Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[SimpleJenn]

The criminals have discovered my lilies.

However, under the porch is a very safe place to be so I'll let it pass...

 

[Skyeknight]

I don’t move my fence to mow. I create a more-or-less weed free zone for it to stand in using woodchips.
By about now I have to do some hand pulling/clipping in a few places.
Most commercial farmers use herbicide, but I prefer not to.

That's a strategy I haven't heard of before. One thing I dislike about how we go about the wolf in the Netherlands is that we do not look at how other countries do stuff. Little background the first sighting in like 150 years was in 2015, while in 2019 the first pups were born. And still the government and farmers just kinda don't know how to deal with them. If only other European countries had the wolf before us so we could look at what they did

 

[rural mouse]

View attachment 4192661
The criminals have discovered my lilies.
View attachment 4192662
However, under the porch is a very safe place to be so I'll let it pass...

Is that the squeaky bagpipes too?

 

[L-plate chicken mum]

Thank you Shad and all for helping me with the rooster situation. Big Red is no longer here, which I have needed some time to process.

Along with him, the serama cockerel went to live on an acquaintances farm, where he’ll get to free range. It wouldn’t be a fluffycrow decision if there wasn’t a mistake, ish. Along with Big Red, also went Elrond. To no fault of his own, he was just too big for all but one of the girls here (his mother). That left the pure Tsouloufati rooster, an incredibly respectful, and much smaller rooster. Well, Tuesday morning, he was showing the same symptoms as his father. Couldn’t stand, half the comb purple, very weak. By mid day, he had passed. I’m pretty sure it was heart related, as he had similar symptoms (though not as extreme) once before.

That means that we no longer have roosters here, for the first time in over five years. On the bright side, the hens are feeling much safer. Some have already started growing back feathers. Today I saw one bathing; I have not seen that in months, they refused to sun bathe out of feet of being mated. Not the outcome I had hoped for, but an outcome that has left the hens much more relaxed than before

 

[Molpet]

That's a strategy I haven't heard of before. One thing I dislike about how we go about the wolf in the Netherlands is that we do not look at how other countries do stuff. Little background the first sighting in like 150 years was in 2015, while in 2019 the first pups were born. And still the government and farmers just kinda don't know how to deal with them. If only other European countries had the wolf before us so we could look at what they did

Livestock guardian dogs and human Shepard's were used in most areas before efficient ways to eliminate them.
Some European countries are using dogs again.
Mastiff dogs protect livestock from wolves in Spain https://share.google/X0VP7Y4gCS6PE7WvY


I'm very grateful that I don't have to deal with wolves, bears and large cats

 

[fluffycrow]

indeed. Dont blame yourself. Im sure you finally made the right choises.

Im keeping my fingers crossed for one lovely cockerel that will be a good rooster next year.
The hens probably will give him the right instructions, how to behave.

Hah, don’t be so sure about that! The cockerels here get the royal treatment. Our only hope is that they get enough of a beating as chicks that they remember it as adults

 

[no fly zone]

Went to the place with the chickens again. My wife and i gave them some apples and weeds to munch.

 

[fluffycrow]

This is one of the cons of using fencing against wolves for sheep protection here in the Netherlands. You would have to move it to mow underneath it and if you have a big pasture well...

If I understand (barring) genetics correctly then those white spots on the heads of 2 of the black chicks seem big enough to indicate they are roosters. Although that would mean both mom and dad had to be barred. All 3 of those black chicks are roosters if only the mom was barred.

That’s very interesting, thanks! Two of the three boys were Barred; one Red, the other black. Two hens are also barred, same colouration.

Cue dumb, genetics newbie questions. If there is a barred male, but no barred male, can one tell the sex from the head spot?

We should know soon enough either way

 

[fuzzi]

That’s another secret I’ve been keeping.

On the night of her 2nd birthday, and the morning after, Galadriel hatched 7 healthy chicks. On the 20th day of sitting, the hatch was over, and she brought them down to eat and drink. 7 out of 11 eggs hatched (though I can’t remember if I gave her 10 or 12 to begin with)! Good job mum! An 8th egg had pipped, so I gave it to the bantams, but it passed during zipping. View attachment 4192255
View attachment 4192258
Mum is doing good, and is fiercely protective of her brood. She even gave a beating to one of the senior hens, who outranks her.

I’m still VERY paranoid, but mum seems very active, healthy, and has preened and eaten. The chicks have done the same, and are doing good. I’m sure there’s at least one cockerel in the mix, and he’ll be taught everything there is to know from Galadriel

My Zaccheus was raised by a rooster-less flock, and the hens beat some sense into him.

He's a very good roo.

 

[fuzzi]

Went to the place with the chickens again. My wife and i gave them some apples and weeds to munch.View attachment 4192785View attachment 4192786View attachment 4192787View attachment 4192788View attachment 4192790View attachment 4192792View attachment 4192795View attachment 4192796View attachment 4192797View attachment 4192798View attachment 4192799View attachment 4192800

Lovely!