Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[BDutch]

No chickens where I am now. But a real amazing sky at sunset. Both silver and golden lining.
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Duck tax from a fishers village on Tenerife.

Mama (Muscovy?)

And her 2 chicks who seem to live in the harbour/on the street.

 

[Shadrach]

 

[BDutch]

It is difficult to explain just what a difference in behaviour there was between today and the last few months; despite me moaning about it for the duration. It's like Mow and Sylph have switched on overnight.

Im very pleased to read this new chapter about the allotment chickens.

Love this African music!
This is in of my favourites:

(Long intro)

 

[Vulpes vulpes]

Mainly sunny afternoon after a below freezing night, -5C and it didn't get past 3C at the field for the rest of the day.
Today was one of those days that leaves one thinking there is still much to learn about chickens.

I got to the coop run gate expecting them to be under or in the coop; they were standing waiting at the gate. I opened the gate and they all came out waiting for me to put the food down. They all ate and I was rather surprised to see that Mow took up her get this gate open so I can get onto the field stance. I opened the gate and they all went out onto the field.
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I expected them to head straight for the fruit bushes, but they went foraging for twenty minutes and then headed to the fruit bushes.
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Glais saw me take the green treat container from my rucksack and came over. We walked back to the fruit bushes and they ate their treats there. Glais and Sylph went off to do some more foraging and Mow relaxed by the fruit bushes.
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I'm sitting in my chair on the field during most of the this. The only guidance I gave was when Glais started to hover between me and Mow and Sylph. At that point I escorted him back to where Mow and Sylph were and he didn't hover for the rest of the day.
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Glais bounces around a lot. He flies, he runs and he climbs. Despite being nine months old he's still very teenagerish. One of his tricks is to run at the hens. This tends to make them nervous. He tried it again today and they both just stood there totally unimpressed. The look at me boyish antics have had their day it seems and Glais knows it. He'll have to behave in a more grown up manner in future I think if he's going to impress Mow and Sylph.

For the last half an hour they all went foraging and they went further into the field than they have for about three months without me being there herding them. Glais got so far down at one point I was about to go and bring him back closer to home.
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They all came back together once the sun had dropped below the horizon, ate together in the coop extension and went off to roost. Mow went in first. Sylph had found something interesting at the edge of the run fence and Glais went and got her and then they went to roost.View attachment 4277714View attachment 4277715

It is difficult to explain just what a difference in behaviour there was between today and the last few months; despite me moaning about it for the duration. It's like Mow and Sylph have switched on overnight.

I'm tempted to think this change has something to do with the moult they just undergone. The change in behaviour has been more dramatic then the shedding and regrowing of feathers.

It's going to freeze again tonight after which the temperature is forecast to rise.

That really is a sudden change from the last few months. It's interesting that they seemingly both flipped the switch at once. They must've had a secret meeting to coordinate this (I can't believe they didn't invite you). Hopefully this becomes the norm again so you're not making such a commute just to watch chickens hang out in the run!

 

[Shadrach]

That really is a sudden change from the last few months. It's interesting that they seemingly both flipped the switch at once. They must've had a secret meeting to coordinate this (I can't believe they didn't invite you). Hopefully this becomes the norm again so you're not making such a commute just to watch chickens hang out in the run!

As should be apparent, I've found the last few weeks in particular frustrating. I know enough about chicken behaviour to have some idea of what circumstances are likely to produce certain behaviours and my recent experiences have caught me out badly.
It's not been easy for them or me. I've watched Glais struggle with things a cockerel learning from seniors would have down by now. Most frustrating is he is a very bright chap, just immature. He's got an easy going manner with me, although he most definitely does not like being handled. Good job I don't unless absolutely necessary but he puts up with soft tail feather grabs now and the occasional wattle stroke.
It's also been interesting watch Mow and Sylph sort out their arrangements with Glais. Sylph likes him but there is an element of increasing her status by being his favourite. Every now and then Mow gives Sylph a peck just to remind her whose boss. Mow just isn't interested enough in males to put herself out to be nice to them; she was much the same with her dad Henry but Henry wasn't trying to impress anyone or improve his status.

Congratulations of your Friend badge by the way.

 

[Sally PB]

Could the lengthening daylight have something to do with the change?

 

[Shadrach]

Could the lengthening daylight have something to do with the change?

It could. We know that chickens are highly light sensitive. Light levels drive or instigate a lot of behaviours, egg laying and roosting to name a couple.
Does the winter solstice register with them is an interesting question.
It's a bit like the broody question; at what point do they intend to go broody.

 

[Vulpes vulpes]

Sylph likes him but there is an element of increasing her status by being his favourite.

I hadn't really considered that facet of it, I kind of just thought that she was happy to have a rooster again and a little less mature about it because a hen has needs.

In addition to the new personality and culture that Glais is introducing into the group, he's also an entirely unrelated individual with fresh genes. With that in mind, do you think Mow will open up more once the breeding season comes?

Congratulations of your Friend badge by the way.

Thank you! It came as a total surprise

 

[kattabelly]

I'm convinced they read what we write on here. Like my Light Sussex boy chasing Donald last night when I'd written just the day before that he wasn't knocking any manners into the younger boys.

Seriously though, really happy to read that things have improved.

 

[RoyalChick]

I just wanted to pop in and say thank you to all of you who have been encouraging to me in keeping Mr. Chips my accidental cockerel.
His death has been more of a gut punch than seems reasonable for a creature I have really only started to get to know, but sometimes there is no logic to these things.
I felt the need to pull his story together in one place. Many of you will be familiar but in case not, here is the story of Mr. Chips.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/goodbye-mr-chips.80391/