Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[fuzzi]

Tax for feed talk:

Julia checking out the nest boxes (10 weeks old).

Phoebe and Dinah

Silas was watching me as I took photos of the pullets. They are, after all, his gals too.

 

[Shadrach]

Yesterday.
Rain all day on and off. Two and a half hours.

 

[Skyeknight]

Tax:

Ayam Cemani mixed 2 month olds. The middle one is half Silkie.

My three pullets. A Padovana (bearded Polish), Silkie and Brahma. They are 6 months old and not yet laying. My older 2 hens bully them and my Ayam Cemani rooster doesn't really interact with them besides pecking and the occasional dance. I do still want chicks from them this year. So I am debating if I should put the 2 older hens in a separate coop for awhile or put the Ayam Cemani with these 3 pullets in a separate coop.

 

[SimpleJenn]

Riddick has a "Lady has a bucket!" Call that is very close to, but distinct from his treat tidbit. Usually he does his person call/growl, then the bucket call, then tidbits as soon as the bucket is within fill range of whatever dish. It's so interesting, especially since he has yet a fourth call to bring the chicks over specifically. I was telling hubby this and he said he couldn't tell the different "turkey gobbles" apart. Riddick also loves to peek around corners when I go to get eggs and do the human call/growl and it makes me smile and giggle every time. Like something from a cartoon.
Sorry for all the gushing, I just love this dude. He's such wonderful guy.

 

[MrsNorthie]

Riddick has a "Lady has a bucket!" Call that is very close to, but distinct from his treat tidbit. Usually he does his person call/growl, then the bucket call, then tidbits as soon as the bucket is within fill range of whatever dish. It's so interesting, especially since he has yet a fourth call to bring the chicks over specifically. I was telling hubby this and he said he couldn't tell the different "turkey gobbles" apart. Riddick also loves to peek around corners when I go to get eggs and do the human call/growl and it makes me smile and giggle every time. Like something from a cartoon.
Sorry for all the gushing, I just love this dude. He's such wonderful guy.
View attachment 4208947
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He is a handsome boy! I love all the different vocalizations and mannerisms. They are so clever, "So, I need the human to bring the bucket feed, buuuut... I can claim that I summoned the human with the bucket feed, so my tribe knows that I am STILL the bread winner and I can just sit back and take all the credit!" You just have to love them!

 

[BDutch]

Before industrial practices were invented, chickens foraged and ate kitchen scraps, free ranged all day, were not cooped and were a lot less fat than today's chickens.

+ Before industrial practices were invented, the hens didn’t lay an egg (almost) every day. Breeding programs and crossing high productive breeds for even more eggs created unnatural laying hens.
If you have ex-batts, Isa browns or similar, you should know you chicken is different and needs different food than the old heritage breeds and the backyard mixes who lay sometimes only 60 and often about 200 eggs a year.

 

[Shadrach]

Two and a half hours yesterday. On and off rain which while inconvenient is much needed.

"We will go foraging when you get off that chair!"

This is something that is becoming very apparent now there is no male to keep the hens active. If I do stuff, they do stuff.

That's oyster shell and grit on the ground.

 

[BDutch]

I agot behind … sorry if it’s already answered. Therefore Im starting with ½ tax.

You might be surprised. I've collected 1471 eggs so far this year, and that excludes those laid off base e.g. Janeka's 3 secret nests.

You made me wonder how many layers you have. Or.. what the average score?

Then I have some lazy turds who just sit in the hen house and run all day, with the doors WIDE OPEN to just be right by the feeder at all times LOLOL they aren't even laying yet!!

I have 2 lazy birds too. Ini mini and Katrientje. They don’t stay inside the coop/run, but often hang around the back door, hoping I wil give them some special treats.

I am sure you will make this transition easy, with your practice of giving food and treats to the rooster/cockerel first.

Well said! I vote for this insight too.

PM me your desiderata, and I'll send you a shortlist of males that might fit your bill from the many on offer here (older roos included, if they are of any interest).

I dont want to see Shads adress and such but photos of the roos are welcome on this thread as well.

I find this very exciting too.

 

[Perris]

You made me wonder how many layers you have. Or.. what the average score?

18 hens and pullets this season.

I'm not sure that averages are meaningful when 8 of them have gone broody once or more, and was 3/now 4 went/are going the whole hog and raising chicks too, so were/are out of production for at least 3 months. Plus 2 are 8 years old, another one is 6, and another 3 are 4 years old, so altogether 6 hens are what would commonly be regarded as past their prime. Plus some are much more productive than others, any and every year. And on top of all that, I think IB swept through the flock in the last 3 months, knocking out even the best layers for a month or more.

 

[Labsandchickens8]

I agot behind … sorry if it’s already answered. Therefore Im starting with ½ tax.
View attachment 4209285

You made me wonder how many layers you have. Or.. what the average score?

I have 2 lazy birds too. Ini mini and Katrientje. They don’t stay inside the coop/run, but often hang around the back door, hoping I wil give them some special treats.


Well said! I vote for this insight too.


I dont want to see Shads adress and such but photos of the roos are welcome on this thread as well.

I find this very exciting too.

Beautiful hen? Which one is this?