Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Perris]

I am reading another old poultry manual, and have just come across a sentence that spontaneously triggered a question for us all (I used to have to set exam papers twice yearly ):

"Raw greenfood is the foundation for health. The failure to provide it has caused the deterioration of the modern hen and the commercial egg." Worthington. Discuss.

 

[BDutch]

Raw greenfood is the foundation for health.

Yes I do believe raw greenfood like grasses and herbs contribute largely to the health of chickens. Exercise and natural behaviour are important factors too.

The failure to provide it has caused the deterioration of the modern hen and the commercial egg." Worthington. Discuss.

The deterioration of the modern commercial hen has other causes imho. The farmers succeeded in the ‘optimisation’ of fast egg laying hybrids through breeding programs. They created the modern laying hybrids with selection on egg laying capacities, increasing the proteins in feed and selecting animals with high tolerance towards their sisters in packed cages. Their health is of no importance as long as the chickens ‘thrive’ until their first serious moult at 18 months olds.

 

[L-plate chicken mum]

I am currently offering mine kale leaves hung up so they can rip bite sized chunks off. Gives them green poop .
Today’s treat as they won’t be able to get out (I’m taking mum to her Easter retreat at Douai Abbey nr Reading) is a fresh half sweetcorn on a stick - stops it getting grubby.
Very popular

 

[fuzzi]

I feed my confined flock weeds that I have pulled from the gardens, including the roots and some soil on the root ball. During the coldest parts of winter they were fed collards and turnip greens.

All of which were enthusiastically received.

 

[Shadrach]

Even if they are family, don't you think it was and is asking a lot of Dig for it to work out ?

Yes, I've commented on the difficulty of this on a number of occasions.
I expected Dig to last until approximately 18 months old. I didn't expect to have to kill him because he attacked the hens. I can only recall one other cockerel that did this and he was dead the next day.
Fighting with Henry is expected. Trying to fight me has always been a possibility and not really a problem. I've dealt with this in the past and with a bit of work we've come to an arrangement.
Fret is a gentle, easy going hen and his mother. Trying to beat ones mother up just isn't cricket.

 

[Shadrach]

I got sent a link to this. There is series. They are supposed to be funny.
These people are university students. They can vote!

An interesting range of responses while not unexpected in this day and age.

Don't like the way the program is presented; that's fine, it's a bit of modern day media and not everyone will like the style.

If I was to ask the man in the street the same questions as were asked in the video I wouldn't expect many to know the answers to some of the questions.

We don't have an adequate way of measuring intelligence. Yup, I agree. It comes in many guises.

Metric questions to people using Imperial is likely to produce some strange answers.

What is getting overlooked it seems is these are university students, supposedly educated people (one still needs basic education to get into university I beleive?) who it seems from the video consider themselves smart (8 to 10 on the scale)

How can anyone with any level of education, or even basic common sense get "How many wheels on an eighteen wheeler" wrong.
What about "how many sides on any type of triangle?"

The lack of basic math skills is to be expected, although most people I went to school with learn't their times tables and would know the answer to the three squared or 3x3x3 question.

The lack of geographic knowledge is sad but common.

 

[fuzzi]

Yes, I've commented on the difficulty of this on a number of occasions.
I expected Dig to last until approximately 18 months old. I didn't expect to have to kill him because he attacked the hens. I can only recall one other cockerel that did this and he was dead the next day.
Fighting with Henry is expected. Trying to fight me has always been a possibility and not really a problem. I've dealt with this in the past and with a bit of work we've come to an arrangement.
Fret is a gentle, easy going hen and his mother. Trying to beat ones mother up just isn't cricket.

I don't know if I was spurred or flogged, but my bantam rooster attacked me about a month ago, left scratches by my eye and a sore spot on my head where he slammed into me as I bent over.

Immediately afterwards I threw water on top of him, chasing him around the run. The next few days I threw water on top of him whenever he got close. He's been minding his Ps & Qs ever since but I also watch him closely.

He's on borrowed time.

However I've never seen any evidence of him abusing his hens.

 

[MrsNorthie]

I am reading another old poultry manual, and have just come across a sentence that spontaneously triggered a question for us all (I used to have to set exam papers twice yearly ):

"Raw greenfood is the foundation for health. The failure to provide it has caused the deterioration of the modern hen and the commercial egg." Worthington. Discuss.

I would think that raw green food is important to their health, just like protein and fiber. In observing ours, they seem to know what they need to eat, they know when they need the calcium, they know when they need the grit, so I would assume that they eat grass, herbs and other finds based on their dietary needs. My best guess is that giving them access to a variety of options, various chicken friendly plants, proteins, etc, they will eat what they need. (at least these are my assumptions from everything I have read on here, and observe from my lovelies.)

 

[Ladies-Eight]

Ex Batts good evening one and all!

Tea is ready.

Temperature is in the 60s and clear.

Have a great day!

 

[Perris]

further to https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...rescued-chickens-thread.1502267/post-27615740
we've had some great responses regarding nutrition; does anyone have anything to offer on the natural remedy front? Worthington is of the opinion that there's a natural coccidiostat in greenstuff but confesses to lacking lab results to support it.