Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Vulpes vulpes]

It's me! I find this interesting! I'll have to find a way to access it that doesn't require logging in

I did in fact find the study, and it was in fact very interesting! It looks like they saw some larger groups, but they count a hen with chicks as a group

 

[BDutch]

We've had super stormy weather here today, s

And that is???
Please add this info in your profile:

Here in the Netherlands its stormy too. Biut its only the coast region that got a serious warning.

 

[Perris]

@Perris I was so interested about the study you posted about production only hens being fed wheat alongside foraging - that's what my hens were having before we got here (just nowhere near enough per hen), so it made me feel much better! they're now on about 50% wheat and the rest is my fermenting experiments and grower's pellets (which no-one likes much)

yes I found it really interesting too. Looks like your birds are enjoying their forage too

 

[Perris]

I did in fact find the study, and it was in fact very interesting! It looks like they saw some larger groups, but they count a hen with chicks as a group

Notice too the male:female ratios? And the max size group (25)? and the very large number of individuals?

Of course what was seen is not necessarily the same as what was there, but usually hens are much better camouflaged than cocks, so one might expect the results to have been the opposite of what they actually found.

 

[kattabelly]

I fell down what looks to be an interesting rabbit hole of studies looking at sexual selection and related behaviours in red junglefowl earlier, after wondering if and how they recognise and avoid mating with close relatives. Won't post links as I've only got as far as opening a load of tabs and quickly scanning a few abstracts.

We've had super stormy weather here today, so in between building a small shanty town for the chickens to give them some better protection where they are, I've done a lot of catching up on the thread!

My chicken plot is like an ever-changing, storm battered shanty town so I'd love to see photos of yours

 

[kattabelly]

TLDR tax

Eating with the big girls!

 

[ChickenshedStudio]

And that is???
Please add this info in your profile:

Here in the Netherlands its stormy too. Biut its only the coast region that got a serious warning.

Suffolk, so near the East coast of England - the same storm I think!
I thought I'd added it to my profile but apparently it didn't save the first time...

 

[ChickenshedStudio]

Looks like your birds are enjoying their forage too

yes we've got them on the mostly abandoned vegetable patch in the hope they'll do some weeding for us - the previous owner planted a couple of rows of potatoes this year, but the rest seems to want to turn back into a meadow I think!

 

[ChickenshedStudio]

My chicken plot is like an ever-changing, storm battered shanty town so I'd love to see photos of yours

I'm embarrassed to show it really as it's all very make do and mend, and there's so much more work to do!

The black coop with the tarp is the new one we're building, but the rain came before we could get the roof waterproof.

The amended rabbit hutch is where the mums and chicks are sleeping at the moment, and the rusty corrugated iron probably speaks for itself.
But it worked well today given the weather, they spent most of their day in and out of the coops or sheltering in the centre section, and they're only in this spot short term so it hopefully won't need to survive much more bad weather.

 

[SimpleJenn]

We gave the chickens some pumpkins to carve. They're doing great.