Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Shadrach]

A day of too many people and not enough chickens.
Two and a half hours today and only an hour of that on my own with the chickens.

My quote of the day, "you'll go quietly barking mad down here at the field with the chickens." Fair comment. Better than going barking mad in the city. Not going barking mad doesn't seem to be an option so it's really just where.

 

[kattabelly]

My quote of the day, "you'll go quietly barking mad down here at the field with the chickens."

I hope you looked them in the face and acted like a person having a totally normal human conversation, while replying in chicken noises.

 

[Shadrach]

I almost forgot one.

Dry all afternoon.
Mow and Sylph are still not venturing far. In someways this is quite helpful. If they go around the back of the run and not go much past the compost heaps, which I will dig out a bit to make them a more attractive foraging opportunity, I can keep a better eye on them and maybe do something else besides.
The downside is they don't have as many of the longer bursts of travel required to move around the entire field. When I'm out with them, I keep them moving and that helps with the fitness even if does piss them off getting moved away from some promising dig or other.

Did Sylph's legs this evening and cleaned some more dried shite of her arse. She didn't like that much.
Most of the chickens I've treated for minor problems fuss a bit the first couple of times they get captured but I can see they do feel better after the event. Sylph, despite her disapproval was decidedly more perky less a few hardened lumps and the feather ends roll so they separated properly. It's the fruit that gives her the runs.

 

[fuzzi]

View attachment 4186148

Insanity is hereditary...you get it from your children.

 

[SimpleJenn]

A couple memes, if I may

 

[MrsNorthie]

Now that I think about it, writer Ann Cleves included it as part of the background for DI Jimmy Perez, a native Shetlander, in her two quartets of Shetland mysteries beginning in the early 2000’s (later a TV series.)

Great show!

 

[MrsNorthie]

This is my DREAM
I may have 1-2 more incubator batches this year, I'm supposed to be getting eggs from that amazing Polish rooster I had held onto for a breeder this spring.
In the future, I have many wonderful silkies and silkie mixes to brood batches of youngsters. Going to be funny seeing them mothering large heritage birds for eating. Maybe the cochins will brood too?

We will never use an incubator again. It is just to wonderful letting the hens raise the chicks, even though ours are extremely welcoming of new family members.

 

[Perris]

A physicist's joke: the universe is made of protons, neutrons, electrons and morons

 

[kattabelly]

We will never use an incubator again. It is just to wonderful letting the hens raise the chicks, even though ours are extremely welcoming of new family members.

I'm looking forward to (hopefully) having a broody to hatch chicks for me in future and I know it's best for them to be raised by their own species, but a part of me is still kind of sad at the idea of being much less involved in their lives at the very start. It's something I really enjoy, and I seem to be good at it based on how many farm jobs I've ended up being the default person in charge of babies of whatever species who need some human help.

Fingers crossed it'll be one of the more friendly and trusting birds who goes broody, and not a bitey monster raising feral human-haters.

 

[rural mouse]

I'm looking forward to (hopefully) having a broody to hatch chicks for me in future and I know it's best for them to be raised by their own species, but a part of me is still kind of sad at the idea of being much less involved in their lives at the very start. It's something I really enjoy, and I seem to be good at it based on how many farm jobs I've ended up being the default person in charge of babies of whatever species who need some human help.

Fingers crossed it'll be one of the more friendly and trusting birds who goes broody, and not a bitey monster raising feral human-haters.

Even the feral human haters can be tamed. This is Cumulo. She was hatched in the "wild grasses" beyond the row trees they like to nap under.

her sister went broody and eventually got babies from the incubator to raise (along with the other 2 broodies). The sister is a feisty one and Cumulo is one of the few she allowed near the babies (who ranged between mamas). Even Nimbus, the 3rd of the sisters, wasn't allowed near the littles. Prior to the babies, the closest I could get with any of the 3 was about 5 feet and it lasted all of 2 seconds.

Babies are 4 weeks old, and Mama Cardhu has decided she's done. The other mamas are sheltering thr babies when needed, and won't allow Cumulo as close. She was permitted to have a supervisory rest near one of the baby piles, partway between these

she stayed put while I settled in nearish by and got the Auntie Cumulo pic...

Take those opportunities as wins. Cumulo is 2. Don't push, just quietly be present. It will come.