Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Shadrach]

You may have seen this @Perris. I've lost track of the articles cited in the feed debates. The article is available as PDF and download. It's not long or that complicated and relatively recent. It's well worth reading.
The article concludes that high production hens fared equally well after a period of adjustment to a wheat and forage diet compared to the groups fed layers pellets.
A few points stood out for me.
The wheat quality is average and no account is taken of what the hens have foraged below the ground; something that difficult to measure and something that usually gets overlooked in these debates.

Supply a higher quality wheat such as I use in my feed mix (spelt at 17% protein) and a variety of seeds and some forage and the high production layers need commercial feed arguement looks very unconvincing.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/scien...?ref=pdf_download&fr=RR-2&rr=849f5e8d1c8b067e

 

[Shadrach]

One of my orpingtons has a very fluffy butt
I always try to get pictures but she keeps facing the camera

A good zoom lens or sneaking up on them sometimes works.
It's interesting that even if one takes the most casual of approaches they usually seem to know that ones intent is not in the normal range.

 

[Shadrach]

Maybe someday the world will straighten out.

You must be what they call an optomist then.

 

[HiEverybirdy]

A good zoom lens or sneaking up on them sometimes works.
It's interesting that even if one takes the most casual of approaches they usually seem to know that ones intent is not in the normal range.

Zoom lens seems easier than "sneaking up" on chickens... Or perhaps that's just not something I've mastered yet.

I'm processing snow pics now. These are shot at 100-400mm (in other words, pretty zoomy). The look on all of their faces is, "What's this on my feet?"

I always try to get pictures but she keeps facing the camera

We have a striking dog who does the opposite: turns his butthole to the camera. Drives me bananas. I've cropped out many a butthole.

 

[Perris]

You may have seen this @Perris. I've lost track of the articles cited in the feed debates. The article is available as PDF and download. It's not long or that complicated and relatively recent. It's well worth reading.
The article concludes that high production hens fared equally well after a period of adjustment to a wheat and forage diet compared to the groups fed layers pellets.
A few points stood out for me.
The wheat quality is average and no account is taken of what the hens have foraged below the ground; something that difficult to measure and something that usually gets overlooked in these debates.

Supply a higher quality wheat such as I use in my feed mix (spelt at 17% protein) and a variety of seeds and some forage and the high production layers need commercial feed arguement looks very unconvincing.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/scien...?ref=pdf_download&fr=RR-2&rr=849f5e8d1c8b067e

I agree. Especially about things that are difficult to measure (or have yet to be identified and / or measured) being overlooked.

Just because we don't have an (accurate or inaccurate - another elephant in the room) nutrient profile for some natural foodstuff, it does not follow that it does not play an important role in the diet. Some contributors' dismissals of such food items, simply because they're variable or they don't fit in a formula, don't help anyone. A recent discussion on pasture/ grass comes to mind. I note the authors of that paper were surprised by how high the protein levels were for some of the herbage. But you have observed before that our chickens know there's something in grass that is good for them, and a spell of grazing after meals occurs like clockwork here. It's not just about the insect or animal protein to be found in pasture; they're eating blades of grass and they are selective about precisely which blades they want.

I imagine you have to pay quite a premium for spelt, if bags of flour in the supermarket are anything to go by. My birds are fine on ordinary feed wheat, which is relatively cheap. (For those not au fait with these labels, 'feed wheat' is whole wheat specifically grown as animal feed, or wheat that was intended for human consumption but was downgraded to animal feed around harvest for quality reasons; 'wheat feed' is a by-product of the milling industry, 'waste' channelled into animal feed, and consists of the part of the grain not wanted for human consumption; I don't use that.)

 

[fluffycrow]

Zoom lens seems easier than "sneaking up" on chickens... Or perhaps that's just not something I've mastered yet.

I'm processing snow pics now. These are shot at 100-400mm (in other words, pretty zoomy). The look on all of their faces is, "What's this on my feet?"

View attachment 3731891
View attachment 3731876
View attachment 3731880


We have a striking dog who does the opposite: turns his butthole to the camera. Drives me bananas. I've cropped out many a butthole.

View attachment 3731892

Those pictures are gorgeous

 

[Ladies-Eight]

Today is a good day for tea, @Ladies-Eight
I grew up on an American brand called "red rose" which came with a little porcelain figure in each box. Sadly they have discontinued them unless you order from the website.
View attachment 3731096
My daughter loves my tin full of figurines, she calls them her treasures and neatly sets them up all over the place.

I have never heard of "Red Rose" brand of tea.

Is "Red Rose" a light, dark, mild, strong, and I would like to hear your take on the taste.

The figurines are cute.

I can see why your daughter likes them.

 

[Ladies-Eight]

Ex Batts good morning one and all!

Tea is ready.

Temperature is in the 50s and cloudy.

Have a great day!

 

[SimpleJenn]

I have never heard of "Red Rose" brand of tea.

Is "Red Rose" a light, dark, mild, strong, and I would like to hear your take on the taste.

The figurines are cute.

I can see why your daughter likes them.

It's a fairly mild tea, really good for making "sun tea" which is a form of cold brewing in sunshine. That's how my mom makes her tea in the warm months. It doesn't have as much of the bitter tannins flavor.
I haven't tasted many brands of tea, but it doesn't have any of the "dusty" flavor of say, Lipton. Slightly milder than PG tips. I actually want to try Yorkshire Gold when my box of red rose is finished, I've heard it's excellent. I am very sensitive to bitter so I probably don't steep my tea as long as I should.

Tea tax (never!)
A fluffy Marans butt next to a sapphire splash.

 

[Molpet]

I have never heard of "Red Rose" brand of tea.

Is "Red Rose" a light, dark, mild, strong, and I would like to hear your take on the taste.

The figurines are cute.

I can see why your daughter likes them.

A couple stores by me carry the black and green but they have others
https://redrosetea.com/