Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Shadrach]

While visiting family in north Florida a few years ago, I was mesmerized by the chicken setup on the small farm behind a local farm-to-table restaurant. They had 30-40 chickens in a 40'x15' run/open coop, including a dozen males of varying breeds, sizes, and ages (according to spurs). None of the males had injuries – absolutely zero bloody combs – and none of the hens had feather damage.

What kind of sorcery is that!? My chickens have 100x the space, and the roosters can't get along.

I asked workers around the farm how the birds were so serene in a small space. They all shrugged like it was no big deal and gave me the contact for the main chicken keeper, who was also the restaurant owner. She never answered my email.

Two massive, older Light Brahma roosters did appear to be patrolling, and some of the younger cockerels were napping on roosts rather than on the ground chasing girls. But they all looked to be in good weight and feather condition, meaning they were accessing enough food and not overly stressed. Indeed, the birds all appeared relaxed and sociable with humans and each other.

To this day, my only hypothesis is that with such a mixed group of ages thrown together in a small space, males learned from a young age to remain peaceful for self-preservation.

I think most people who keep multiple roosters experience similar to Perris's with Chirk and me with Major and others; it's all okay then it isn't. Sometimes one can see it coming and avert the conflict which usually results in serious injuries. The bickering fights between tribes/groups rarely amounts to much.

 

[MrsNorthie]

I feel I must point out there is a world of difference between keeping a bunch of juvenile males and cockerels to keeping a bunch of adult roosters.
Keeping a few adult males can be done but in my experience they end up fighting. This can be really distressing for the keeper so it's important that such keepers are aware that at 90% probability they will fight from six months old and onward; when often depending keeping circumstances and temperament.
Most fights don't amount to much. I used to patch them up. disinfect, seal and monitor but the vast majority of comb and wattle injuries, bleed like mad for a bit and heal up quite quickly without human attention. One comes to accept that his is what they do, rather than look for indefinite harmony.

*touchwood We have had quite a harmonious existence for months, I know that could change with the wind, but they all seem happy with their allotment of ladies and the room to spread out. Even Tater has a girlfriend now, he tags along after one of the mowhawks, Sierra and she dotes on him.

 

[Vulpes vulpes]

I don't think this works with my roos. They share a single territory. They share hens.

Well like @fluffycrow said, I'm sure the crow has multiple meanings (it seems to me most vocalizations do) I didn't mean to insinuate that it was the primary/only reason that roosters crow. I agree that it probably isn't relevant in your situation because your roosters don't have defined territories, but I could imagine it being a major factor for situations like Shad's tribes in Catalonia

 

[rural mouse]

Thanks for the advice. Yeah, an active persuit is really my only chance to shoot them anyways. I just know they nest close to the property, since I have seen the kits visiting (so they are probably at the age where they start hunting practice).

Personal ethics about guns and shooting aside, I have never held a gun (only a few toy guns and water pistols), and obviously don’t know how to use one or have one in my possession.
So even before considering shooting a fast, agile target, I would need to learn how to use one, and before that, go through some paperwork (thankfully) to be able to get one.

No matter if it’s in active persuit or not, I’d still be taking away from the family.

What you and Shad have said about fox activity has peaked my interest however. This family has been spotted hunting in total daylight. The attack happened at 12 in the morning, and the fox came back to collect the carcass it had dropped (the noise from the attack drew me to the coops and I scared away the fox, which dropped the hen it had caught, and left) at 2pm. The kits were spotted at around 10am.
Most attacks that have happened here have been daytime attacks. I had not heard of a correlation between hunting hours and rabies before.

Thank you very much for your help

Skunks are nocturnal. Seeing one out near sunrise/set is also normal. Seeing one midday is abnormal, hence the rabies possibility. Same with bats during the middle of the day. There can be other reasons for them to be out, so being familiar with the other rabies symptoms is important, too.

Foxes are opportunistic hunters and can be active day or night. Midday sightings with them can be considered normal, so rabies isn't likely with them just from sightings/hunting tactics. Most canids (and vulpids) will be nocturnal during some part sof the year and diurnal during some parts of the year. How long for either depends on the region and the species. Rabies then becomes much more reliant on other symptons.

 

[BDutch]

One time me and my partner were hiking in the woods in a state park. We decided to take a break on a park bench. It was getting towards dusk, and after we'd been sitting for a few minutes, a skunk appeared from the shadows and sauntered on past us, without a care in the world. It must've come within a few feet of us. We were frozen in shock, but it totally ignored us

I passed within two feet of a skunk this morning walking to work. It was eating out of a trash bag on the edge of the sidewalk. I sprinted past it before it could react.

I know a skunk can spray, and I understand they are a risk when seen during midday bc of rabies. I wonder, is it a dangerous animal beside that for humans too?

 

[Vulpes vulpes]

I know a skunk can spray, but is it a dangerous animal for humans too?

Not in the strictest sense (unless they have rabies) but getting sprayed is no joke. I hadn't realized that there weren't skunks in Europe, so let me try to explain.

Skunks rarely, if ever, run away from a threat. They're not afraid, because of how effective their natural defense is.

Potential predators are entirely incapacitated. It's so overpowering that your eyes water, you can barely manage a choking breath, suddenly there are no other scents in the world. And that isn't even if you get sprayed in the face. If your dog gets sprayed by a skunk, everyone at your place of work will be able to tell the next day, simply because you were in the same building as said dog. If you see a road killed skunk, you roll up your windows and shut off the AC/heater, because a whiff through the vents can linger for several minutes. You can tell if a skunk visited your chicken coop last night based purely on scent. If you or a pet are sprayed, the smell lasts for more than two weeks if you clean it properly. If you don't act fast enough, its said that it can last months or even years.

So it'll ruin your day for sure