Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Perris]

Chickens taste s varies from bird to bird, even with treats. Mow isn't keen on meat in general, Sylph loves it. Can't go wrong with blueberries, prawns, small pieces of Brazil nut plus a few seeds. Mow will eat leaves that Sylph won't.

I wish all those people who think that homogenised feed is the best thing for all chickens had seen that.

 

[BDutch]

I see that a lot here.

Very occasionally I see a mature roo do it even to a pretty much grown cockerel, e.g. about 2 weeks ago Gwynedd (who's 2 in September) tid-bitted for Hensol (who's 1 next month). I wish all those people who think that you can't keep more than 1 roo had seen it.

Not many people free range their flock like you do. Keeping 2 roosters in a run that isn’t very big is often problematic.
And even free ranging with more than 1 roo can be problematic. Remember @ManueB ‘s struggle with her roosters?

If you want to keep multiple roosters you might need a friendly family with nice characters like the Swedish and a great free range plot for them from sunrise till sunset.

 

[Perris]

Not many people free range their flock like you do. Keeping 2 roosters in a run that isn’t very big is often problematic.
And even free ranging with more than 1 roo can be problematic. Remember @ManueB ‘s struggle with her roosters?

If you want to keep multiple roosters you might need a friendly family with nice characters like the Swedish and a great free range plot for them from sunrise till sunset.

fair enough. I'm trying to offer a counterpoint to those who generalize on the basis of their experience, which is usually keeping their birds confined (or just on what they read of course, parrot fashion).

 

[fluffycrow]

Three hours today. Grey with drizzle.
C euthanized Fret today.
I've written a t various points in this thread that trying to ensure Henry had a better life in his senior years was my main objective. I made a wonderful friend and buried him.

I don't think Fret got over Henry's death which made the neurological problems more difficult to deal with. Having fits and wry neck is one thing, not eating any solids for three days after eating not enough from the moment she first sat to hatch just made things worse. Barking Bracket with similar symptoms ate like a horse when she wasn't rolling around or star gazing and was young enough to have the stamina to keep up with the tribe and to the casual onlooker, lead a normal life.

I'm devastatingly sad about what happened to Fret and will always wonder if I should have done things I didn't. I think the feeling is common for many of us.

Now there are two and two isn't enough.
I've rejected the idea of taking a cockerel and even a hen with him from my friend who keeps Light Sussex chickens. I want to be able to provide whatever comes to the field with a better life than they life, or death, they would have with their current keepers. That means rescues and/or Ex Battery hens.

A further practical and moral problem is many heritage breeds are artificial and the breed is only kept going for the backyard keeper. The vast majority of these breeds would have died out years ago, but instead they been isolated, bred to produce more eggs, or more meat and while an extreme view perhaps, being turned into more colourful production hens. I don't want to be part of that. There are good breeders but very few.

I've started looking at the local advertisements for unwanted chickens and made contact with a couple of Ex Battery rescue centers.
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I’m so sorry.


Sorry for the lost of beautiful Tamar as well, fuzzi