Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Shadrach]

Indeed. That red recipe box was one of those seemingly inconsequential items that, decades later, took on immeasurable power as a time machine back to childhood.

We were tickled to find the company casserole recipe written on an index card that I or my siblings had used as a flash card to learn the blend "ir," as in chirp or bird. My mom must've been short on index cards when someone offered her the recipe.

Tax for food and memories talk: genesis of the name Beakwipe. Bebe's like, "Beak. Wipe. Beak. Wipe."

Hard to say if that's a beak wipe or a rough attempt at grooming.

 

[HiEverybirdy]

Hard to say if that's a beak wipe or a rough attempt at grooming.

Likely a little of both.

 

[MrsNorthie]

I made a Dundee cake which is now in the oven.

You are becoming quite the "Mary Berry"! (I use a lot of her recipes to make the Egg Thief's favourite tastes from home.)

 

[Shadrach]

More wind and rain. It's been one storm after another.
There isn't much to write about the chickens. I was there for around an hour during which time the only ones to leave the coop extension were Mow and Tull and a rather reluctant Henry checking on Tull. As soon as Henry sees I'm watching Tull and Mow he heads back to the coop extension.
Tull was very eager to get out onto the field. She ate a lot of grass (calcium) and when I put down a new lot of calcium carbonate (shell) she was on that.
One of the things the feed I give them is short of is calcium.
Vitamin C seems to be popular. Any berries or fruit this lot will have a go at, even satsuma segments. Rarely see anything mentioned about a chickens vit C requirements.

 

[Shadrach]

You are becoming quite the "Mary Berry"! (I use a lot of her recipes to make the Egg Thief's favourite tastes from home.)

I don't think Mary Berry has anything to worry about.
Tonights dinner. Baked Cod (no sauces), scrubbed not peeled boiled potatoes, boiled brussel sprouts, carrots, french beans, fresh parsley and black pepper.
One pot on the stove and a tray in the oven, sorted.

The above is nutritionally better for me than most of the recipe meals I've done recently.

Okay, the cake business could get out of hand I'll grant you. Did you see the stuff that went into the supermarket Christmas cakes.
The cakes one makes at home it seems are better for ones health, apart from the likelyhood one will eat more cake.

 

[MrsNorthie]

I don't think Mary Berry has anything to worry about.
Tonights dinner. Baked Cod (no sauces), scrubbed not peeled boiled potatoes, boiled brussel sprouts, carrots, french beans, fresh parsley and black pepper.
One pot on the stove and a tray in the oven, sorted.

The above is nutritionally better for me than most of the recipe meals I've done recently.

Okay, the cake business could get out of hand I'll grant you. Did you see the stuff that went into the supermarket Christmas cakes.
The cakes one makes at home it seems are better for ones health, apart from the likelyhood one will eat more cake.

That is quite a healthy meal! Baking from scratch has to be healthier than store bought as you can use all natural and organic ingredients. Over here, all the processed foods seem to be tainted with poisons (at the mandated acceptable levels, ofc) You even have to be careful of the flour.

Luckily, I am not really a fan of sweets, the Egg Thief loves his puddings. I do, however LOVE fresh baked bread. I make bread on the weekends, to have a roll with Sunday Roast, unless we are having Yorkshire puddings, then the ET has bread for his lunches during the week, where I don't eat any carbs. I will have more veggies in the summer when they come from our garden, but they have started spraying everything with Apeel, which absorbs into the fruit and vegetables and while they say it is all natural and perfectly safe, I would rather not have food that has been tampered with.

 

[tranquiliti]

apart from the likelyhood one will eat more cake.

 

[Perris]

for someone who is trying to eat a healthier diet a limitless supply of cake making ingredients probably isn't the ideal way forward.

What's unhealthy about flour, butter, sugar, nuts and dried fruit?

One of the things the feed I give them is short of is calcium.

some sardines would sort that.

Rarely see anything mentioned about a chickens vit C requirements.

they make their own (like all other animals bar us and guinea pigs, who have both suffered some sort of congenital hiccup along the evolutionary path and lost the ability to make it, so have to eat it).

boiled potatoes, boiled brussel sprouts, carrots, french beans,

sauteeing or baking often retains nutritional values lost when veg are boiled (which sometimes results in more nutrients going down the drain with the water than are left in the veg that was cooked in it!) - and they usually taste better that way to my way of thinking

 

[BDutch]

She ate a lot of grass (calcium) and when I put down a new lot of calcium carbonate (shell) she was on that.
One of the things the feed I give them is short of is calcium.

My chickens love to eat a lot of grass too. Its often the first thing they go for when I set them free. Second is insects/ larvae / tiny eggs.

When I cant let them free range, I usually cut some grass in short pieces and give it to them in the run.
Laying hens obviously need a lot of calcium bc the industrial feed for laying hens contains much calcium. The BYC feed police says to give oyster shell on the side. They certainly need extra Ca if you give all flock or grower. I give them all the egg shells back too.

Free ranging has much more benefits. They can eat fresh grass, herbs, insects, etc. & Have more exercise and things to do to keep them physically and mentally fit.

Vitamin C seems to be popular. Any berries or fruit this lot will have a go at, even satsuma segments. Rarely see anything mentioned about a chickens vit C requirements.

The new bagged feed has fresh vitamins too. Especially vitamin C disappears very quickly. Giving grass and fresh fruits is one way to go. ‍. I’m not sure about giving much yummy sweet fruit. Veggies are probably healthier bc they contain less sugar .
Is satsuma a kind of mandarin?

My idea:
Searching for their own natural fresh food is healthier for the old heritage breeds. But only if the chickens have access to a good plot. These chickens don’t need layer feed. Only a handful of mixed grain before they go to roost should be enough to go by.

The modern layers need modern feed (too). The industrial farmers created unnatural chicken-like egg ‘machines’ that need the factory layer feed to lay an egg almost every day. It certainly didn’t bring happiness to the chickens.

 

[L-plate chicken mum]

Some are actually still moulting, notably Betws who didn't start till mid December and went through the worst of it practically bare, poor girl!

No eggs since late November here until 2 days ago when Millie started laying.
Minnie (the Minx) went broody in November after laying a clutch. Sat diligently - wanted to make sure her egg laying got properly switched off. She had already moulted so I wasn’t expecting what followed - a hard moult.
She was not her usual energetic self & would come out in the morning, scarf down her food, drink, poop & head back into the coop to keep warm.

26 Dec

30/31 Dec

At this point she would venture out for a while with the others before retreating back into the run

14 Jan

Pretty much back to normal behaviour.

Yesterday.
I fear her beard may never grow after 2 years of Hennie pruning it off!

Felt really bad as Millie the Pekin just has a light moult after a broody spell. Minnie has definitely got her mojo back now thank heavens