Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Molpet]

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

I'm sorry
Sometimes mercy is not doing all one can, but what one should.

 

[Perris]

Their 4th birthday seems an appropriate time to praise the 3 Penedesenca ladies. They have been one of the best rare breeds here. (Sadly the same can't be said for their male hatch-mates, all 3 of whom passed within 15 months, apparently of heart failure [black comb tips].)

The breed is famed for laying dark brown eggs, but only Puffin's are notably so. However, they all lay good medium or large size eggs consistently, and have done so since they started laying; no shell issues or other glitches. Except this year Puffin started laying fairy eggs (3 to date). Resuming laying in spring, she has laid over 50 proper eggs so far this year, which doesn't seem bad for a 4 year old who's laid about 150-200 per year up till now and doesn't look like she's done for the season yet. (The other two have variously been broody and/ or her eggs are hard to distinguish from some other hens' eggs, so Pu is the gauge I use for robust figures.) And whilst they have lost a bit of colour and are not as dark as they were when she was younger, the fairy eggs show the bloom still has plenty of pigment and it's partly an issue of how much shell there is to coat. Puffin's eggs are typically around 66g now, whereas they were in the 50s when she started laying.

Paprika and Polka have both done an excellent job as broodies, getting most of their chicks not only through the first couple of months, but to reproductive maturity themselves, and thus really contributing to the flock. Polka is inclined to nest out (and incubate out) occasionally, but she does it successfully. Nest-predators are present: Rhondda and Janeka have both lost clutches that way, but Polka and her daughter Fez have demonstrated an ability to evade them. Paprika and Puffin don't lay away or roost out, thankfully.

Personality-wise, all 3 of them are contented middle-of-the-pack types. No drama queens, screechers, or bullies among them. These ladies are a real asset to the flock. Congratulations on your birthday ladies!

 

[fluffycrow]

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.

Fret has had a good life. Very sad to read that it might be coming to an end, and I’m sure you’re not feeling great about it, but I’m sure that if asked (and if she could answer), she’d say her last few years were happy ones. The last of the “old guard”, she will join Henry and Carbon. You’re giving her a great gift by respecting her boundaries and dignity; often when trying to save the ones we love, we forget to ask ourselves if we’re doing it for us, or them. I’m very sorry .

I have no doubt that you are right, Fret is aware that she’s close to the end of her life. If she can, the others probably can as well. Seeing how they will say goodbye to their mother and matriarch will be hard as well, so

 

[Shadrach]

 

[Molpet]

Now it's my turn to not be able to see the you tube

 

[fuzzi]

Now it's my turn to not be able to see the you tube
View attachment 4162104

Me neither.

 

[L-plate chicken mum]

Me neither.

I can which surprises me as I usually can’t

 

[RoyalChick]

I can which surprises me as I usually can’t

It’s a US/UK thing.