Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[MrsNorthie]

Thanks for the spur information! On Facebook everyone is always saying to cut the tips, file them, even twisting them off
But it looks like they are able to keep them in line for the most part.

I was looking for information on how to deal with the spurs, and one of the hatchery sites did a tutorial for totally removing the spur and it was barbaric, and then you think, How do they defend themselves and the girls if they don't have spurs??? So opted for just round the spike off a bit with the dog nail grinder. I think now, I will wait and see how they handle it themselves.

 

[Perris]

This is the one that gets most anxious at roost time.

I notice her face is quite red; how does it compare with her siblings at roost time?

According to this paper, chickens' faces blush to indicate a positive or negative emotional state/ valence (and anxiety is an example of the latter) https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0306601
I found the article heavy going, but it would be interesting if your observations on 4 youngsters with different personalities are consistent with it.
It draws attention to head feather fluffing too, incidentally.

 

[BDutch]

Cleaned out the wet stinky litter from the back of the coop today. We've had rain daily for two weeks and I think the bacteria went anaerobic.

Nice the chickens are all okay.

We often have a lot of rain for several weeks too. But the poop always dries out and it never gets very smelly. The trick is probably a combination of :

• - good ventilation, in the top of the coop too.
• - a permeable sand floor in the walk around area in the coop. I only use bedding in the nestboxes and under the roosts.
• - acces to the run from dawn til dusk with an automatic pop door (safe run covered with strong netting).

 

[RoyalChick]

A good chicken sitter is worth their weight in gold.

I am heading back home in a few days after more than 5 weeks away. I was very worried about this.
It turns out my chicken sitter has been spoiling them rotten. Not only has she had to deal with the endless broodies but she has let them out to range almost every day and has been bringing them chilled watermelon, left over rice and beans, and bits of beef stew left over.
I don’t think my Princesses will be so pleased to have me back in charge!

 

[Perris]

I am heading back home in a few days after more than 5 weeks away. I was very worried about this.
It turns out my chicken sitter has been spoiling them rotten. Not only has she had to deal with the endless broodies but she has let them out to range almost every day and has been bringing them chilled watermelon, left over rice and beans, and bits of beef stew left over.
I don’t think my Princesses will be so pleased to have me back in charge!

Sounds like quite a trip! I hope you'll share some of the highlights with us in due course.
Your chicken sitter sounds like a very special person. Lucky you to find her!

 

[BDutch]

I told Fret and Henry no more chicks until at least the end of August.

Are you serious?
I think I would rather wait till next spring in your situation, with four youngsters and who knows what to be expected the upcoming months.

 

[fluffycrow]

The bantams in Catalonia were an absolute dream compared to the crosses that came after, apart from the fact that they were all pro tree hugers. Didn't matter what I did, Harold would call up and up they all went. Not one single bantam didn't go up the magnolia tree as an adult.

What I found. The bantam males were fine with large breed hens such as a Marans hen. What this lot were not fine with were full sized roosters.
In general, the bantam hens were really not keen on advances from full sized roosters. Even Major, who really fancied Harolds partner could not get anywhere near her despite Major being respected by all, bantams, crosses, pure breeds and even the Catalonian version of the top production breed.

There are often posts on what breed would you like/choose. Old English Bantams would be high on my list. Some believe bantams are easy prey for predators because they are small. Thing is they're fast and in my experience more predator aware.

That seems to be the case here as well. Undoubtedly their size plays a role in that. A cat might not be a threat to a Large Fowl, but definitely is to a tiny bantam.

All the bantams here are good flyers, even Ursula, something that surprised me. Their pen has an Olive tree growing inside of it, so they all fly up there to roost.

For some time I've been wanting to get the mix breed bantams on free range ground, so that they can enjoy chicken life as it should be enjoyed, but I haven't found a way to keep the Tsouloufates from eating their feed and terrorizing them.

From the moment I saw the bantams you had in Catalonia, I was amazed by the resemblance they bear to Cruella. I don't think the environment in Catalonia differs much from our environment, so I wonder how and why these bantams look almost the same while being almost on the opposite side of the Mediterranean

 

[fluffycrow]

We lost one of the young cockerels the other day. The whole incident reminded me of something Shad had said on another thread. We should be giving the chickens the vote; they and the predators are the ones that are going to decide who lives and who dies, who can thrive in their environment and who can't.

This particular cockerel had stood out to me for his build, flying ability, and foraging skills. Unfortunately I had overlooked how predator/threat unaware he was; he just wandered too much. If I had been the one to choose, I might have chosen incorrectly.

I'm sad to see the little guy gone, but his passing was a bit of a wake up call. I don't know better, I can't know better, and I should probably shut up and let the chickens do the chickening

 

[BDutch]

A cat might not be a threat to a Large Fowl, but definitely is to a tiny bantam.

My neighbour cats are no threat at all for my tiny Dutch, mixes or Katrientje.

There are many different types of Bantams, lots of the normal sized breeds have a bantam counterpart too.
My bantams are very predator aware. But they are not (very) frightened of cats. The are very afraid of dogs, small and big ones. If they seen one , when free ranging, the Dutch /mixes fly on top of the run, in a tree or over a 2.30 m high hedge to the neighbours.
Katrientje my bantam Rhode Island red ,can not fly. She hides and makes a lot of noise after the threat/predator has gone.

I don’t trust strange cats after a few bantams went missing in the past years around the time I saw a tomcat hanging around. I sort of had to learn my chickens to be alarmed/take cover for strange cats. I think they have worked it out now. The tomcat didn’t return this year.

 

[fluffycrow]

My neighbour cats are no threat at all for my tiny Dutch, mixes or Katrientje.

There are many different types of Bantams, lots of the normal sized breeds have a bantam counterpart too.
My bantams are very predator aware. But they are not (very) frightened of cats. The are very afraid of dogs, small and big ones. If they seen one , when free ranging, the Dutch /mixes fly on top of the run, in a tree or over a 2.30 m high hedge to the neighbours.
Katrientje my bantam Rhode Island red ,can not fly. She hides and makes a lot of noise after the threat/predator has gone.

I don’t trust strange cats after a few bantams went missing in the past years around the time I saw a tomcat hanging around. I sort of had to learn my chickens to be alarmed/take cover for strange cats. I think they have worked it out now. The tomcat didn’t return this year.

We have a lot of ferals passing through here. Under our property lines there is a small forest of sorts, which I am assuming is where most have made their dens. The LFs don't care at all about the cats, even dust bathing right next to them. Lady Gaga on the other hand starts sounding alarm calls the moment he sees one.

Glad to read that your problem cat hasn't appeared this year. Hopefully your Amrock chicks stay safe