UK Member Please Say HI

[Shadrach]

May I ask what led you to getting chickens in the first place?

It’s a rather complicated story.
Some people I have known for many years inherited a substantial amount of money and decided they wanted to leave England. They bought a 12.5 acre farm from a Catalan family that had farmed the land here for many generations but who could no longer manage the place.
These people who bought the farm don’t have any farming skills and after a brief burst of enthusiasm to live ‘the good life’ during which they bought various animals, sheep, donkeys, ducks, dogs, rabbits, etc, and chickens, they lost interest. These people are city people basically. They like the theater, concerts, dinner parties and politics to name a few of their diversions.
I came here (Catalonia) to help out. I have some farming experience and relevant skills and I didn’t want to be in England either. The place itself is lovely. It’s halfway up a mountain and very rural.
I get paid to look after the place. So, none of the animals here are mine.

When I got here the chickens lived in appalling conditions as did some of the other animals. I’m not going to go into a lot of detail but for example, they bought an incubator and randomly put eggs in it. When the chicks hatched they fed them and provided heat but once they were feathered they just go put in with the rest of the chickens in the garden shed. Of course the chicks died like flies from Coccidiosis because they didn’t understand about correct feeds for chicks. Basically the place was a death camp. Everything died, or became sick from neglect and ignorance.
I put up fences, built coops, dug a proper vegetable garden and fed and cared for the animals.

I became fascinated by the chickens and later the Muscovy ducks.
I became friends with the head rooster here when I was putting up a fence around the sheep field.(Major, the first picture in the link)
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/some-chicken-photographs.74471/

The more I watched the chickens the more fascinated I became and basically, I fell in love with the chickens and Muscovys. After a few years of looking after them I decided to write a book about the chickens lives here.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/shadrachs-stories.1263724/
I’ve been here over eight years now. I get paid very little and I make a bit of extra money by making these.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/shadrachs-lamps.1272460/

 

[Sneebsey]

Would love to see pictures if you wouldn't mind posting some.

I'm not at my computer and don't seem to have many photos to hand, but here's some of the hens; the blue is not ideal in colour, and I know they must be carrying lavender as they hatched with the lav hen on the right, but they show good type and are excellent layers of very pigmented blue eggs. I have three black hens from a separate line, but no cockerels hatched with either group. Reggie is from a third line, the hens of which are currently running with the layers; I'll probably put the best few under my Lavender cockerel next year, along with the lavender hen pictured.

 

[Sneebsey]

@Shadrach thank you for sharing your story; it is a shame that there are those who think they can "dip their feet" into farming, with little knowledge or regard for the welfare of the livestock in their charge. It's good that you are able to be a better caretaker. I have seen you post about your lamps before; your designs are so unique and you seem to have a real talent for woodwork. I can't even hammer a nail in straight!

 

[Shadrach]

Hi @Sneebsey. Remember those araucanas you helped me sex? Well you were bang on the money! Two were roos and two were hens! Fortunately I managed to rehome one but I still have neville! He's 5 months now and is great with the girls.
View attachment 1577634
He does enjoy a good crow!

He looks tiny

 

[PouleChick]

Wow that took me a while to read over 10 pages! for some reason I haven't been getting notifications on this thread!

 

[Shadrach]

Wow that took me a while to read over 10 pages! for some reason I haven't been getting notifications on this thread!

I think they're trying to keep it secret.

 

[Anna Ranieri]

It’s a rather complicated story.
Some people I have known for many years inherited a substantial amount of money and decided they wanted to leave England. They bought a 12.5 acre farm from a Catalan family that had farmed the land here for many generations but who could no longer manage the place.
These people who bought the farm don’t have any farming skills and after a brief burst of enthusiasm to live ‘the good life’ during which they bought various animals, sheep, donkeys, ducks, dogs, rabbits, etc, and chickens, they lost interest. These people are city people basically. They like the theater, concerts, dinner parties and politics to name a few of their diversions.
I came here (Catalonia) to help out. I have some farming experience and relevant skills and I didn’t want to be in England either. The place itself is lovely. It’s halfway up a mountain and very rural.
I get paid to look after the place. So, none of the animals here are mine.

When I got here the chickens lived in appalling conditions as did some of the other animals. I’m not going to go into a lot of detail but for example, they bought an incubator and randomly put eggs in it. When the chicks hatched they fed them and provided heat but once they were feathered they just go put in with the rest of the chickens in the garden shed. Of course the chicks died like flies from Coccidiosis because they didn’t understand about correct feeds for chicks. Basically the place was a death camp. Everything died, or became sick from neglect and ignorance.
I put up fences, built coops, dug a proper vegetable garden and fed and cared for the animals.

I became fascinated by the chickens and later the Muscovy ducks.
I became friends with the head rooster here when I was putting up a fence around the sheep field.(Major, the first picture in the link)
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/some-chicken-photographs.74471/

The more I watched the chickens the more fascinated I became and basically, I fell in love with the chickens and Muscovys. After a few years of looking after them I decided to write a book about the chickens lives here.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/shadrachs-stories.1263724/
I’ve been here over eight years now. I get paid very little and I make a bit of extra money by making these.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/shadrachs-lamps.1272460/

Lovely story and great pictures, Thank you so much for sharing.

 

[Anna Ranieri]

I'm not at my computer and don't seem to have many photos to hand, but here's some of the hens; the blue is not ideal in colour, and I know they must be carrying lavender as they hatched with the lav hen on the right, but they show good type and are excellent layers of very pigmented blue eggs. I have three black hens from a separate line, but no cockerels hatched with either group. Reggie is from a third line, the hens of which are currently running with the layers; I'll probably put the best few under my Lavender cockerel next year, along with the lavender hen pictured.

View attachment 1578030

Ohh wow, these are beautiful, such gorgeous colours - did you pose them like this on purpose to show the subtle contrast in colours? Either way, great shot.

 

[Anna Ranieri]

I think they're trying to keep it secret.

I had the same thing happen on here and on another thread, and then one time it gave me a load of notifications all at once from a few days before, even though I'd already read them all! Several users have mentioned of not getting notifications too - obviously a bug or an error somewhere

 

[Anna Ranieri]

It’s a rather complicated story.
Some people I have known for many years inherited a substantial amount of money and decided they wanted to leave England. They bought a 12.5 acre farm from a Catalan family that had farmed the land here for many generations but who could no longer manage the place.
These people who bought the farm don’t have any farming skills and after a brief burst of enthusiasm to live ‘the good life’ during which they bought various animals, sheep, donkeys, ducks, dogs, rabbits, etc, and chickens, they lost interest. These people are city people basically. They like the theater, concerts, dinner parties and politics to name a few of their diversions.
I came here (Catalonia) to help out. I have some farming experience and relevant skills and I didn’t want to be in England either. The place itself is lovely. It’s halfway up a mountain and very rural.
I get paid to look after the place. So, none of the animals here are mine.

When I got here the chickens lived in appalling conditions as did some of the other animals. I’m not going to go into a lot of detail but for example, they bought an incubator and randomly put eggs in it. When the chicks hatched they fed them and provided heat but once they were feathered they just go put in with the rest of the chickens in the garden shed. Of course the chicks died like flies from Coccidiosis because they didn’t understand about correct feeds for chicks. Basically the place was a death camp. Everything died, or became sick from neglect and ignorance.
I put up fences, built coops, dug a proper vegetable garden and fed and cared for the animals.

I became fascinated by the chickens and later the Muscovy ducks.
I became friends with the head rooster here when I was putting up a fence around the sheep field.(Major, the first picture in the link)
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/some-chicken-photographs.74471/

The more I watched the chickens the more fascinated I became and basically, I fell in love with the chickens and Muscovys. After a few years of looking after them I decided to write a book about the chickens lives here.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/shadrachs-stories.1263724/
I’ve been here over eight years now. I get paid very little and I make a bit of extra money by making these.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/shadrachs-lamps.1272460/

I decided to look at all the pictures in these links, the flocks you tend are beautiful, I love the pictures of the little chicks - some great name choices, did you name them all yourself?
Love your lamp designs, you are very talented - Again thank you for sharing