Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[fluffycrow]

That's such an unusual name, Skeksis ... ?

It always reminds me of the made-up species called Skeksis in Dark Crystal. Don't know if she got her name from there though (I might have asked in the past, but quite frankly my memory is bested by that of my fish)

 

[no fly zone]

That's such an unusual name, Skeksis ... ?

The Dark Crystal

 

[BigBlueHen53]

The Dark Crystal

I missed out on that somehow. I was media-free during that period of my life (1970-'85ish). No worries; Google!

 

[kcan2]

It was pretty obvious she prefered Henry but Henry realised this wasn't a going proposition and lost interest and rejoined the hens only going back to chase Dig away from time to time.

Maybe someday Dig will acquire magnetic suave in equal measure of Henry's!

 

[ManueB]

Two and a half hours today. Bright and sunny mostly but rather chilly.
One of the group members brought their sole surviving hen with them today and constructed a small run on their plot so the hen could have a bit of a forage out in the sun while they worked on their plot. Not entirely sure this was a good idea but the reactions of Dig and Henry were very entertaining. Both spent a lot of time scratch and herding and doing the I've got food bit while the hens kept their distance apart from Mow who cane to have a look, wasn't that interested and joined Fret and Carbon at the other end of the allotment.

Dig spent most of the afternoon trying to impress the hen.
I don't think this hen had ever seen a male chicken before but it seemed she understood the attempted herding through the fence and the food calls and didn't in general seem at all perturbed by Henry's and Dig's attention.

It was pretty obvious she prefered Henry but Henry realised this wasn't a going proposition and lost interest and rejoined the hens only going back to chase Dig away from time to time.
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Has the idea of having this lone hen join the allotment crew crossed your or that person's mind ?

 

[BDutch]

One of the group members brought their sole surviving hen with them today and constructed a small run on their plot so the hen could have a bit of a forage out in the sun while they worked on their plot.

It surprised me that dig didn’t jump over the fence. It’s not high.

Good question Manue. Did you at least talk to these group members about the fact that chickens need company Shad?

 

[Shadrach]

Maybe someday Dig will acquire magnetic suave in equal measure of Henry's!

Maybe, but I've not seen much in the way of evidence that suggests he's inherited anything from Henry bar scaly leg mite and some approximate feathering.

What I did find interesting is a hen that has never even seen a rooster before was able to work out that Henry was the senior rooster and the better option of the two.

 

[Shadrach]

Has the idea of having this lone hen join the allotment crew crossed your or that person's mind ?

Yes. I was asked some time ago if I would take the pair while the other was still alive. I said no.
Integrating a single hen into what is now basically a family group with two males without the option of seperate coops and the run size i have isn't likely to go well.
Pippa (the hen) is a Red Sex Link of unkown age but estimated to be around three years old. By average life span for the breed she's got another year. She's well cared for, ranges in a small back garden all day and is a family pet. She is probably better off where she is.

 

[Shadrach]

It surprised me that dig didn’t jump over the fence. It’s not high.

Good question Manue. Did you at least talk to these group members about the fact that chickens need company Shad?

They know this which is why she gets brought to the field.

 

[Shadrach]

Two and a half hours today. A bit warmer than yesterday thankfully.
Carbon was laying an egg when I arrived and the rest were not keen on leaving the allotment run until she appeared.
Dry enough for a general dustbath on my plot.