Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

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ManueB said:
Talking about rooster hate, this one is hard to believe but it seems to have a happy ending - what can humans do.

Thank you for clarifying. I understand and I think I share your point of view. I still wonder if that "un-cricket" behaviour isn't something triggered by confinement. (Not that it changes anything in Dig's case for his future, since the context of the allotment doesn't offer a lot of possibility to make their environment evolve).
When you say it's a behaviour you have only observed once before, was it all in a free range context or were some of these roosters you observed confined ?
There are a number of people on BYC who say their rooster attacked one or several hens. I just wonder if this is due to the settings, to temperament, or to a mix of both.

I disagree respectfully. I think introducing a bit of natural in an artificial environment does some good. Just like free ranging for a few hours daily is better than not free ranging at all. But of course, you can't expect everything to work out as it would in a completely old school way of raising the chicken just because you have made one or two of the things you mention.
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I have had cockerels I felt like shooting, because I had troubles catching them and they were terrorizing pullets. But I want a quick death and don't want anything to suffer.
 
ManueB said:
There are a number of people on BYC who say their rooster attacked one or several hens. I just wonder if this is due to the settings, to temperament, or to a mix of both.
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The only hens that I have had attacked by a cockerel or roo are the 2 hens that refused to submit. I culled the cockerel, after the 1st atack. Then shortly after, culled the hens, because they became prey to the rooster after that. They had stopped laying, were generally bullies, and now victims. Although they are contained a few days a week, the pen is very large, L-shaped and provides lots of hiding space and activity. The rest of the time they roam freely. There are indeed a mix of factors I'm sure, including the temperament and underlying health of the hens, including their potential to provide offspring for the roos.
 
RoyalChick said:
Yes. Mine self medicate it seems!
It is also a prolific grower and quite tasty - I had it for dinner myself a few times last year but it is still too small and low to the ground for me to harvest. It will eventually outgrow the chickens’ mowing abilities and grow to about a meter tall so I can harvest the tops for me.
Artemisia vulgaris.
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Thanks for sharing this, I'll be kedping my eye out for it and encouraging it near the flocks grazing areas!
 
Perris said:
that one I have found some good info on: It is a natural coccidiostat, reducing the sporulation rate and the number of oocysts shed. It also reduces the number of caecal lesions, and blocks the pro-inflammatory factors activated by Eimeria spp.
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Apparently it's an aggressive weed in my area. Probably something that's no longer in the poultry yard. They have kept a lot of aggressive or invasive weeds removed 😂
All the burs that cling to clothes and the dog have been eaten.
 
16 and me said:
I am amazed how quick they learn and take our lead. I've got a 6 month old cockerel who put himself on a timeout today when I yelled at him for being a jerk. If I yell Samuel! he knows I'm coming to chase him into the penalty box. So when I yelled Samuel! today he just ran inside the pen and disn't try to come out even though I disn't close the gate! :lau When Pedro, the big boss hears me yell at Sammy he struts over and chases him too. The problem is that the hens pick up the stress from the drama. Between Sammy's agressive mating, the boys working out their differences, and me and Pedro chasing down Sammy, I'm seeing some misshaped eggs, along with some signs of stress among some of the hens. I don't know if I'll be able to wait it out for Sammy to mature - that just seems like forever away. If I can though, I really think he'll be a good roo.
Sammy:
View attachment 3786093

And Pedro, the head honcho.
View attachment 3786094
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They are both very handsome! I love all 5 of my crazy boys, and luckily, their behaviour is not that bad, just occasional bursts of hormonal insanity.
 
ManueB said:
When you say it's a behaviour you have only observed once before, was it all in a free range context or were some of these roosters you observed confined ?
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Free range. Until I started at the allotments I hadn't dealt with confined chickens.

ManueB said:
I disagree respectfully. I think introducing a bit of natural in an artificial environment does some good. Just like free ranging for a few hours daily is better than not free ranging at all. But of course, you can't expect everything to work out as it would in a completely old school way of raising the chicken just because you have made one or two of the things you mention.
Click to expand...
I don't understand what it is you are disagreeing with here.
I didn't write there was no point in trying to improve confined chickens lives.
What I wrote was
Shadrach said:
My problem is, THE problem is, one can't do what I'll call old style chicken keeping in a piecemeal fashion; it's an all or nothing kind of thing.
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