Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[HiEverybirdy]

I do have tax photos from last week, from after Stilton risked his life to distract a little hawk.

It's the 2nd time this year I've witnessed him do this brave thing while being stalked by a hawk: Stilton will chase the hens to cover, but instead of diving to safety with them, he sprints to a different shelter up to 30' away.

It puts him in real danger but gives the hens a better chance at survival should the raptor decide to dive.

This time, he chased the hens to the coop run. As they disappeared under the coop, Stilton cut 90° and dashed around the outside of the coop to this sheltered corridor.

I was busy doing roll call and injury checks, so it took a long time to register that Stilton was acting un-Stilton like. He stood quietly here for at least 10 minutes.

The hens' response was as remarkable as Stilton's courage. Stilton's fence-line crush Miss Lorraine saw that Stilton needed support before I did. She bravely left her group's hidey hole to stand by Stilton at the fence. She clearly didn't want to be out and kept looking at the sky and bakawing at falling leaves. Yet she resisted trotting back to shelter until after I came to sit with Stilton.

It took a few more minutes to convince Stilton to move, but when he did, he nearly fell over himself getting under the coop to the hens. I knelt down to see this: Most Magnificent and Worthiest Head Hen Brahma Donna giving a hen version of a hug, resting her chest on him

The next day, he and the girls were back out as much as they ever are right now, which as I mentioned is less than usual. It's possible there are many hawk visits I've missed.

 

[Vulpes vulpes]

I do have tax photos from last week, from after Stilton risked his life to distract a little hawk.

It's the 2nd time this year I've witnessed him do this brave thing while being stalked by a hawk: Stilton will chase the hens to cover, but instead of diving to safety with them, he sprints to a different shelter up to 30' away.

It puts him in real danger but gives the hens a better chance at survival should the raptor decide to dive.

This time, he chased the hens to the coop run. As they disappeared under the coop, Stilton cut 90° and dashed around the outside of the coop to this sheltered corridor.

I was busy doing roll call and injury checks, so it took a long time to register that Stilton was acting un-Stilton like. He stood quietly here for at least 10 minutes.

View attachment 4262858

The hens' response was as remarkable as Stilton's courage. Stilton's fence-line crush Miss Lorraine saw that Stilton needed support before I did. She bravely left her group's hidey hole to stand by Stilton at the fence. She clearly didn't want to be out and kept looking at the sky and bakawing at falling leaves. Yet she resisted trotting back to shelter until after I came to sit with Stilton.

It took a few more minutes to convince Stilton to move, but when he did, he nearly fell over himself getting under the coop to the hens. I knelt down to see this: Most Magnificent and Worthiest Head Hen Brahma Donna giving a hen version of a hug, resting her chest on him

View attachment 4262856
View attachment 4262857
The next day, he and the girls were back out as much as they ever are right now, which as I mentioned is less than usual. It's possible there are many hawk visits I've missed.

I've seen a lot of (perhaps less observant) people cite behavior like this as evidence of their rooster being a "coward," but I totally agree that it's exactly the opposite. Good job, Stilton!

 

[Perris]

x2

 

[BDutch]

Mera added to her spots this year too.View attachment 4262641

My Black and Pearl are both dominant black with some recessive colour in their genes. Parents were the same pyle x lavender Dutch.

It shows more or less with a bit of rust in their neck feathers (a few reddish brown feathers) .
Black usually has very little - no rust. Pearl has more rust except for this year. Pearl and Black are both completely black after their last (9th/10th?) moult. Hard to tell who is who now. Pearl is a bit slimmer and their differences in character / behaviour often shows.

Black left, Pearl right.

 

[BDutch]

I do have tax photos from last week, from after Stilton risked his life to distract a little hawk.

It's the 2nd time this year I've witnessed him do this brave thing while being stalked by a hawk: Stilton will chase the hens to cover, but instead of diving to safety with them, he sprints to a different shelter up to 30' away.

It puts him in real danger but gives the hens a better chance at survival should the raptor decide to dive.

This time, he chased the hens to the coop run. As they disappeared under the coop, Stilton cut 90° and dashed around the outside of the coop to this sheltered corridor.

I was busy doing roll call and injury checks, so it took a long time to register that Stilton was acting un-Stilton like. He stood quietly here for at least 10 minutes.

View attachment 4262858

The hens' response was as remarkable as Stilton's courage. Stilton's fence-line crush Miss Lorraine saw that Stilton needed support before I did. She bravely left her group's hidey hole to stand by Stilton at the fence. She clearly didn't want to be out and kept looking at the sky and bakawing at falling leaves. Yet she resisted trotting back to shelter until after I came to sit with Stilton.

It took a few more minutes to convince Stilton to move, but when he did, he nearly fell over himself getting under the coop to the hens. I knelt down to see this: Most Magnificent and Worthiest Head Hen Brahma Donna giving a hen version of a hug, resting her chest on him

View attachment 4262856
View attachment 4262857
The next day, he and the girls were back out as much as they ever are right now, which as I mentioned is less than usual. It's possible there are many hawk visits I've missed.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[Perris]

Mera added to her spots this year too.View attachment 4262641

When Ystrad was young, it was not at all obvious that she is 50% Swedish Flower

By the time she was 2 some characteristic SFH spots had appeared

She's in process of moulting and so far we have this

 

[RoyalChick]

I do have tax photos from last week, from after Stilton risked his life to distract a little hawk.

It's the 2nd time this year I've witnessed him do this brave thing while being stalked by a hawk: Stilton will chase the hens to cover, but instead of diving to safety with them, he sprints to a different shelter up to 30' away.

It puts him in real danger but gives the hens a better chance at survival should the raptor decide to dive.

This time, he chased the hens to the coop run. As they disappeared under the coop, Stilton cut 90° and dashed around the outside of the coop to this sheltered corridor.

I was busy doing roll call and injury checks, so it took a long time to register that Stilton was acting un-Stilton like. He stood quietly here for at least 10 minutes.

View attachment 4262858

The hens' response was as remarkable as Stilton's courage. Stilton's fence-line crush Miss Lorraine saw that Stilton needed support before I did. She bravely left her group's hidey hole to stand by Stilton at the fence. She clearly didn't want to be out and kept looking at the sky and bakawing at falling leaves. Yet she resisted trotting back to shelter until after I came to sit with Stilton.

It took a few more minutes to convince Stilton to move, but when he did, he nearly fell over himself getting under the coop to the hens. I knelt down to see this: Most Magnificent and Worthiest Head Hen Brahma Donna giving a hen version of a hug, resting her chest on him

View attachment 4262856
View attachment 4262857
The next day, he and the girls were back out as much as they ever are right now, which as I mentioned is less than usual. It's possible there are many hawk visits I've missed.

Wonderful. And he is a looker too!

 

[Shadrach]

I do have tax photos from last week, from after Stilton risked his life to distract a little hawk.

It's the 2nd time this year I've witnessed him do this brave thing while being stalked by a hawk: Stilton will chase the hens to cover, but instead of diving to safety with them, he sprints to a different shelter up to 30' away.

It puts him in real danger but gives the hens a better chance at survival should the raptor decide to dive.

This time, he chased the hens to the coop run. As they disappeared under the coop, Stilton cut 90° and dashed around the outside of the coop to this sheltered corridor.

I was busy doing roll call and injury checks, so it took a long time to register that Stilton was acting un-Stilton like. He stood quietly here for at least 10 minutes.

View attachment 4262858

The hens' response was as remarkable as Stilton's courage. Stilton's fence-line crush Miss Lorraine saw that Stilton needed support before I did. She bravely left her group's hidey hole to stand by Stilton at the fence. She clearly didn't want to be out and kept looking at the sky and bakawing at falling leaves. Yet she resisted trotting back to shelter until after I came to sit with Stilton.

It took a few more minutes to convince Stilton to move, but when he did, he nearly fell over himself getting under the coop to the hens. I knelt down to see this: Most Magnificent and Worthiest Head Hen Brahma Donna giving a hen version of a hug, resting her chest on him

View attachment 4262856
View attachment 4262857
The next day, he and the girls were back out as much as they ever are right now, which as I mentioned is less than usual. It's possible there are many hawk visits I've missed.

I'm staggered by some of the behaviour I've seen myself and read about, or been told about. Lovely that the heart throb came out to offer support.

 

[Shadrach]

When Ystrad was young, it was not at all obvious that she is 50% Swedish Flower
View attachment 4262941
By the time she was 2 some characteristic SFH spots had appeared
View attachment 4262943
She's in process of moulting and so far we have this
View attachment 4262944

I find it odd that some chickens change their appearance so much after a particular moult. Hinge for example was so dark she might have been taken for some strange bantam Marans.
I think she like that for the first two years. She got hit by a hawk and received a claw from the hawk in her chest. Once it had healed the feathers grew back brilliant white. After her next moult she had four white patches that weren't due to wounds.

 

[Shadrach]

Wonderful. And he is a looker too!

He is isn't he.