Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Perris]

what they have cleared out. I noticed that the burdock, cleavers and other sticky stuff. Also ragweed, wild aster, dandelion and plantain are mostly gone

Burdock (Arctium lappa) is edible in all its parts, and typically has vits A, B1, B2, C and E, potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, sodium, zinc, copper and phosphorus. Used worldwide in trad medicine as an anti-inflammatory, digestive stimulant and diuretic, and shown in lab trials to be an effective antimicrobial, including against various species that can have a bad impact on our chickens such as E coli, Salmonella, Listeria and Staph aureus.

Interesting that your birds have cleared it there. I haven't noticed my birds eating it, but there's a lot of it, so I could easily have missed the moment (it self-seeds all over a bit of waste ground here). I am going to harvest some this year and try it as a veg.

 

[Molpet]

Burdock (Arctium lappa) is edible in all its parts, and typically has vits A, B1, B2, C and E, potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, sodium, zinc, copper and phosphorus. Used worldwide in trad medicine as an anti-inflammatory, digestive stimulant and diuretic, and shown in lab trials to be an effective antimicrobial, including against various species that can have a bad impact on our chickens such as E coli, Salmonella, Listeria and Staph aureus.

Interesting that your birds have cleared it there. I haven't noticed my birds eating it, but there's a lot of it, so I could easily have missed the moment (it self-seeds all over a bit of waste ground here). I am going to harvest some this year and try it as a veg.

It grows anywhere I can't mow. It was in the fence lines before I expanded the poultry yard to include it. A couple years ago I noticed it was only outside of the poultry yard. I threw some burrs in but I haven't seen any growing. I'm not sure what stage they eat. I know the cleavers have to be young. I'm also not sure if it's the chickens or turkeys eating it.

 

[16 and me]

Well unfortunately, my flock will be contained for a little while. The largest Bald Eagle I've seen came by this morning and tried to attack. Fortunately they were all by the treeline & a large blackberry patch to take shelter. Pedro got 10 home safely, and by the time I got to where they had been the Eagle was perched in the cedar tree about 10' above Annie my Buff Orp who was sheltering underneath. He took off when I got close and Annie fled, wedging herself under a pallet in a nearby barn. It took a while to get her out, but finally I was able to reach her & carried her home to the coop. The last of the 3 missing hens finally came out from the BlackBerry bushes and I escorted her home safely. They're all safe, but very quiet. I wonder how long it will take for the Eagle to give up & move on, and how long it will take for Annie and the more skittish birds to wander far from the coop once I let them out again.

 

[Perris]

that sounds quite scary. Glad to read they're all safe, albeit shaken.

 

[no fly zone]

Well unfortunately, my flock will be contained for a little while. The largest Bald Eagle I've seen came by this morning and tried to attack. Fortunately they were all by the treeline & a large blackberry patch to take shelter. Pedro got 10 home safely, and by the time I got to where they had been the Eagle was perched in the cedar tree about 10' above Annie my Buff Orp who was sheltering underneath. He took off when I got close and Annie fled, wedging herself under a pallet in a nearby barn. It took a while to get her out, but finally I was able to reach her & carried her home to the coop. The last of the 3 missing hens finally came out from the BlackBerry bushes and I escorted her home safely. They're all safe, but very quiet. I wonder how long it will take for the Eagle to give up & move on, and how long it will take for Annie and the more skittish birds to wander far from the coop once I let them out again.

Hope the eagle moves on soon with zero rate of success.

 

[Shadrach]

Well unfortunately, my flock will be contained for a little while. The largest Bald Eagle I've seen came by this morning and tried to attack. Fortunately they were all by the treeline & a large blackberry patch to take shelter. Pedro got 10 home safely, and by the time I got to where they had been the Eagle was perched in the cedar tree about 10' above Annie my Buff Orp who was sheltering underneath. He took off when I got close and Annie fled, wedging herself under a pallet in a nearby barn. It took a while to get her out, but finally I was able to reach her & carried her home to the coop. The last of the 3 missing hens finally came out from the BlackBerry bushes and I escorted her home safely. They're all safe, but very quiet. I wonder how long it will take for the Eagle to give up & move on, and how long it will take for Annie and the more skittish birds to wander far from the coop once I let them out again.

I'm a bit surprised a bald eagle attacked. They are primarily scavengers living off the carrion that faster, more agile and more intelligent birds and mamals leave behind.

 

[no fly zone]

I'm a bit surprised a bald eagle attacked. They are primarily scavengers living off the carrion that faster, more agile and more intelligent birds and mamals leave behind.

 

[Molpet]

I'm a bit surprised a bald eagle attacked. They are primarily scavengers living off the carrion that faster, more agile and more intelligent birds and mamals leave behind.

I heard my turkeys having a fight a month ago. I went out in time to see a juvenile eagle getting away from the jakes. A chicken hen pinned against the fence. The eagle flew wobbly up to the tree. I had to yell repeatedly at it so it would leave. He hasn't been back but I have seen him.
I used to think they were great .

 

[Shadrach]

View attachment 3788756

Did you see the strike?

 

[Shadrach]

I heard my turkeys having a fight a month ago. I went out in time to see a juvenile eagle getting away from the jakes. A chicken hen pinned against the fence. The eagle flew wobbly up to the tree. I had to yell repeatedly at it so it would leave. He hasn't been back but I have seen him.
I used to think they were great .

We had Goshawks in Catalonia. They were not interested in a stand up fight.
If they didn't disable first strike then the chickens were in with a very good chance to the point that at least four broody hens I know of kept a Goshawk at bay.