Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Shadrach]

Four hours today. A rather muggy and warm afternoon. Apparently it's going to reach 30C tomorrow and the chickens are not going to like that.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

Most of them are in my experience. Some won't become compliant, probably a laudable attitude when it comes to dealing with humans.
I think the saying might be for some of these "difficult" rooster is "better dead than pet." I can't disagree with that.
I know that to a certain extent the field chickens have become my pets and I'm not at all happy about the situation. We are not good for the chicken no matter how well intentioned we may be.

Fret is dying now. I haven't done all I could; what I have done is what I think I should.
One possible definition of intelligence is to be aware of ones mortality. I think chickens have this ability. It's possible that they know they are dying.
I think Fret knows she's dying.
I'm finding some small irony in that there is a bill being debated in the UK parliament currently on assisted dying. Not having read the bill I don't know those important details. A friend asked me how I would vote on the topic; I wasn't sure.

I'm not going to intervene with Fret further. It's undignified and uncomfortable being syringe fed and while Fret has put up with me lifting her on and off her nest, she has never been an affectionate chicken towards me so I assume the amount of contact and handling she has had recently is just further ignominy she is too weak to struggle against.

Oh no, I'm so sorry. Poor Fret.

 

[MrsNorthie]

Fret is dying now. I haven't done all I could; what I have done is what I think I should.

For us, we are often guided by sentimentality which doesn't always lead to doing the right thing. I know that your experience and decision making is always focused on doing what is right for those chickens, so while not an easy decision, it is the right one for the right reasons. Forcing her to drink and eat is probably not adding quality to the time she has left, so you just have to let Fret handle this her own way, no matter how hard it is to let nature take it's course.

 

[MROO]

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.

The east coast US has a lot of whelks. If the past farmers vacationed at the shore (as if farmers ever really get to take vacations) that's likely where they found 'em.

 

[Ribh]

Most of them are in my experience.

And yet you adamantly warned me against getting a rooster... And that my girls would never again be my girls. I don't know if Leonard is just weird or if I have been extraordinarily lucky but Leonard is a fantastic rooster: gentle with the girls, non~aggressive, well~mannered & he seems to have no problems with the girls swarming to me anytime I enter the run or me calling them & putting out food. He just seems to regard me as a rather strange rooster & since I make no attempt to mate with his harem he is nonchalant about my presence. Mind you, I have Ha'penny & not even a rooster has managed to tame that wild woman! She goes over all my fences & leads those that can fly astray. He watches but makes no attempt to interfere with her shenanigans.
Leonard.

 

[MrsNorthie]

And yet you adamantly warned me against getting a rooster... And that my girls would never again be my girls. I don't know if Leonard is just weird or if I have been extraordinarily lucky but Leonard is a fantastic rooster: gentle with the girls, non~aggressive, well~mannered & he seems to have no problems with the girls swarming to me anytime I enter the run or me calling them & putting out food. He just seems to regard me as a rather strange rooster & since I make no attempt to mate with his harem he is nonchalant about my presence. Mind you, I have Ha'penny & not even a rooster has managed to tame that wild woman! She goes over all my fences & leads those that can fly astray. He watches but makes no attempt to interfere with her shenanigans.
Leonard.
View attachment 4161830​

Oh, he is absolutely adorable!!

 

[Ribh]

Oh, he is absolutely adorable!!

I think so - but I'm a terrible sucker for a frizzle!

 

[Perris]

Do you know how old Fret is @Shadrach ? My memory says she's been there from the start of your field days, but not what her age was when you started, if you mentioned it. Anyway, I think you're doing the right thing.

Maybe she's just feeling the very long hot days of summer, and will improve when they've passed. Can you explain why you think the end is nigh for her?

In other news, Paprika, Polka and Puffin are 4 today I'll try to get a nice photo of them later. And the SFH chicks were waiting with Cadle this morning, so roosted out somewhere last night