Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[ChaosMom]

this suggests to me that it's not assembled quite right. Or it might be uneven expansion from the insolation you talked about where you are? In any case, I would use your finger to push or pull the nubs into their slots, for structural integrity as well as other reasons. There are lots of posts on BYC about predators getting into enclosures that their owners thought were secure.

Ahahahahahaha at the “not assembled quite right.” Let’s just say that I did read the instructions aloud very carefully.

I think that “operator error” is probably the case. It is interesting, though, since it’s on a very stable platform.

If you think about it, the door side is probably not as strong as the back and (I’d guess) isn’t as effective as the back at maintaining alignment, so there’s less resistance to torquing.

I do (this is the swearing part) generally align the nubs. It’s just a function, I guess, of there not being an independent frame among which all this hangs. After reading the wails of despair about traditional right-angle wooden coops, I’m still happy with our purchase. We will probably buy another one (a medium) when we expand the flock.

 

[Perris]

Does salpingitis mean she has an internal infection?

yes. The lash material is lumps of pus coagulated and expelled. It is recoverable, though sometimes the hen will never lay again; if they do heal, future egg laying depends on how badly the reproductive tract is damaged by the infection - as well as how old the bird is of course.

 

[Vulpes vulpes]

Sigh at the in-laws. They aren't in a great financial situation, but I was under the impression that we were all collectively aware that the chicken situation was out of hand. Just found out that they've set 18 eggs in their incubator, and bought another 5 or so chicks from Wilco. In talking to them further, it seems that the chicken situation is just fine, actually, and it's perfectly reasonable to have "less than a hundred" birds in one coop on 4 acres. The only problem they see is the sex ratio. Beyond disappointed

 

[Sally PB]

Haha, multiple choirs and choruses through that time…

One more concert to go (Chamber Chorus in 2 weeks), and then everything goes on break until mid-August, including church choir! This used to make me sad, but now it’s woooonderful. 4 hours rehearsal on Tuesday nights and an hour and a half on Wednesdays, whew.

Good for you!

I'd love to have a choir to sing in again. Singing is SO good for you! Physically and mentally.

 

[Sally PB]

Singing tax.

 

[Skyeknight]

Yeah, this is why I decided against getting a apple tag for my cat. No use in getting one when probably more than half the population have android (including me).

Tax for talking about tracking devices:

On a side note: Since American hatcheries seem to cross leghorns with other breeds to increase egg production, it does make me appreciate my roosters more horizontally carried tail so much more!

 

[HiEverybirdy]

yes. The lash material is lumps of pus coagulated and expelled. It is recoverable, though sometimes the hen will never lay again; if they do heal, future egg laying depends on how badly the reproductive tract is damaged by the infection - as well as how old the bird is of course.

Yes, they can recover, even if the internet would have you thinking otherwise.

Miss Lorraine popped out one of these a few months ago, a day or so after a softshell. Her general constitution was decent, so while concerned, I didn't intervene. I told DH that Lorraine had probably laid her last egg (he likes her dark eggs because James Bond liked Marans eggs).

A few weeks later, Lorraine was suddenly laying normally, with dark bloom for a 4-year-old.

Lorraine is a character. She has no problems starting something with any hen outside her group. She's how we know Unquestioned and Most Esteemed and Illustrious Head Hen Brahma Donna's still unquestioned. On the rare occasion Donna deigns to accept Lorraine's demand for satisfaction, it only takes a few flogs from Donna's little Brahma legs for Lorraine to back down.

Here she is starting something with Lil Nugs at the fence.

 

[Skyeknight]

Good for you!

I'd love to have a choir to sing in again. Singing is SO good for you! Physically and mentally.

I do think it's pretty admirable that you and @ChaosMom can sing in a choir! I do love songs that include a choir. I wish I could sing like that, but I am too lazy to actually do anything about it

 

[ChaosMom]

I do think it's pretty admirable that you and @ChaosMom can sing in a choir! I do love songs that include a choir. I wish I could sing like that, but I am too lazy to actually do anything about it

It is kind of surprising how much physical effort it takes for “big” singing. After I saw what showed up on my Apple Watch, I started recording this as a workout, calling it Core Training for lack of any equivalent.

- I log heavy gardening sessions as Yoga, because gardening requires holding strange and awkward positions for a good while, and then I can’t get out of bed in the morning.

 

[Molpet]

Sigh at the in-laws. They aren't in a great financial situation, but I was under the impression that we were all collectively aware that the chicken situation was out of hand. Just found out that they've set 18 eggs in their incubator, and bought another 5 or so chicks from Wilco. In talking to them further, it seems that the chicken situation is just fine, actually, and it's perfectly reasonable to have "less than a hundred" birds in one coop on 4 acres. The only problem they see is the sex ratio. Beyond disappointed

Do they eat their homegrown chicken? Sell eggs?