Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[notabitail]

Oh and they wipe their beaks on my shoes or my pant legs.

I've had my legs, arms, and at one point my chest used as a beak wipe. (Don't worry, I had a shirt on). They use whatever's convenient, especially if it means a laugh at my expense.

 

[notabitail]

Wow, 2026 already.

(I missed a opportunity to make a similar comment on page 2024).

 

[Shadrach]

Looks like I'm on the chicken feed for a bit.
Wholegrain emmer wheat, olive green lentils, green split peas, yellow split peas,split fava beans, marrowfat peas, barley flakes, chopped mixed fresh veg (carrots, peas, cauliflower, brocolli) low salt veg stock, tomato puree, a couple of drops of worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, parsley garnish.

I'll be growing a pigtail and wearing sandles soon at this rate.

 

[notabitail]

Looks like I'm on the chicken feed for a bit.
Wholegrain emmer wheat, olive green lentils, green split peas, yellow split peas,split fava beans, marrowfat peas, barley flakes, chopped mixed fresh veg (carrots, peas, cauliflower, brocolli) low salt veg stock, tomato puree, a couple of drops of worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, parsley garnish.

I'll be growing a pigtail and wearing sandles soon at this rate.
View attachment 3719014

I go barefeet, even when taking care of the chickens.

How on earth would you grow a tail? You might grow tons of hair though.

 

[Perris]

I'm calling it a day on the fermented food front. It hasn't been much a success here. There were and still are problems with crop capacity and the change in volume from dry weight to fermented. This lot need the maximum nutrition from each crop load. Adding 30% or more water. despite the claimed easier digestibility doesn't come close to making up for the reduction in feed intake.
The only way the fermenting worked was to ferment and then dry out which I tried.
Add to this limited forage time and no proper arrangement for ensuring there is feed available in the mornings at least, all that seems to be happening is the chickens get less feed and too much water.

I think that's a shame, but the conditions you've been trying it in are far from ideal and you gave it a good shot.

 

[Shadrach]

Is Carbon a Cream Legbar like Agathae?
View attachment 3719008

She's a Crested Cream Legbar and from the look of it not much like Agathae at all. Even the feather pattern is different. Not sure what Agathae is but she's not a Crested Cream Legbar, or at least not by British standards whch is where the breed originates from.

 

[notabitail]

She's a Crested Cream Legbar and from the look of it not much like Agathae at all. Even the feather pattern is different. Not sure what Agathae is but she's not a Crested Cream Legbar, or at least not by British standards whch is where the breed originates from.

https://meyerhatchery.com/products/Cream-Legbar-Day-Old-Chicks-p213419059

This is where we got Agathae. We got two. Felicitas, the other, has no crest.

Agathae says that she doesn't care what she is, but that she's going to go ahead and send Carbon a message over Beakbook. I don't know much of what she's going to say, but it'll probably be some pro-broody nonsense like this:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/attachments/pxl_20231031_221312576-jpg.3672882/

 

[Shadrach]

I think that's a shame, but the conditions you've been trying it in are far from ideal and you gave it a good shot.

It was an interesting experiment and between what I've observed and the stuff I've read, I've learnt a lot about feed and digestion.
The only waste is the large Kilner jars which I don't know what to do with.

 

[notabitail]

It was an interesting experiment and between what I've observed and the stuff I've read, I've learnt a lot about feed and digestion.
The only waste is the large Kilner jars which I don't know what to do with.

Sign them and sell them as Shadrach-signed jars for $2000 a jar.
Or use them to store stuff.

 

[Perris]

My flock continue to thrive on fermented whole grains, peas, and other seeds mix, with no commercial feed used here for over 2 years now. Perhaps connected, perhaps coincidental, for the first time I had a couple of hens continue laying through their moults this winter, and today I took 5 cartons of eggs down for my regular customers, as enough of the others have resumed laying to start up regular deliveries again. And I've recently discovered somewhere that sells 25kg of whole wheat for £8, so things are going very well here!