Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[kattabelly]

Mine are still friends with the rats

 

[Perris]

I found this one like this by the feedstation, back in March. I have seen roos and hens go for them if they get too close, but it's not obvious how it died. No obvious wounds. Heart presumably. Smaller ones that get caught get eaten.

 

[Shadrach]

I give extra protein and or a particular amino acid boost most days. I just don't increase the extras during moult. Often it's been a waste of time trying.
They don't want what I offer and would rather forage. It used to drive me nuts, However, I crop felt most nights and while no bulging as one may feel on a lying hen, they were full enough for me to be confident they weren't starving.
I do worry though when a hen is moulting and laying eggs and offer a far wider range of incentives to eat something I know will provide basic nutrients; fish/meat, hemp seeds, soaked chai seeds, I've tried most things.

 

[fluffycrow]

Ok, here's up-to-date photos of the youngsters, who are 18-21 weeks now. Glais
View attachment 4209407
Merioneth
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Nybro
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Wig
View attachment 4209410
I'm keeping (at least for now) Visby
View attachment 4209419
Talgarth
View attachment 4209411
Lulea
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and Edfu
View attachment 4209414
I'm sure I've already posted loads of photos of the old guard: Killay, Fforest, Gwynedd, Tintern, Nefyn and Hensol.

I wish I could show those frightened of roos and cockerels how calm it is here despite the presence of *14* roos; maybe it comes over in the photos. A few of the youngsters have started crowing, but no-one's acting like a jerk, yet. The observant will have noticed one missing: Erddig. His toe never properly recovered from the fracture or dislocation he suffered around 12 weeks, and when, at the end of July, it became swollen and started bleeding and he was clearly suffering with it, I euthanized him. He had a good year and a month. And he may have sired Glais, Hay, Merioneth, Talgarth or Wig. RIP Erddig View attachment 4209425

They’re all so pretty. I have my eyes on Talgarth, he’s already gorgeous. Please update us when he gets his more mature colouration.

Side note about the names. I love the names of all of your flock. I know you do place names for most, but I can’t help to think that Kolopetinitsa or Ioannina doesn’t sound nearly as good as Edfu .

I’m so sorry for your loss of Erddig. He was a stunning rooster, and he had a fantastic life. Euthanasia is never easy, but I’m sure it was the right decision .

 

[fluffycrow]

I was thinking of writing an article about it to help others handle the issue.

Please do! Byc is always in need of more good articles. If it’s anything like your posts, it’ll be very informative and well written

 

[Shadrach]

Two and a half hours today. On and off light rain this afternoon.
Sylph and Mow spent an hour in the extended run despite the gate being open. The rotting apples have attracted bugs it seems.

I've been ripping the old fence out and there are some very promising looking patches of bare ground where the grass roots have pulled out with the fencing. Unfortunately Sylph and Mow wont venture through the grass where the old fence was. I wonder how long it will take them to work out the old fence which was I admit a terrible foot hazard, isn't there any more.

Behind the coop run.

Need to shift my clock another half hour now if they're to get two to three hours out a day.

 

[MrsNorthie]

I eliminated food using a rat proof feeder made by a guy here on BYC and once the food was gone I used bait that would not have a secondary effect on wildlife (or chickens) if they ate the corpse.
I also managed to kill a few with dry ice down in their burrows.
I only ever had one dead rat to dispose of. The rest abandoned ship. I have been rat free for almost 2 months now.
I was skeptical about eliminating food having such an effect but it really did.
I was thinking of writing an article about it to help others handle the issue.

Thank you! That is great information and I think it would make a great article! I would have never thought of dry ice! We were using traps and feeding them to our little cooper's hawk friend, but he has not been around in a while, likely because of the bigger hawks that are cycling through.

We rarely have food in feeders, ours seem to prefer ground feeding but I know that anything they miss, likely encourages the rodents. I do see one or 2 occasionally, I know if you see some there are likely more and once they start breeding, you go from a few to a problem almost overnight.

 

[MrsNorthie]

Mine are still friends with the rats

I have seen them run out and nick food in the middle of a crowd of chickens without any real notice, but the other day, one nipped in by Rebel, one of the CCLs, and she wasn't having it. She gave the rat a couple of sharp pecks and it retreated, quite hastily. The CCLs are really sassy.

 

[BDutch]

I used bait that would not have a secondary effect on wildlife (or chickens) if they ate the corpse.

What is it you used to kill rats, thats innocent for scavengers?
And what do you mean with dry ice. I only know dry ice for medical use to eliminate wraths and keep things in that need extreme cold.
I support the thought of an article too. Sure it would make a great article!

I don’t have a rat problem for quite some time now. We have another creep hanging around here at the moment. A marten. Seen by the neighbour 3 days ago at 10 am on the their terrace. These animals eat kind all of animals including rats and chickens.

A marten from the internet:

Side note about the names. I love the names of all of your flock. I know you do place names for most, but I can’t help to think that Kolopetinitsa or Ioannina doesn’t sound nearly as good as Edfu .

You could use the names of the Greek gods and halfgods. Great names and there are plenty to choose from.

 

[Perris]

I have my eyes on Talgarth, he’s already gorgeous. Please update us when he gets his more mature colouration.

Will do. He's the only one with a crest!

Ioannina

Wouldn't this make a good chicken name? Very pretty place too (applies to Epirus as a whole imo). You may be underestimating the potential of Greek place names. I can imagine the sort of bird for whom Knossos would be perfect, for example

I’m so sorry for your loss of Erddig.

He was, of course, my favourite of that year's offspring. He looked so much like Phoenix, and he had a lovely personality until pain started to get the better of him. I try not to favour any, but it's impossible.