Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Perris]

I think that my three have already mown through much of the available forage in their areas

Another finding from the thesis was that they will consume what's available (surprise!), but an established pasture can regenerate quickly, whereas a forage crop grown from seed is a once-a-year resource, so rotation of foraged area is needed if space is limited. So the birds in the experiment were using the same piece of pasture repeatedly, between spells on the sown forage crops each of which were available for one period only. The quinoa was the most productive of those in terms of hen nutrition btw, especially the seed when it matured (profile also given in that post just cited).

 

[Perris]

I was getting turkey starter that was made with fish meal along with flax. From a tiny organic mill that was owned by a small conventional feed and seed co op. I fed it to everyone and the chicken eggs tasted fishy.

I feed tinned sardines regularly and our eggs have never smelled fishy, either to us or been reported by any of my customers. I suspect the fish meal used in that turkey feed was not good quality.

The fishy smell is generated by a molecule called TMA. It is a decomposition product, which is why fresh fish don't smell fishy and old fish do. It can also be produced by bacteria in anaerobic conditions.

 

[Shadrach]

19/07.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

Another finding from the thesis was that they will consume what's available (surprise!), but an established pasture can regenerate quickly, whereas a forage crop grown from seed is a once-a-year resource, so rotation of foraged area is needed if space is limited. So the birds in the experiment were using the same piece of pasture repeatedly, between spells on the sown forage crops each of which were available for one period only. The quinoa was the most productive of those in terms of hen nutrition btw, especially the seed when it matured (profile also given in that post just cited).

I never thought that quinoa would actually look like anything, but it’s in the amaranth family and has plumes that remind me of celosia. And my right-down-the-road seed vendor carries it! I’ll throw some in the mix, although I don’t know if our nights are cooling off enough for it.

https://sowtrueseed.com/products/quinoa-brightest-brilliant-rainbow-organic?gQT=1

 

[Molpet]

I feed tinned sardines regularly and our eggs have never smelled fishy, either to us or been reported by any of my customers. I suspect the fish meal used in that turkey feed was not good quality.

The fishy smell is generated by a molecule called TMA. It is a decomposition product, which is why fresh fish don't smell fishy and old fish do. It can also be produced by bacteria in anaerobic conditions.

This Turkey starter was 30% protein mostly from fish. Fed every day along with free rangeing. Not sure of the amount in the feed because it was as tiny place that made to order.

 

[MrsNorthie]

I found this to be a problem with some if not most of the Ex Battery hens.
Fortunately they had others hens and Henry to show them. It was the same with dust bathing.

I wonder if that is an example of knowledge passed down genetically? Our babies start trying to dust bath right away, even the first ones, when we were brooding them in the house, but a battery chicken comes from a long line of chickens that have never been outside and never had the chance to chicken. Either way, it is really sad.

 

[SimpleJenn]

There's a big hole, perfect for the auto door I have on order

Lots of room in here!

We have siding for the front now, and I'm going to get 2x4s for the roosting ladder. The metal shelves are going to hold nest boxes and there's some thin cabinets I want to turn into the sides of a brooder cage.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

So exciting!

 

[Mother of Chaos]

A little Nestera story: today we dismantled the coop to wash it, also allowing me to move the platform on which it sits to a new location in the run.

I forked litter out of the new spot and generally puttered around while we waited for morning laying to wrap up before tearing everything apart.

DH insisted on going in for a break for lunch and all. I waited as long as I could and wheedled him into going back out to assemble the coop. While we’re working out which side is which and all, Buffy comes in the run and starts clucking, a definite change from her usual Murmur in D flat. She gets louder, jumps up on me trying to reach the platform, paces around panting on the coop pieces lying there, and looks at us with a “What is WRONG with you people?!” stare. Yes, Gentle Reader, she needed to lay.

That coop got reassembled in world record time with no extra mystery pieces left and only two missing pi clips. Just as when Broody Trudy blocked her from the nest box, she laid in five minutes, in a tilted barely-attached nest box without enough hemp. (I heard the egg hit the bottom of the box. )

Buffy the Buff Orpington, the world’s most patient chicken.

Now I just have to figure out how to exclude a safe area for the new pullets arriving Tuesday…

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

So it appears you have independently confirmed some of the findings @BlindLemonChicken

Time to get more chickens!! For science, of course