Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[kattabelly]

Having trouble getting sardines in water or olive oil currently so they got some cooked turkey for treat food today. Gone off to roost with very full crops.

I love the light in this last photo, it's like a painting.

 

[no fly zone]

Waiting for a wool wash to finish.
I swear by my Merino wool and lambswool clothing. Keeping them clean and something like their original shape is inconvenient though.

I have a good amount of merino wool clothes from a company called Merino Tech. Fantastic stuff.

 

[BDutch]

53 minutes after sunset and I currently have four pretty much fully grown pullets asleep in one nest box and a teenager making forlorn goose noises from on top of my head.

How's everyone else's evening going?

I locked my chickens up in the run at 17:00 h because I had an appointment. When I came back at 18:30 h there was not one chicken hanging around. They all roosted very early today, before sunset (18:49 h today). Not very cloudy, no rain.

Normally all the oldies roost early, around sunset, and the young ones hang around and scratch for goodies a bit longer until it gets a bit dusk.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

I'm really not sure if this one is a he or a she yet! I've been around adults but never raised pea-combed chicks before and I'm not sure how red it should be at 8 weeks old. Initially I was leaning male because this one is so chonky and very outgoing. They're still a total cuddlebug but very polite about it, unlike the Fayoumi pullet - a famously flighty breed - who likes to surprise me from behind by landing on my head.

My younger pea-combed Easter Egger, 13 weeks, is just starting to pink up a bit and have a little comb growth. I’m guessing you have a pullet, unless s/he turns bright red overnight.

 

[fuzzi]

For fellow confused US’ers, jumpers are pullover sweaters. Not a sleeveless dress worn over a shirt or blouse, not a despondent individual departing from a high office window or bridge.

Thank you. I was trying to picture Shadrach wearing a cross-dressing fisherman's dress (jumper) but I knew that I really couldn't...

 

[fuzzi]

Skipped Symphony Chorus rehearsal b/c I’m exhausted getting my mother transferred to a nursing home. We have about an hour fifteen before dusk, so I’m just enjoying the chickens and a glass or three of Pinot Grigio.

 

[kattabelly]

I locked my chickens up in the run at 17:00 h because I had an appointment. When I came back at 18:30 h there was not one chicken hanging around. They all roosted very early today, before sunset (18:49 h today). Not very cloudy, no rain.

Normally all the oldies roost early, around sunset, and the young ones hang around and scratch for goodies a bit longer until it gets a bit dusk.

Day length is so variable here that it changes with the seasons. In the middle of summer they'll wake up really early and go to roost hours before sunset. They've just started staying up for a while after sunset in the last week or so, and by midwinter I expect they'll be dragging that out until it's really getting dark.

A lot of tonight's drama wasn't about that though. The two new Barred Rock pullets weren't sure where to roost and didn't want to be "helped" while it was still light enough to panic and run away from me. The others I think are still feeling nervous about sleeping without the rock boys there to protect them.

The littles are perching in the day but still choosing to sleep in a heap at night. The box they have is plenty big enough for all of them but tonight I noticed Rognvald was on guard duty, sleeping with just his bum inside the box and the rest of him outside, across the doorway.

 

[rural mouse]

I only ever (occasionally) wash woollen base layers. Anything else - ganseys and the like - gets chucked in the freezer overnight, or draped out over a few washing lines on a cold & dry winter night, no more than a few times a year.

What does freezing the wool do to the garmet? I have some wool yarn I'm planning on turning into a sweater.

 

[Vulpes vulpes]

What does freezing the wool do to the garmet? I have some wool yarn I'm planning on turning into a sweater.

From what I understand it mostly just eliminates odors. I don't think(?) it has any measurable effect on the fiber itself

 

[Vulpes vulpes]

Also, a quick sidenote, I've changed my profile picture like twice in the past few weeks, I apologize if it's been confusing! I promise I've found(made myself!) one I like now