Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Perris]

In the current context, those who don't already know it might find this thread interesting
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/how-many-eggs-were-laid-by-hens-150-years-ago.1593024/
It's the same Lewis Wright I was citing, and he points out that flock averages mask both good and bad layers within it. Trap nesting is the only reliable way to know who lays what.

 

[RoyalChick]

you don't need to exclude air for fermenting grains @MrsNorthie ; in fact it's better if air and the local microbes in it can circulate to join the brew when fermenting grains. I use normal mason jars with their lids just resting atop, slightly ajar, as the built-in mechanism leaves the lid if you don't squeeze it shut. Others just put a teatowel or piece of cheesecloth over the open top.

I use a coffee filter and a rubber band. Works well on a mason jar.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

I use a coffee filter and a rubber band. Works well on a mason jar.

I have been using a sink strainer (fine mesh) and then putting a plastic lid to rest on too. Mostly because I’m Oscar the Grouch but it works when the feed is too runny and I want to strain it a bit.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

@Perris what do you think of something like this, for fermenting chicken grains? I am looking to improve my operation.

This is my grotty, highly unscientific fermentation kit. I’ll need to step it up to a third jar when the new pullets arrive:

(I really do wash the jars before a new batch. Especially if I see them starting to move around under their own power.)

 

[MROO]

Yeah there are definitely way better alternatives then getting CX. But I want to say with everything I have read on this site so far and my own limited experience of owning a few for a month, that it's all about management with them. You can let them live longer but you need be on top of feed management. This will be harder as I don't believe there are many sources on letting them live longer and still eating them later on. Most would probably get Freedom Rangers, Buckeyes or New Hampshires etc at that point. The next problem comes if they are on some sort of diet, they will be chronically hungry. They have been bred to be always hungry, so for welfare they need to be able to get some sort of food all the time. This is where keeping them outsides comes into play, they will be able to eat grass or bugs all the time even when not having excess to pellets etc. This exercise will also keep their leg muscles healthy and strong. But this will have the effect that their meat will be less tender cause they are using their muscles more than store bought chickens. Also there are different strains of CX. If you want a healthier version go for Hubbard or Sasso instead of Cobb or Ross, but I imagine this would be harder to find out. Although non white meat chickens will be most likely a healthier version.

As for getting attached to them, well that's indeed very easy. Although it won't just be you that gets attached to them. I have never met chickens as sweet as them. Pullets from other breeds I have bought around the same age have remained scared of me while at least one CX literally tries to jump the fence to get to me. It might be that they have just connected me with food, are simply curious or maybe they have established a deeper connection with me. Their behaviour is a bit complicated to put into words and I simply don't know how they view me.
View attachment 4147937

That is one SERIOUS lapful of floof!

 

[Mother of Chaos]

Further on the soft-shelled egg discussion, Heck writes something I found very interesting: “[soft-shelled eggs] may be the result of diseased organs of reproduction and especially of the oviduct. Excessively fat hens are liable to lay soft-shelled eggs when the layers of fat are so abundant as to force the egg out before it can receive a sufficient coating of shell. Heavy laying birds are also thus afflicted, by reason of the egg passages being weakened by continual strain and not being able to retain an egg after the shell begins to harden. In exceptional cases it may be lack of shell forming elements in the food.”

Which makes me think modern, high-production birds are more prone to this issue and lack of range time/exercise exacerbates it. I have never dealt with an egg bound chicken but I also tend to favor heritage breeds and I have a very hard time keeping them in a coop. Not because they escape but because I hate everything about it lol

So body structure (compression from excess fat plus weakened musculature(?) of the reproductive tract) are more likely causes of soft shells than dietary issues.

A mechanical problem where the egg is forced through the system too rapidly for proper shell formation. Interesting!

Another good reason to maximize chicken’s physical activity and minimize snackies, especially high-calorie ones.

 

[Perris]

Polka's brood are 7 weeks old today, and she's still doing a fine job with them

And now Aberglasny has decided we need more chicks, so I have 3 broodies currently nest-blocking

I still expected more than 2 eggs today, from 18 hens and pullets. 1 has salpingitis and is of course excused, 6 are in various stages of broodiness, ditto, and several are getting on a bit, so we can ignore them too, but I think the only explanation for the others is that they have established a broody-free zone in the borders somewhere. I saw Killay suggesting one of the SFHs lay in the preferred planter the other day, and he might have been putting ideas in their heads. I shall have to go a nest-hunting tomorrow.

 

[HiEverybirdy]

I have started keeping count since this year! I want to know mainly how much influence the father and mother have on the amount of eggs their offspring will lay. I will be crossbreeding different breeds and comparing the amount of eggs layed with how much both parents breeds are supposed to lay. Just fun genetic stuff to see if I can find a significant difference with leaning to either laying less or more eggs. Does become a bit harder when eggs are being predated and in the future which egg belongs to which chicken.

I kept an egg spreadsheet for a while. It's good for a lot of learning, like understanding the arc of the laying season.

If you want to track each bird's production, it'd be good to keep a close eye on eggs and learn who lays what. Color can vary enough to be confusing, but an individual's egg shape seems to vary less.

Also would be helpful to add a column for weather and another for impactful events (predator attacks, introductions of new birds, deaths, presence of a bully rooster or hen, change of feed, etc.) to account for the effects of stress on laying.

Personally, my favorite reason for egg data has been to calculate our cost-per-egg. It's >$12/dozen here. Actually, I should probably track and calculate that again now that most of our layers are 4 and 5 years old...next season. I keep too many spreadsheets as it is!

 

[MrsNorthie]

you don't need to exclude air for fermenting grains @MrsNorthie ; in fact it's better if air and the local microbes in it can circulate to join the brew when fermenting grains. I use normal mason jars with their lids just resting atop, slightly ajar, as the built-in mechanism leaves the lid if you don't squeeze it shut. Others just put a teatowel or piece of cheesecloth over the open top.

I remembered that you used regular jars, from your article, I was just thinking that the exclusion of air and local microbes would improve the quality, but that makes sense because the fermentation process relies on that exchange of gasses. Thank you.

 

[HiEverybirdy]

On oyster shell: our adults eat chick starter along with a lower-protein all-flock (all-flock has been stunningly hard to find, btw). Layer feed is a no-go for us because of the roosters and non-laying hens.

Each coop has cups of calcium in 2 places, next to cups of grit. I once heard in a podcast that maximizing access to grit and oyster shell promotes optimal health, and it feels true. We've seen fewer hard crops in the morning since upping our grit game, and despite not feeding layer feed, soft shells have been rare.

A great side benefit is I know when a hen's feeling funky due to a laying issue because she'll be at a calcium cup at odd times. If somebirdy's eating oyster shell at supper, there will be an egg under the roost the next morning, and said hen will wake up lighter and happier.

Ours love cheap, pelletized shells from the farmer's co-op, even more than the pricy flaked shells, but here's evidence of how the old-timers did it in southern Appalachia before us yuppies. I've posted this before from the part of our acreage with the old chicken coop:

That's a whelk, not an oyster. Curious where and why they sourced these shells, but the chicken farmers in this family all passed away in the last couple decades So much I'd like to ask.