Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Shadrach]

A high risk in bringing new diseases into your flock with ex-bat is new to me.

Normally Ex Battery hens are very low risk, but only if one gets them straight from the battery. Once they been held at a distribution center the risk becomes high.
The better rescue organizations collect the hens from the battery and take them directly to a pick up point. These hens are usually fine.because they haven't mixed with any other hens and haven't been on the ground in the holding centers.
Usually there are some hens collected that are not picked up by people who have ordered them, or are considered in too bad a shape to be passed to their new keepers.

 

[Shadrach]

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!

@Perris I was so interested about the study you posted about production hens only 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)

This is Pancake (she was broody when we named her) and behind her is Muffin's re-growing bum they sat, and hatched, and are raising the 3 chicks together.
View attachment 4238144

It's that word enough. Before I took them on, the field chickens got fed mixed grain (wheat and split corn) and not much else for at least two years.
They still laid eggs and on the outside, particularly the Ex Battery hens, seemed to thrive. I have my doubts about their long term health on such a diet (they got out onto the extended run perhaps once or twice a week for half an hour or so most weeks) but were otherwise fully confined.

 

[Shadrach]

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. View attachment 4238342

Chickens don't like tidy.

 

[tranquiliti]

only got as far as opening a load of tabs and quickly scanning a few abstracts.

Describes a much larger fraction of my lifespan than I’d prefer!

 

[BDutch]

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. View attachment 4238342

Nothing to be ashamed of imho. But please do look for info, how to prevent a red mite infestation, before winter comes to an end. These bastards thrive in our climate with mild winters and warm humid summers.

 

[fuzzi]

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. View attachment 4238342

I like it, you're resourceful.

And I'm sure the flock doesn't care.

 

[fuzzi]

Look!

Doris is getting her Big Girl comb!

 

[Shadrach]

J did the chickens this evening. I had other commitments. J sent me a picture though.

 

[Sally PB]

Glais is one handsome guy!

 

[Shadrach]

Glais is one handsome guy!

He needs some sickle feathers and spurs.