Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Perris]

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.

do you like pickled onions? or jam/preserve/chutney making? Or fermented veg? Could be useful for a glut of produce from the allotment this summer.

 

[Shadrach]

 

[fluffycrow]

I would like your help with a behavior that I can't exactly understand. This is my first time with a broody, while a male is in the same pen, and the second time having a (successful) broody in general. So here are the details. The male is an about 7 and a half month old serama, who was probably around 6 months old when this batch hatched. Cruella is the biological, and main mother of the chicks, who turned one year old some days after the chicks hatched, along with her sister and Co-mother, Ursula. Ursula was sitting on a batch for about two weeks, eventually ditching it, and helping Cruella raise her 13 one week after they had hatched. Here is the problem. You might remember me praising Lady Gaga (the male) for his nurture towards the chicks, despite his young age, and even though I was fearful of his reaction prior to hatch. Everything was great for the first two weeks or so. One afternoon, as they were getting their last round of chick feed, Lady Gaga called all of then to the food, and they came. One of the chicks started pecking the crumble, making its way closer and closer to Gaga. In a few seconds, the chick was right up in Gaga's face. Gaga gave a disciplinary peck, the chick squeaked for a second, then moved to the side, and continued eating. Cruella obviously saw this. About five days passed when everything was normal, and then suddenly one morning, Cruella started chasing Lady Gaga away from her chicks. Gaga has not shown any aggression whatsoever, apart from that incident, which to be perfectly honest, I don't even consider aggression (but, who am I? Nothing, compared to a mom hen). So my question is, could there be an explanation for this, or is it something I just won't ever find the reason why? Did Cruella decide that Gaga was too immature for chick rearing, or did having Ursula by her side make Gaga way less valuable? Or something completely different that I am missing?

 

[MrsNorthie]

Mine love goop. They also love the drier version. They love pellets. They love wheat berries soaked overnight.
They love grass. Babs loves cauliflower.
What is the theme?
They just love food.

I think that is my lot too, they love food and love watching us fuss over things for them too. Our neighbor just brought us over a large box of collard greens, I thin chopped them and added them to the evening meal, and they went wild over it!

 

[notabitail]

I think that is my lot too, they love food and love watching us fuss over things for them too. Our neighbor just brought us over a large box of collard greens, I thin chopped them and added them to the evening meal, and they went wild over it!

Your comment is proof that chickens love to sit back and watch their servants do everything for them.

 

[lightm]

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!

That is fabulous!

 

[Molpet]

I would like your help with a behavior that I can't exactly understand. This is my first time with a broody, while a male is in the same pen, and the second time having a (successful) broody in general. So here are the details. The male is an about 7 and a half month old serama, who was probably around 6 months old when this batch hatched. Cruella is the biological, and main mother of the chicks, who turned one year old some days after the chicks hatched, along with her sister and Co-mother, Ursula. Ursula was sitting on a batch for about two weeks, eventually ditching it, and helping Cruella raise her 13 one week after they had hatched. Here is the problem. You might remember me praising Lady Gaga (the male) for his nurture towards the chicks, despite his young age, and even though I was fearful of his reaction prior to hatch. Everything was great for the first two weeks or so. One afternoon, as they were getting their last round of chick feed, Lady Gaga called all of then to the food, and they came. One of the chicks started pecking the crumble, making its way closer and closer to Gaga. In a few seconds, the chick was right up in Gaga's face. Gaga gave a disciplinary peck, the chick squeaked for a second, then moved to the side, and continued eating. Cruella obviously saw this. About five days passed when everything was normal, and then suddenly one morning, Cruella started chasing Lady Gaga away from her chicks. Gaga has not shown any aggression whatsoever, apart from that incident, which to be perfectly honest, I don't even consider aggression (but, who am I? Nothing, compared to a mom hen). So my question is, could there be an explanation for this, or is it something I just won't ever find the reason why? Did Cruella decide that Gaga was too immature for chick rearing, or did having Ursula by her side make Gaga way less valuable? Or something completely different that I am missing?

It will be interesting to see if the chick involved is a cockerel.... maybe mom is concerned because of that possiblity...

 

[fluffycrow]

It will be interesting to see if the chick involved is a cockerel.... maybe mom is concerned because of that possiblity...

That is a very good point. Should have been more observant of the chick itself. I don't remember which one it is, since it's been over a month since the incident, and they've grown a lot. If I remember correctly (which I probably don't), it was a lighter coloured chick. Two of those seem like cockerels, and three of them are pullets. One of the two cockerels prefers to hang around Ursula, who is not as strict about not letting Lady Gaga close, definitely not as much as Cruella

 

[kcan2]

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

Whether or no you decide to wear your pigtail in a bun or your sandals with socks, your chicken feed does look and sound amazingly delicious!

Edit to add, I recently read the back of a Worcestershire sauce bottle and was startled (and slightly horrified) to find that it contained anchovies. I didn't think an anchovie had ever passed my lips, but apparently, I like them. Sneaky sauce.

 

[Perris]

it contained anchovies. I didn't think an anchovie had ever passed my lips, but apparently, I like them.

Most people don't realize that Worcestershire sauce is fish sauce. And I believe (to be said in an M&S advert voice, for the Brits in the audience) they're not just anchovies, they're fermented anchovies

Fermented fish sauce, originating in the far east, was apparently the inspiration for Worcestershire sauce. But the Romans had garum, which was also a fermented fish sauce, and that was their equivalent of salt and pepper, i.e. used as seasoning in everything, so a version of it had probably been been here since the first century BC/AD.