Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[BDutch]

While a countdown is fun, we are not talking about a rocket launch here. For starters, I have never handled Glais, so I must first catch him, and that may not work when I try it; and if it doesn't, and I spook him instead, it could be set back a while. I already have 8 roosting out now, and if he joins them it'll get even trickier.

Cant you get hold of him in the night?
I did this with Whisky a several times, when he wanted to sleep with his new harem and not with his mother and sisters anymore. I wanted him in the playhouse because the noise from there was more muffled.
The first times it was easy to grab him. After that he tried to get away as soon as I opened the maintenance door.

To be sure he doesn’t start to sleep in the trees, you can give the coop-flock some scratch a minute before roost time if you want to lock up. This even works to change habits if you do so everey evening.
If you have a auto pop door, give treats inside around closing time , and close it manually if it’s still open.

After you catch him, put him in a crate until the next appointment day. He will be extra pleased with Shad if he is the person who rescued him from jail.

 

[kattabelly]

In my experience, if you happen to know someone with a fruit tree of any type you are gifted several bag-fulls of their surplus if you should chance to meet them at harvest time . I am currently grateful for some apples and some plums .

I know, I used to benefit from that! Just very tricky to grow apples well enough here for anyone to have a surplus - warmer climate species like stone fruit, grapes and figs can actually be easier because they don't mind how hot a polytunnel or crub can get in the summer.

I just started putting together a shopping list this morning for a load of maiden trees and some rootstocks and scion wood to plant and graft at the start of spring. Trained forms like stepovers and short espaliers or sheltered cordons should have more of a chance but they won't be anything like as productive as a mature standard tree.

 

[Perris]

Cant you get hold of him in the night?

Not easily; that is one thing that the Nestera coop does not lend itself to. I don't want to take the back off and risk scaring other birds out into the night while trying to get hold of the one I want.

And I think you forget there is no pen/run here; either they are free to roam or they are in the Nestera for the night.

 

[BDutch]

So, so jealous of your apples. PROPER apples (not the shite they sell in supermarkets) are my favourite thing ever - I used to get enough for free through orchard and gardening jobs when I lived down south that I could eat several every day for almost half the year. Now instead of visiting family for Christmas, I go down when Egremont Russets are at their best and fill a 90L rucksack to take back with me.

Is there no way you could grow apples on Orkney? The ones that stay low if prune yearly. With a windbreaker, put up a wall or place them behind a barn.

PS Was typing before your reaction above. ^^

 

[Mother of Chaos]

Not easily; that is one thing that the Nestera coop does not lend itself to. I don't want to take the back off and risk scaring other birds out into the night while trying to get hold of the one I want.

And I think you forget there is no pen/run here; either they are free to roam or they are in the Nestera for the night.

I’m glad you posted this. I’ve been feeling very inadequate while reading “grab them off the roosts” posts, and I have had the back off the Nestera for months now! (elevated on a platform in a fully secured run.) Not sure how much of me I’d have to insert, as it’s guaranteed that the target bird would be on the farther roost.

 

[Perris]

it’s guaranteed that the target bird would be on the farther roost.

oh yes, of course!

 

[Molpet]

I’m glad you posted this. I’ve been feeling very inadequate while reading “grab them off the roosts” posts, and I have had the back off the Nestera for months now! (elevated on a platform in a fully secured run.) Not sure how much of me I’d have to insert, as it’s guaranteed that the target bird would be on the farther roost.

I have to use a Trout landing net.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

I have to use a Trout landing net.
View attachment 4217480

What a great idea!

With luck, no neighbors will see me creeping around at midnight in my nightgown, wearing my red-light headlamp and clutching my trout net. lol

Seriously, this looks like a solution for several scenarios.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

With luck, no neighbors will see me creeping around at midnight in my nightgown, wearing my red-light headlamp and clutching my trout net. lol

It’s ok no one will believe them if they do

 

[Mother of Chaos]

It’s ok no one will believe them if they do

^^^ Troof!