Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[BDutch]

Whenever you find that raising chickens is about to drive you out of your mind, don’t forget this from ?30 years ago (Super Bowl commercial, and the sponsoring Internet-bubble business promptly collapsed) - sorry about all the IG blather; couldn’t edit it out:

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Very funny, but I don’t grasp what product they promote.

Sussex pullets, hatched in July 2025

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Claudia

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Lois on left

Both are laying right now.

One of my younger chickens started to lay again after the period with snow.
I suppose the laying season is starting up around here.
10 Feb ; Sun up 8.05 set at 17.45.
Also important : warmer sunshining days and less stress (free ranging without snow ).

 

[Sally PB]

I suppose the laying season is starting up around here.

I am eagerly awaiting the start up of laying season.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

Very funny, but I don’t grasp what product they promote.

Exactly! And this commercial gets mentioned when people talk about (non-) effective advertising - it's memorable and loved, but people have no idea what the product was. (I think it could be used to sell lint rollers - that's one of the funniest gags in the commercial to me.)

It was for EDS, Electronic Data Systems, to suggest that they could solve unsolvable business problems. ("It's like trying to herd cats!")

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_Herders

 

[Sally PB]

It's started! I got an egg today!

I think it's from Little, as it weighed 58 grams. She has lived up to her name with her egg size. She lays the smallest eggs. Her first was 17 grams.

 

[Shadrach]

It rained again today but not much and not when I was out. 9C max.
I think, or at least Glais thinks, the hens will be laying soon. I took prawns as a treat and Glais gave most of his away to both Mow and Sylph. He's also getting in the nest boxes and calling the hens.

We got onto the field for about an hour. I had to encourage them out of the gate, but once out, nobody tried to dive back to the coop. It's grass and green plants on the forage front. There isn't much at dig depth underground. It's just been too wet. Even The Nursery Web Spider that was partly sheltered between the black bins behind the run seems to have given up and their web is in tatters.

I think Boris, my kitchen window spider may have died. They haven't been out on their web for a few days now. I think most British spiders only live for a couple of years at most (?) and Boris has been in that corner for about a year now. I'll check him out tomorrow.

 

[Molpet]

It rained again today but not much and not when I was out. 9C max.
I think, or at least Glais thinks, the hens will be laying soon. I took prawns as a treat and Glais gave most of his away to both Mow and Sylph. He's also getting in the nest boxes and calling the hens.

We got onto the field for about an hour. I had to encourage them out of the gate, but once out, nobody tried to dive back to the coop. It's grass and green plants on the forage front. There isn't much at dig depth underground. It's just been too wet. Even The Nursery Web Spider that was partly sheltered between the black bins behind the run seems to have given up and their web is in tatters.

I think Boris, my kitchen window spider may have died. They haven't been out on their web for a few days now. I think most British spiders only live for a couple of years at most (?) and Boris has been in that corner for about a year now. I'll check him out tomorrow.

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Charlotte's Web lasted until fall.

 

[Shadrach]

It rained, but not much. We got onto the field for an hour out of the one and a half hours I was there. I herded them around the field. It started with me leading/directing then Glais got the idea and I herded the hens in his direction if they didn't move off with him. We got further into the field than we have for months. Chopped peanuts for treats. I don't think they got much except grass and the odd plant when out apart from a snail Glais found. What they did get is more exercise and that is what I think they need most.

My very expensive herb dehydration system.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

It rained, but not much. We got onto the field for an hour out of the one and a half hours I was there. I herded them around the field. It started with me leading/directing then Glais got the idea and I herded the hens in his direction if they didn't move off with him. We got further into the field than we have for months. Chopped peanuts for treats. I don't think they got much except grass and the odd plant when out apart from a snail Glais found. What they did get is more exercise and that is what I think they need most.
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My very expensive herb dehydration system.
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Mmmm. Filling your flat with the scents of rosemary and thyme.

 

[Shadrach]

Mmmm. Filling your flat with the scents of rosemary and thyme.

For warm weather herbs they seem to be doing surprisingly well at the field given the weather.

 

[kattabelly]

My very expensive herb dehydration system.

I've found the absolute best way to dry herbs like rosemary is to stick a load of prunings in a big paper bag, chuck that in my (gardening) work bag and then forget about it for a couple of months

My next door neighbour at the house I've just moved to has a really big, healthy-looking rosemary bush out the front, so once we've met I'll ask if they'd mind me layering some or taking cuttings.