Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[RoyalChick]

The history of science and medicine is replete with stories that send shivers down the spine because what used to be thought the right thing to do turns out to be not so. But usually there is some reason behind it, and in some cases it may even have helped. Bloodletting with leeches is making a comeback for that reason. Even cranial trepanning could have improved things for some prehistoric people on which it was performed, and not just as a placebo. I think I'd pass on that one though

Cranial trepanning is still indicated for certain conditions like cerebral hematoma or other causes of brain swelling. We just gave it a fancy name (craniotomy) and hopefully also upgraded the instruments used and their cleanliness.

 

[Perris]

"hopefully" Bone tools are just stainless steel versions of carpentry tools really

 

[Molpet]

And so the culling of farmed ostriches that had AI, recovered, and were thriving almost a year later makes no sense.

Another reason why some of us don't put our faith in bureaucracy.

Through history the majority of people think they are doing the "right thing" , very few intentionally do things that are now considered evil. People's thought processes can justify just about anything as "the right thing" .

 

[fuzzi]

Through history the majority of people think they are doing the "right thing" , very few intentionally do things that are now considered evil. People's thought processes can justify just about anything as "the right thing" .

This!

 

[Shadrach]

A rooster crack here told me big roosters put their weight on the ground as well in order not to hurt the hen.

Hmmm, I have never seen a rooster do this. I've seen a few slide off and their feet ending up on the ground straddling the hen.
I would love to believe roosters are so considerate.

 

[Shadrach]

Logically (strange concept any more, right?) When a chicken (hen or roo) pecks another, they squawk loudly in protest/"that hurts". Might be worth trying something similarly dramatic along with waving the hand in the air.

Oh a bit of drama is okay. Ask Sylph.
One might expect from the reactions of some chickens to find their backs and back of necks a mass of scabs. I've checked a few. I couldn't find a single mark. I got very interested in peck strength a few years ago. It's not constructive in the long run to injure or even hurt ones subordinates in a tribal group. Most pecks I've seen are about rank.
Mow told Sylph off right in front of me this afternoon. Mow's beak didn't disturb a feather.

 

[notabitail]

I tried to give CC's rooster some scratch grain. It turns out that it just smacked my hand a couple times to make me drop the stuff.

 

[Shadrach]

Two rather cold hours this afternoon.

They all came out as soon as I opened the run. They ate very little of the feed and wanted out onto the field where they foraged. They came back to the coop after half an hour having had most of the treat food I brought them
(the rest of the steak and another one of the green containers full of cooked wholewheat pasta) stayed there for about twenty minutes and then went back out and foraged some more.
Sylph and Mow ate quite a bit of the feed on their way back to the coop on both trips.
Looking at their droppings from last night, the volume had almost doubled from the hens and the consistency was an improvement from a couple of days ago.
I think they know it's going to get cold.

So sick of not being able to get pesto made with olive oil I've taken to making my own.

 

[HiEverybirdy]

I started out looking for a picture of Jenny perching on the fence. I knew I had some somewhere.
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It's taken a long time for me to be able to scroll through the pictures of the tribes without feeling sad.
Well I found a few others while I was looking.

Moon sitting.
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Treacle.
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Harold.
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Fat Bird overseeing.
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but also


They have the self-possessed expressions of those who enjoyed purposeful lives and many halcyon days.