Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Shadrach]

My parents retired to Texas near the Mexican border in 1990s. They were on a river a mile from the Gulf of Mexico. The fish came in with the tide. Even dolphins, pufferfish and little rays. Until a shrimp farm started inland across the road. At night they would dump the used water into a canal that emptied into the river, upstream from parents house.
The fish disappeared and the river stank. The salt leached into the farmland surrounding the fish ponds.
The ponds were supposed to be sealed and the used water clean before dumped. Neither happened.

I'm told there is a similar problem with the small river I used to fish at when I was a lad. Apparently somewhere along the chess a trout farm was constructed.
I caught some lovely trout there years ago.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_Chess

 

[Shadrach]

Poor Mow's lost her tail!

She's got some bald spots on her chest and belly as well.

 

[Shadrach]

Are they quarreling, as children do when stuck inside during bad weather, or are they just sort of plugging along?

There is a problem that I don't know the reason for going on. I have my suspicions but I would need to be there full time for a couple of days to see what's going on.

 

[Shadrach]

Glais looks like he's holding you personally responsible for the weather there!

It's miserable when it just rains relentlessly. Hope you're due some better weather soon. Finally had a few dry, sunny days here but tomorrow looks like it'll be the last for a while.

A dry sunny day today and the wind was light, but the ground is still sodden; more rain tomorrow. We need the water in the reservoirs and on the ground. But it is pretty miserable when you've traveled across Bristol mainly to get them out of the coop run and it just pisses down for the duration.
I still go, sometimes a mite on the tardy side, but there is usually a chance that there will be a short let up in the rain and they'll get some greens.

 

[Shadrach]

I've got a problem and it's something I have not had to deal with before and maybe there is nothing to be done. Glais is alarmed at things Mow and Sylph were not before but are becoming alarmed due to Glais's reaction. Three times this afternoon he bolted to the coop when some Jackdaws landed on the fence or on the ground, intent on getting some chicken food. It's the flying over Glais's head that is the problem. When the Jackdaws are settled it's not such a problem although he is still wary of them. Sylph drives one or two off and then gets bored. Mow just barges her was to the food tray and the jackdaws fly off or hop back a bit. One would have thought that Glais would see by his hens reaction that there isn't much of a threat. Also, when I move around, the Jackdaws fly off bar one.
So, out in the field a panic from Glais means everyone returns to the coop. It may be the hens are not as confident in their state of moult is exacerbating the problem, but the underlying problem is the hens are not confident of their rooster, or cockerel in the case of Glais. I know he's young but this afternoon I had to usher the hens out from under the coop onto the field and stay with them. If I went to do something else, Glais would sound the warning call at some point and they would all head back to the coop and I had to go and usher them out again.

Once out with me close by they were fine.

Don't know what's going on here.
When I put the food in.

I ushered Sylph out and later they were all on the roost bar.

 

[Perris]

I've got a problem and it's something I have not had to deal with before and maybe there is nothing to be done. Glais is alarmed at things Mow and Sylph were not before but are becoming alarmed due to Glais's reaction. Three times this afternoon he bolted to the coop when some Jackdaws landed on the fence or on the ground, intent on getting some chicken food. It's the flying over Glais's head that is the problem. When the Jackdaws are settled it's not such a problem although he is still wary of them. Sylph drives one or two off and then gets bored. Mow just barges her was to the food tray and the jackdaws fly off or hop back a bit. One would have thought that Glais would see by his hens reaction that there isn't much of a threat. Also, when I move around, the Jackdaws fly off bar one.
So, out in the field a panic from Glais means everyone returns to the coop. It may be the hens are not as confident in their state of moult is exacerbating the problem, but the underlying problem is the hens are not confident of their rooster, or cockerel in the case of Glais. I know he's young but this afternoon I had to usher the hens out from under the coop onto the field and stay with them. If I went to do something else, Glais would sound the warning call at some point and they would all head back to the coop and I had to go and usher them out again.

Once out with me close by they were fine.

View attachment 4260442View attachment 4260443View attachment 4260444View attachment 4260445

Don't know what's going on here.
When I put the food in.
View attachment 4260446View attachment 4260447

I ushered Sylph out and later they were all on the roost bar.
View attachment 4260449

I imagine he feels very exposed in the field. How is the cover coming along?

 

[Shadrach]

I imagine he feels very exposed in the field. How is the cover coming along?

I appreciate this but he has to adapt a bit. There is never going to be jungle cover on the field.
Unfortunately one can't just magic dense bush growth, it takes time. I've got some planted. It might do the job in a couple of years.

 

[BDutch]

but the underlying problem is the hens are not confident of their rooster, or cockerel in the case of Glais.

Obvious. Elder woman are much wiser than young men. Of course Silph and Mow are not confident with this young cockerel you gave them. He should be glad if they want him for offspring upcoming spring.

I had to usher the hens out from under the coop onto the field

Maybe there is a reason the ladies don’t want to go there? Fireworks or whatever you are not aware of.