Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Shadrach]

Boringly, this one is wysiwyg: the -ais is pronounced 'ice', as in ice-cream, so as if spelt Glice.

Oh dear, I've been pronouncing it with a strong A and a weak I.

 

[fluffycrow]

I've seen a lot of talk about upping the protein content for adult chickens, but relatively little talk on chicks. I know that various sources say that red junglefowl chicks consume mostly--if not almost exclusively--animal matter, and I just read a very interesting study by Savory et al. 1978 which observed that feral chicks would consume about 65% invertebrates for their first month of life. This would translate to protein percentage in the high 20s at the very least, more likely 30% or more. Most chick starter is closer to 20-22%, which seems quite low in comparison. And that isn't even mentioning the amount of extra fat in many insects, including termites (a cornerstone in RJF diets). Fats are essential for brain development, and chicks go through some very important cognitive milestones in the first few weeks. Should we be throwing chick starter out the window and using game bird feed instead? Or homemade feed supplemented with a ton of fish?

That would explain Galadriel’s hogging of all canned and scrap meat.
I’ve posted before about the daily substitution of scraps, with a heavy emphasis on protein rich food.

Mum has been particularly adamant about giving all meat products to the chicks.
Every day I learn something new, and am shocked by how much these mothers know

 

[fluffycrow]

Oh dear, I've been pronouncing it with a strong A and a weak I.

Same here.
As long as you don’t slip up while Perris is around, you’ll be in the clear

 

[Perris]

Same here.
As long as you don’t slip up while Perris is around, you’ll be in the clear

I'm a stickler for some things, but not pronunciation. As long as it's recognizable, it's fine by me

 

[Perris]

My lot are getting an unusually diverse diet at the moment. Why? because I emptied the tin and jar cupboard at the weekend and hoicked out all the long lost stuff at the back. Worst offender was a Gourmet chestnut puree bought for a Christmas long ago Looked fine, smelt fine, but we didn't eat it when it was new and we certainly aren't going to eat it now , so I offered that - and the chickens enjoyed it . And some tinned pear halves. And for breakfast this morning they got some German hot dogs - aagghh - ultra processed food! They wolfed them down

 

[Mother of Chaos]

… Fats are essential for brain development, and chicks go through some very important cognitive milestones in the first few weeks. Should we be throwing chick starter out the window and using game bird feed instead? Or homemade feed supplemented with a ton of fish?

I’m not certain that I’d want my five’s brains to be any better developed. Now that the Littles are pretty well fully-voting members of the flock, I could swear that all five are sometimes conferring among themselves, with the occasional glances over their shoulders at us.

I think those quiet bok bok boks mean more than they appear to mean…

 

[BDutch]

And for breakfast this morning they got some German hot dogs - aagghh - ultra processed food! They wolfed them down

You make me wonder how these hotdogs entered your kitchen/stock.

Btw, humans eat very (extremely) different all over the world. Depending on culture, availability etc. Can you really compare the health fish eating Inuit with vegetarians in India?

I am a sort of vegetarian (not even a 100% meat refuser) . My chicks and chickens eat extra vertebrates , but also grass on top of their organic feed. They are healthy for sure. INHO there is no need to follow some-kind of celebrity/ influencer diet.

 

[notabitail]

INHO there is no need to follow some-kind of celebrity/ influencer diet.

"Just drink this shake made with this toxic powder sludge once a day and you won't have to eat for the next month!"

 

[BDutch]

There we go again:
For the first time since March, bird flu has been detected in the Netherlands. A broiler farm in Gasselternijveenschemond, near Stadskanaal in the province of Drenthe, has been affected. 71,000 birds are being culled.

 

[Skyeknight]

There we go again:
For the first time since March, bird flu has been detected in the Netherlands. A broiler farm in Gasselternijveenschemond, near Stadskanaal in the province of Drenthe, has been affected. 71,000 birds are being culled.

Yeah I read about it too. They were broiler parent stock. For now only in the immediate vicinity (30 km?) biosecurity is stricter. So for now we do not have to take any measures yet, but probably won't be long until others also test positive for it.