Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[MrsNorthie]

Walked out the door before 11 am and a bunch of chickens were hiding in the front yard.
Found feathers everywhere a dead hen and a fox with a pullet. It dropped the pullet who ran to me and died in my arms. I found another hen I had to put down. I knew a brother to the pullet was missing. All these were white or white with a few black feathers.
After I harvested meat that wasn't punched or torn, I walked around looking and found him half buried in the ashes of the burn pile. If I hadn't seen the fox I might have blamed a bobcat
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I put him in the big coyote box trap. So far I have not caught any canines , so probably a waste to drag the trap up to the burn pile.

I am so sorry!

 

[Shadrach]

Walked out the door before 11 am and a bunch of chickens were hiding in the front yard.
Found feathers everywhere a dead hen and a fox with a pullet. It dropped the pullet who ran to me and died in my arms. I found another hen I had to put down. I knew a brother to the pullet was missing. All these were white or white with a few black feathers.
After I harvested meat that wasn't punched or torn, I walked around looking and found him half buried in the ashes of the burn pile. If I hadn't seen the fox I might have blamed a bobcat
View attachment 4215945

View attachment 4215946

I put him in the big coyote box trap. So far I have not caught any canines , so probably a waste to drag the trap up to the burn pile.

 

[Shadrach]

Two and a half hours. Drier than yesterday thankfully.
Pleased to write the grass transplanting and seeding seems to be working.
I know it's just a few small patches but it seems to have discouraged nettles which was what was in these areas before. There are a couple more patches further down the run which are slowly getting established.

I did write drier! Full rainbow again.

Out on the field.

Leaving the field at around 7.15pm now and that means I can catch an earlier bus. Home at 8.30.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

There’s a lot to be said for earlier sunsets!

 

[notabitail]

Walked out the door before 11 am and a bunch of chickens were hiding in the front yard.
Found feathers everywhere a dead hen and a fox with a pullet. It dropped the pullet who ran to me and died in my arms. I found another hen I had to put down. I knew a brother to the pullet was missing. All these were white or white with a few black feathers.
After I harvested meat that wasn't punched or torn, I walked around looking and found him half buried in the ashes of the burn pile. If I hadn't seen the fox I might have blamed a bobcat
View attachment 4215945

View attachment 4215946

I put him in the big coyote box trap. So far I have not caught any canines , so probably a waste to drag the trap up to the burn pile.

 

[L-plate chicken mum]

In an ideal world, we would make enough from selling eggs to cover feed, but it really isn't that important because I just love them. When everything else is stressing me out, I just visit with the chickens and I feel calm.

My little flock are great at relaxing me even channeling their inner pirate dinosaur!

That’s how I described this picture of Minnie to my 4 year old great nephew who had just got back from a holiday where they took a boat trip to see pirate caves - he loves dinosaurs too and we told him chickens are dinosaurs’ great great great etc grandkids

 

[L-plate chicken mum]

Walked out the door before 11 am and a bunch of chickens were hiding in the front yard.
Found feathers everywhere a dead hen and a fox with a pullet. It dropped the pullet who ran to me and died in my arms. I found another hen I had to put down. I knew a brother to the pullet was missing. All these were white or white with a few black feathers.
After I harvested meat that wasn't punched or torn, I walked around looking and found him half buried in the ashes of the burn pile. If I hadn't seen the fox I might have blamed a bobcat
View attachment 4215945

View attachment 4215946

I put him in the big coyote box trap. So far I have not caught any canines , so probably a waste to drag the trap up to the burn pile.

 

[thistlewick]

No pecking to each other at all? Not even if you give a few treats or give a bowl or a plate with some yummy leftovers. ?

No, amazingly. They all just share -- and I don't do plates, I toss out any goodies. Though I have done plates, and no pecking. Also, different hens go in first versus eating later at the feeders.

@MrsNorthie This is where it gets interesting, they have little mini-flocks within the large flock. They gravitate to their friends. Once they start laying, they almost always begin to make a friend with an older hen of the flock.

maybe I just have some stinkin' sweet hens <3

@Molpet oh my god I am so sorry that is devastating

 

[Perris]

@MrsNorthie This is where it gets interesting, they have little mini-flocks within the large flock. They gravitate to their friends. Once they start laying, they almost always begin to make a friend with an older hen of the flock.

maybe I just have some stinkin' sweet hens <3

it is the same here. And those friend subgroups gather around a roo (Fforest or Killay), while lower ranking roos are to be found either in the main group, or paired off, e.g. Sully and Tintern are going round like a pair of besotted lovebirds atm. Adults forming more or less obvious cliques forces the teens to hang out together, within or without the main flock, and with or without a senior roo for company, until they are ready to take their place with the grown ups, and then, as you say, typically they tag along on the tail of their favourite of those hens.