Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Shadrach]

The point about the variety and relative threat from predators in different places is a very important one. The burden is undoubtedly much higher for some flocks than it is for mine. And we are also lucky to have some crows living nearby, who not only send out the alarm when the goshawks, buzzards, kites, and whatnot are about, but better, mob them and drive them away, to the benefit of all potential prey species in the vicinity. My roos do the majority of the watching and warning for terrestrial predators, where dogs have been as bad as foxes here.

On predation, this is a useful study from the Netherlands, 'Predation in Organic and Free-Range Egg Production'
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/2/177

It was particularly focussed on predation from the air. Conclusion: "Both northern goshawks (Accipiter gentilis) and common buzzards (Buteo buteo) killed laying hens. Common buzzards were also observed to scavenge, after having chased away the northern goshawk, who had killed the particular hen. Hens that were attacked, did not show symptoms of disease or weakness prior to the attack. Moreover, in most cases, they tried to escape from their attacker. There were no reasons to assume that predated hens were in poorer health than non-predated hens. Predation was estimated to have been the cause of, on average, one third of the mortality in the organic/free-range flocks that were included in our survey; total mortality was reported to be 12.2%, of which 3.7% was estimated to be due to predators."

Note that mortality from other causes was twice as high as mortality from predation. Those other causes were almost entirely disease. Predation was the assumed cause when hens were missing from the tally of hens at slaughter at the end of their laying career compared with the number of pullets received onto the farm at the start of their laying career; relatively few of these losses were actually witnessed. On that, one should also note the observation that sometimes other hens predated an injured one.

This was a study of commercial flocks, usually consisting of masses of young birds raised together in hatcheries and sometimes released onto open ground (I hesitate to say 'field') with no cover. Some ranges were described as having trees, but the ones in the photos are useless as cover. Figure 1 shows a fence clearly preventing these birds getting to the cover they (and we, thanks to the photo) can see and instinctively seek out when the goshawk attacks. The Dutch farmers may be well intentioned and some young trees are better than no cover at all, but for anyone thinking about free ranging, this is more what wooded range should look like: https://agriorbit.com/certified-organic-pasture-based-poultry-production/

I think we need to be a bit careful here. There is a world of difference between production breeds and mixed breeds and heritage breeds.
What is death due to old age and death due to sickness also needs to be taken into account.
On the free range farm I worked on (Leghorns mostly), lots (I don't have any records) died from sickness.
On my Uncles farm I can't recal a single case of free range chickens dying from sickness unless one includes sickness due to old age.
The only chicken that died from sickness while I was in Catalonia was Harold who had a heart attack and perhaps Able who was disabled and high risk. All the other deaths were due to predation and sickness one might expect due to old age; old age taken to be the reported average age for the breed.
There is also the range conditions to be taken into account.

 

[Perris]

There is a world of difference between production breeds and mixed breeds and heritage breeds.

That's been a topic on and off throughout this thread. I was under the impression that world has been shrinking in the process

death due to old age and death due to sickness

given one has to die of something, are you getting at expected versus unexpected or premature death?

the range conditions to be taken into account

indeed. All territories have a range of endemic diseases, which have varying morbidity and mortality rates. Again a long term approach, breeding for resistance, is a solution.

I'm astonished at your memories of your uncle's farm - surely there was some deadstock? 10% is a typical figure bandied about. Or was it a broiler farm with quick complete turnover of young stock? Or was that when so-called antibiotic growth promoters started being used? It needs some sort of explanation.

 

[Shadrach]

That's been a topic on and off throughout this thread. I was under the impression that world has been shrinking in the process

given one has to die of something, are you getting at expected versus unexpected or premature death?

indeed. All territories have a range of endemic diseases, which have varying morbidity and mortality rates. Again a long term approach, breeding for resistance, is a solution.

I'm astonished at your memories of your uncle's farm - surely there was some deadstock? 10% is a typical figure bandied about. Or was it a broiler farm with quick complete turnover of young stock? Or was that when so-called antibiotic growth promoters started being used? It needs some sort of explanation.

My Uncles farm was directly across the track that ran by our house. He was one of the early automated battery hen farmers. However his real interest was in his free range chickens. He kept 4 free range tribes on a couple of acres. It was these chickens I worked with. They were mixed breeds mainly due to tribe interbreeding. I earned my pocket money from collecting their eggs ; the only eggs my uncle would eat and it was there that my interest in chickens started. I spent most of my free time on the farm.

 

[Ladies-Eight]

I read a post on here (*Edit to be more specific- I read in a post on another BYC forum. ), with some people recommending using Prid drawing salve, at the advice of their vet, so I got some to keep on hand. It worked great on a splinter the egg thief had, it was too deep and too small to get out with the tweezers. I haven't had to deal with bumble foot yet. (*Touchwood)

View attachment 3733114
You can get almost anywhere:

Amazon

Walgreens

Walmart

If we do get a case of bumblefoot, I planned on getting them in with the vet to verify, that it is safe to use on chickens, before I use it, because I am a little paranoid. Maybe someone else (more expert) in this group has experience with this.

I use PRID and would not be caught without it.

Have not used it on my chickens.

 

[Ladies-Eight]

Ex Batts good morning one and all!

Tea is ready.

Temperature is in the 60s and cloudy.

Have a great day!

 

[fluffycrow]

I think we need to be a bit careful here. There is a world of difference between production breeds and mixed breeds and heritage breeds

There is no denying that. None of the ISA brown I have raised made it to 5 years old, a lot didn't make it to their 4th birthday. I have lost two ISA brown to predators, both in the coop and out (the one inside the coop was old and dying from the usual production breed killer, reproductive problems). Out of the comparatively limited amount of mix breeds, one dropped dead without reason, one was killed by a fox during the day while ranging, the others were healthy but I did not keep for long. The Tsouloufates have been healthy (so far), especially successful when ranging. One died without reason, no predator deaths while free ranging. I dare not comment on pure breeds. My experiences are limited to three years of aseel keeping, and less than a year of everything else

 

[Sally PB]

I use PRID and would not be caught without it.

If you haven't used it on chickens, what do you use it for?

(I'm hoping it will draw out a recalcitrant pimple!)

 

[MrsNorthie]

Note that mortality from other causes was twice as high as mortality from predation.

My concerns arise more from the proximity to the road. There is a family not far from us that free range, and I constantly see they have had several chickens that have been hit by cars.

I can build extra cover where they can run to escape aerial predators, I just can't keep them from the road. Most of the other predators steer clear because of the 3 dogs, that have marked the territory pretty well. We also have the occasional issue with other people not keeping their dogs safely under control and several seem to wander through here every month on their great escape adventures.

My goal is to create a big-enough fenced in area where the chickens have the feel of ranging, but not have access to the road or the neighbors garden, at least without some amazing stunt work. Right now, they are only using about 75% of their space, but that has expanded from 50% about 4 months ago, so they are becoming more interested in exploring more. We are expanding their run so they will have another acre and are planting all sorts of fruit bushes, trees, herbs and grasses to give them more objects of interest, such as shade shelters with hanging waterers and roosts. The boys do a great job of sounding the alarm of any threats, and the girls listen really well and all get under cover without any fuss.

We have been looking at buying a larger property, that is more secluded and further off the road, but the economy is just precarious at this point.

 

[MrsNorthie]

If you haven't used it on chickens, what do you use it for?

(I'm hoping it will draw out a recalcitrant pimple!)

The egg thief had a splinter that was too deep to get with tweezers. We put the Prid on at bedtime, with a plaster/bandaid and it was gone in the morning. I got it to add to my emergency medical kit, just in case. So far, *TouchWood, the chickens haven't needed much medical care.

 

[MrsNorthie]

I use PRID and would not be caught without it.

Have not used it on my chickens.

It is a miracle salve. I just want to discuss it with the vet, to make sure that the chemicals are safe, for the purpose of chicken feet.