people who have had absolutely nothing to do with the chickens or geese are finding out a little about them. This is what I want.

That is excellent! Maybe they will fall in love with the birds and be even more supportive.

 

[MrsNorthie]

Penny's been away for a hot minute, and TropicalChickies hasn't posted since last week.

It has been a long time since I have seen Penny post anything too. TropicalChickies, had a sick hen and isn't it rainy season there, still? Fingers crossed, that they are both ok.

 

[MrsNorthie]

Hell- let me hop across the Atlantic and take care of them.

LOL My husband has a crazy, but awesome m8 in Herne Bay, a bit of a slog, but in a pinch..

 

[Perris]

I mentioned in my feed article that 'dogwood berries are used in Chinese herbal medicine as an anti-inflammatory, liver-cleanser and energy boost' and I have been paying particular attention to one in the garden that has been fruiting now for about a month. The chickens (and wild birds) do help themselves, but they are very restrained in their consumption. This is characteristic of the berries at chicken head height level

and this higher up

I do believe they're self-medicating with it, it's not just food for them.

 

[Ladies-Eight]

Ex Batts good morning one and all!

Hope everyone is feeling better.

Temperature is in the 50s with high humidity.

Have a great day!

@pennyJo1960 has been posting in the coffee club thread regularly.

Also, on What you having for supper and Any Home Bakers threads.

 

[HiEverybirdy]

Ex Batts good morning one and all!

Hope everyone is feeling better.

Temperature is in the 50s with high humidity.

Have a great day!

@pennyJo1960 has been posting in the coffee club thread regularly.

Also, on What you having for supper and Any Home Bakers threads.

Thank you for that update!

 

[HiEverybirdy]

Poor Mr. Andre, or maybe we call him AGC on this thread (his full name is Andre the Giant Chicken), for those of you with a negative "Andre" association. He's at the end of his rope with these peppy pullets.

We've been having hard freezes and UK-style dampness with highs in the 40s/4-7C. AGC detests the cold, is still molting, and to top it off, recently knocked off one of his spurs. He's cranky.

The Speckled Sussex girls don't mind the cold (they love everything!) but I've been closing them into AGC's coop at night when it freezes. Otherwise, they and AGC choose to roost in separate coops, but AGC's coop has a nice radiant heater from his days as a bachelor.

I thought they'd all dig the slumber party and maybe finally decide to roost in the same coop at night voluntarily. Wrong!

There was a loud thud a couple nights ago at roost time. The Sussex like to wiggle under each other on the roost, but AGC's not used to that, so they pushed him off. Fortunately the roost's only 6" off the floor, but he looked perturbed.

Last night, there were more thuds. This time, the girls were squawking. I peeked in to see AGC pecking them off the roost when they got close to him. He wasn't having this cuddly $#!*. The girls looked unhappy for once, so I offered the option to run back to their own coop to roost, which they happily accepted, flapping and playing and stopping for snacks along the way even though it was dark out. They're goofy.

I went back to AGC, expecting to find him concerned about his pullets but instead found this: head under a wing, neck pressed against the heater. Typically he hangs out with me at nighttime check, but he didn't stir.

This morning, AGC emerged with appropriate roostery bluster, crowing, flapping, pullet chasing. He enjoyed an uncharacteristically gentle grooming from Peck and provided nesting-box escort, waiting under the ladies' little coop until Peck finished laying an egg.

I think he just needed a good night's sleep. His poops indicated he didn't move all night.

It seems this will be one of those marriages where separate bedrooms work best for everyone.

 

[Sequel]

Separate question, but do we know what's up with @pennyJo1960 or @TropicalChickies? Penny's been away for a hot minute, and TropicalChickies hasn't posted since last week.

When @Shadrach disappeared for a few days, I realized I look for you all. It's funny because we all know almost nothing about each other, but I still want a little heads up when people plan to take an internet break

Penny Jo is fine, she just posted on her coffee club thread.

 

[MrsNorthie]

It seems this will be one of those marriages where separate bedrooms work best for everyone.

They are so funny, they just do not like change. If you give it some time, they will get used to it. During the day, mine are all intermingled, the 5 boys alternate between several groups of the girls, but at night the younger pullets head off to the nursery coop with Pip and sometimes Squeak, the the 3 older boys with the original 9, head off to the big coop.

I had the same idea, with the dropping temps overnight, I decided they would all be better off in the big coop, so I completely blocked access to the nursery coop and run. The first night, I practically had to carry 24 pullets into the coop, 2nd night about half went in Blue helped though, he came out and offered the girls some treats then got some to follow him in, last night..there were only about 8 holdouts, that had to be carried in, so maybe tonight... The boys don't care, they are happy to have everyone together, it is just the spoiled girls.

I wanted to move them anyway, because the nursery coop needs tearing down and rebuilding.(we have learned a lot in this first year..) the cold weather was just a good excuse. We are going to make some improvements and modifications to the big coop this weekend. (More poop boards and roosts.)

 

[HiEverybirdy]

I mentioned in my feed article that 'dogwood berries are used in Chinese herbal medicine as an anti-inflammatory, liver-cleanser and energy boost' and I have been paying particular attention to one in the garden that has been fruiting now for about a month. The chickens (and wild birds) do help themselves, but they are very restrained in their consumption. This is characteristic of the berries at chicken head height level
View attachment 3703655
and this higher up
View attachment 3703656
I do believe they're self-medicating with it, it's not just food for them.

Is that a Cornus kousa/kousa dogwood? Around here, I believe what we call dogwoods are Cornus florida. The berries look very different. Curious if they'd have the same qualities.

Years ago, someone dumped a pit bull/boxer type of mix by our house. It took over a week to lure her in. Even though she was well fed that week, I saw her chewing black walnuts to bits many times. I looked it up, and black walnuts can apparently be affective against parasites like tapeworms.

Sure enough, this neglected dog tested negative for worms at the vet, which seemed unlikely. Could've been luck or a false result, but I always suspected she had been medicating herself with the walnuts. She didn't continue eating walnuts after we took her in and put her on a monthly preventative.

Here she is after we got her weight up. Incredible athlete!

She was quite the rodent hunter and probably subsisting on small mammals and carrion out in the wild. A few years ago, her penchant for eating rodents and dead stuff caught up with her she contracted the dog version of guillain-barré (called coonhound paralysis or coonhound syndrome). She's been dealing with partial paralysis ever since. She's still leading an interesting life and one of the only dogs we trust with the chickens.