Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Perris]

Have you had / are you expecting a visit from Mari Lwyd, @Perris?

no; that's a very rare thing these days.
Are you into folk traditions?

 

[kattabelly]

no; that's a very rare thing these days.

I know a few folk who do it / live somewhere it's a thing and I really don't know very many people living in South Wales right now! But small sample + personal bias. Bit like asking how many people at a hedgelaying festival have heard of laying hedges

Are you into folk traditions?

Not just folk traditions specifically but how people used to live more generally. Particularly in relation to more rural communities and related subjects - farming, food production/preservation, self-sufficiency type stuff. Local dialects too, especially words for weather and mud.

I'm going to see if some of the community garden members want to wassail our few, sad fruit trees next month.

 

[kattabelly]

I just posted this on Bob's thread but I feel like it belongs on the 'Roosterist''s thread too:

I'm really enjoying seeing the difference now that my flock have an older cockerel who they mostly like, and is growing into his role really well so far (plus two slightly younger boys who are just reaching the age where I'm hoping they'll start learning from him and learning to work with him).

Other than first thing in the morning, when I bring food up now they often completely ignore me. Some younger pullets don't pay him much attention but he makes it much easier to keep track of where the older ones are, when they're out on the field. Keeping them safe is a work in progress - today he herded them all to safety when there was a fire engine outside a house two fields away but when there was a hen harrier hunting over the field next door he shouted a warning and then quickly took cover in the greenhouse without paying any attention to what the others were doing. When he first met the chicks he'd peck them in that "go away, tiny noisy fluffy annoying thing!" way that's not a big deal, but he's started calling them to food and letting them eat with him. Their mum is mostly leaving them to do their own thing now and he's been letting them roost next to him too.

 

[notabitail]

Merry Christmas!

 

[fuzzi]

I just posted this on Bob's thread but I feel like it belongs on the 'Roosterist''s thread too:

I'm really enjoying seeing the difference now that my flock have an older cockerel who they mostly like, and is growing into his role really well so far (plus two slightly younger boys who are just reaching the age where I'm hoping they'll start learning from him and learning to work with him).

Other than first thing in the morning, when I bring food up now they often completely ignore me. Some younger pullets don't pay him much attention but he makes it much easier to keep track of where the older ones are, when they're out on the field. Keeping them safe is a work in progress - today he herded them all to safety when there was a fire engine outside a house two fields away but when there was a hen harrier hunting over the field next door he shouted a warning and then quickly took cover in the greenhouse without paying any attention to what the others were doing. When he first met the chicks he'd peck them in that "go away, tiny noisy fluffy annoying thing!" way that's not a big deal, but he's started calling them to food and letting them eat with him. Their mum is mostly leaving them to do their own thing now and he's been letting them roost next to him too.

View attachment 4272024

You have a jewel. Keep him.

 

[kattabelly]

You have a jewel. Keep him.

He's still pretty rough around the edges but I'm hoping he'll shape up nicely, and that he and one or more of my younger cockerels can get along.

 

[rural mouse]

Rooster taxes

 

[fuzzi]

He's still pretty rough around the edges but I'm hoping he'll shape up nicely, and that he and one or more of my younger cockerels can get along.

I have raised cockerels together, twice in the last three years. In each instance one cockerel became boss, and the other was second fiddle. Two were hatch mates, the next two were six weeks apart but raised together. The current roos are father and son, the younger raised from hatch in the flock. They are not free range, but contained in a 16' x 8' hoop coop. No fights so far.

 

[Shadrach]

I managed to get to the field for an hour and a half. Bitterly cold in the wind.
Only Glais ventured onto the field. Mow and Sylph stayed in the extended run for a while then went back to the coop extension.

Rather good I thought.

 

[RoyalChick]

I managed to get to the field for an hour and a half. Bitterly cold in the wind.
Only Glais ventured onto the field. Mow and Sylph stayed in the extended run for a while then went back to the coop extension.
View attachment 4272153View attachment 4272154View attachment 4272155View attachment 4272156

Rather good I thought.
View attachment 4272152

With suet, or vegetarian?