Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Ladies-Eight]

Ex Batts good evening one and all!

Tea is ready.

Temperature is in the 80s and partly sunny.

Have a great day!

I was out and about in town getting some errands done.

Here are a couple of pictures while I was feeding them tuna and sardines.

 

[Shadrach]

Mostly dry and a bit warmer than yesterday when I discovered my storm coat was no longer weatherproof.

If I've got the first sit day right Fret should be feeling movement in her eggs. She's on day 17 now with expected hatching this Sunday. She seems very aware of how long she can spend off the nest considering the 10C temperature swings we've had over the last couple of weeks. She's spent longer off her nest on the warm days. She didn't head out for a dust bath today, just did a bit of sounding pissy and furiously grooming instead; grounds too damp anyway.
Fret taken off her nest and eating with the others. Henry seemed very pleased to see her out today and did at least two fulll circuits of rooster shuffle around her, before giving her half a hackle flash just to remind her of whose still boss, which as most hens do, Fret completely ignored and sort of barged past Henry to get at the other food bowl.

Having had a an obviously satisfying dump next to the feed tray, I could swear I heard her fart, she headed off for a drink and on to the extension roost bar.

Of course I'm excited, and apprehensive and dreading the thought of double days when I'm having to make sure the chicks have food at least twice a day.

If any hatch I'm expecting her to get them out and about as quickly as she did Dig and Mow. The nest looks okay for something comprising finely shredded paper. The eggs are well grouped. The hollow hasn't broken through to the nest box floor and the nest is clean.

Mow finishing off the second helping I left for Fret. I make sure that food is available on the way back to the nest as well as when I lift them off.

Most broodies get one time frame in which to eat and drink and bathe and poop. I've seen many grab a few beakfulls of food and head straight for a dust bath. Then they start to look for food.
It's worth bearing in mind for those who have broodies hatching. While they don't need the nutrients for an egg, and their calorie demand is low they can only get a cropfull in say half an hour and that's it for the next 24 hours. Even with a large full crop at 60grams of feed it's only around half of what one would expect them to eat when laying.
A second chance at the foodbowl can make a lot of difference to the hens physical condition. Nothing is going to improve Frets temper temper.

 

[kcan2]

Sounds like a rather uncouth day for Fret
Great flapping photo!

 

[Perris]

How many broody currently?

She's the only one currently. One of the other three broke via the attempted rehoming, and two spent two or three days in broody jail, where young Idris now is. Pressure's on to make space by June to let at least one hen sit...

 

[Perris]

Here are a couple of pictures while I was feeding them tuna and sardines.

on a fork - how posh! Or are they just picking the last morsels off the serving implement?

 

[Perris]

I discovered my storm coat was no longer weatherproof.

I hate it when that happens

I could swear I heard her fart,

yes! It was exactly that that catalysed me into action on Idris yesterday. I'd taken the back off the coop to poo pick (having waited all day for the nest boxes to be free) and while I was doing it, having noted she was in a trance, I not only heard but saw her fart (whole body rose like those planks who do it deliberately in public ) except that I did not know then it was a fart, and thought she'd poo'd on whatever eggs she was sitting on, so nipped round and lifted her off - to find a completely clean nest, and concluded it must have been a fart.

What a weird coincidence that we both experienced the same novelty the same day! (well, it's a novelty to me; you may be familiar with it, especially considering your pulse experiments )

and apprehensive and dreading the thought of double days when I'm having to make sure the chicks have food at least twice a day.

can you bunk at your eldest's again?

 

[no fly zone]

I hate it when that happens

yes! It was exactly that that catalysed me into action on Idris yesterday. I'd taken the back off the coop to poo pick (having waited all day for the nest boxes to be free) and while I was doing it, having noted she was in a trance, I not only heard but saw her fart (whole body rose like those planks who do it deliberately in public ) except that I did not know then it was a fart, and thought she'd poo'd on whatever eggs she was sitting on, so nipped round and lifted her off - to find a completely clean nest, and concluded it must have been a fart.

What a weird coincidence that we both experienced the same novelty the same day! (well, it's a novelty to me; you may be familiar with it, especially considering your pulse experiments )

can you bunk at your eldest's again?

I used to have a hognose in a terrarium beside the bed. One night she farted so loud it woke my wife & I up. Small snake, big noise.

Also, horizontal welding increases the difficulty level. Need more practice.

 

[Molpet]

Also, horizontal welding increases the difficulty level. Need more practice.
View attachment 3832731

You're doing good, soon it will be perfect.
Are you taking a class?

 

[MrsNorthie]

We have multiple goose families that raise up their goslings in our pond. This little, was abandoned, and one of the other groups were trying to kill it. The Egg Thief brought it to me.

 

[notabitail]

Having had a an obviously satisfying dump next to the feed tray, I could swear I heard her fart, she headed off for a drink and on to the extension roost bar.

Fret not, for I have heard Agathae fart many times. Including today.