Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Shadrach]

A lovely sunny afternoon. Four hours today. It's planting weather if as the forcasts say, day time temperatures are going to be mostly in double figures for the next couple of weeks.
Of course the chickens were out with me as I dug which tends to slow things down a bit. It's odd that when I dig Henry turns up and he digs as well. When I stop he stops. Be more handy if he could dig in my down time really.

I'm pretty sure I saw Fret go and look for Mow this afternoon. They had all gone around the back of the run where the feed bin is. There's decent grass along that strip on ground and a couple of trees with a cleared area around the roots. Henry, Fret and Carbon came back around the front but Mow didn't follow. Fret went back around the back and when she had seen Mow, went back to join Henry. Odd I thought.

 

[fuzzi]

View attachment 3806004
I think Abigail is looking down from Chicken Heaven or something like that.

Lovely markings. She's closer to Standard than mine.

 

[notabitail]

Lovely markings. She's closer to Standard than mine.

Abigail would be pleased to hear that. She would probably be chatting with yours over Beakbook right now if she was here.

 

[16 and me]

A lovely sunny afternoon. Four hours today. It's planting weather if as the forcasts say, day time temperatures are going to be mostly in double figures for the next couple of weeks.
Of course the chickens were out with me as I dug which tends to slow things down a bit. It's odd that when I dig Henry turns up and he digs as well. When I stop he stops. Be more handy if he could dig in my down time really.

I'm pretty sure I saw Fret go and look for Mow this afternoon. They had all gone around the back of the run where the feed bin is. There's decent grass along that strip on ground and a couple of trees with a cleared area around the roots. Henry, Fret and Carbon came back around the front but Mow didn't follow. Fret went back around the back and when she had seen Mow, went back to join Henry. Odd I thought.
View attachment 3806254View attachment 3806255View attachment 3806256View attachment 3806257

Oh what a lovely sight seeing chickens roaming in freshly dug earth!
They do slow down the process, I try and get a few shovels turned while they're not looking, but they always seem to have one eye on me and the next thing you know they have me surrounded!

 

[fuzzi]

No, not normal in my experience.

Yesterday I caught Samuel pecking one of the chicks:

Martha flies at any hen that even looks crosseyed at a chick, but she didn't stand up to Samuel (truncated video).

I don't feel it's safe to leave the chicks around him.

 

[Ladies-Eight]

Ex Batts good morning one and all!

Tea is ready.

Temperature is in the 60s partly sunny.

Hav a great day!

 

[LaFleche]

I don't feel it's safe to leave the chicks around him.

And rightly so as he should feed and protect them instead of lashing out like this!

 

[Molpet]

Yesterday I caught Samuel pecking one of the chicks:

Martha flies at any hen that even looks crosseyed at a chick, but she didn't stand up to Samuel (truncated video).

I don't feel it's safe to leave the chicks around him.

Probably a cockerel that has an attitude already being put in his place .

 

[tranquiliti]

Probably a cockerel that has an attitude already being put in his place .

I put a “gasp!!” reaction because this could be true. I’ll need to keep an eye out if I ever hatch in the flock setting again.

 

[Shadrach]

Yesterday I caught Samuel pecking one of the chicks:

Martha flies at any hen that even looks crosseyed at a chick, but she didn't stand up to Samuel (truncated video).

I don't feel it's safe to leave the chicks around him.

I can't see a problem in that video. Samuel just gave one of the chicks that got too close to him while he was eating a warning peck. The chick will have hardly felt it from what I can see. Not all pecks from males, or females are hard. In fact most of them aren't hard pecks. Samuel didn't attack the chicks. I've seen lots of roosters do this. It's part of teaching the chick what it needs to know.

I don't know enough about your chickens than to say if I saw that in a group I was responsible for I wouldn't worry any more than usual. If there are other instances of similar behaviour and someone has got physically hurt, mum or chick, then I would reconsider, but on that video I didn't see anything that I found concerning.