Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[LTAY1946]

I'm going out with the camera and see if I can catch a few kids doing what they do best this time of day.

 

[Molpet]

I've all but given up on finding a most loved pullet. This is the 4th day she has been missing. She has roosted on the porch for months with no problems. She had a wart on a toe and that was treated and all was well. She always greeted me when I would venture out expecting some conversation. I could pick her up and hold her while we could chat a bit. She literally would sing to me while I held her. I do hope she turns up but my gut tells me she is gone.

The day I caught a raccoon and mink, 5 poults and a different turkey hen disappeared. A few days ago the hen flew into the poultry yard, ate and few out. Turned out she has a nest next to the garden with 9 eggs

 

[Little Tala Bug]

No that is my only holdout for any hope.

Keeping my fingers crossed for you

We had a hen disappear for 17 days this May and we eventually found her on a secret nest. I had prepared for the worst, but a small part of me still hoped for the best.

 

[RoyalChick]

Well... His boot fetish was ... Unexpected. And so funny bless him.

They were very fine good looking boots as I recall - so quite understandable!

 

[Shadrach]

Sometimes I have to feed the low ranked rooster (William) separately from everyone because he gets run off from the main flock. He refuses to eat until the girls have had their fill,

This is what I see over and over. Even if the senior rooster tolerates him at the feed tray the hens often won't.
Lesson one for all cockerels hoping to impress the hens is find them food and let them eat first.

 

[MaryJanet]

They were very fine good looking boots as I recall - so quite understandable!

Also: no need for tidbitting.

 

[TropicalChickies]

I also have birds of multiple ages who are free to go wherever they want and I second Perris's response.

As far as feeding goes, we use 4 feed bowls for our 26 chickens (11 of which are seven-week-old babies and 5 of which are POL pullets). When I let the chickens out in the morn, I let the 16 juveniles, momma hen, and our deposed rooster out of their coops first and put their bowls down so they can eat their fill in peace. Then I let the mature flock and head rooster out and put down 2 bowls at once about 10 feet apart so the lower hens in their ranks can get enough. When the main flock is done eating, the pullets usually go over to pick at their scraps if they have left any.

In the afternoon I do it in reverse... put the main flock bowls down to distract them near their coop, and then walk up to the juvenile coops and put down their bowls. With scratch and snacks I throw several handfuls scattered wide as I walk, so all the chickens can spread out and take their time looking for treats. Babies get snacks when the main flock is distracted so we don't have any violence or arguments with momma hen and the other bigs. It's high summer and I leave my yard to go to meadow, so that helps a lot since the chickens don't have a good line of sight to each others' feeding areas.

Sometimes I have to feed the low ranked rooster (William) separately from everyone because he gets run off from the main flock. He refuses to eat until the girls have had their fill, so that leaves him open to attack by the main rooster (Johnny) before he can get anything. William has a special fenced off area in my personal garden that he can fly into if he is feeling harassed, and even has a perch in the house for when the weather is awful and he gets run out the favourite shelter spots. He is basically tame now as a result.

Thank you, very helpful. It seems that having at least one coop/ run where I can actually close it and keep the juveniles there in the morning to eat is a good idea then. I'm going to keep encouraging the juveniles to use this coop so at least the morning feed is more organized and in the afternoon I'll use the "go back for stragglers" method.

 

[TropicalChickies]

Most free range and daytime ranging chicken keepers I know close their flock and make additions through having hens sit and hatch.

This is my plan from now on.

Should I try to encourage the 3 juveniles to move to the new coop without moving them at night? If so, how? I'm hoping after a few nights of moving them and giving them breakfast in their own area to enjoy, they'll catch on that it's a safe place for them. I don't think the adults would be sorry to see the juveniles off their preferred roost bar. The younger adults usually harass the little ones in the evening quite a bit until they all settle down.

 

[Little Tala Bug]

This is what I see over and over. Even if the senior rooster tolerates him at the feed tray the hens often won't.
Lesson one for all cockerels hoping to impress the hens is find them food and let them eat first.

This is why poor William still gets occasional visits from his old loyal hens even though Johnny tries to stop them. He is so good about getting them food he literally lost an eye over it because the hens still went to him for snacks and cuddles.

I tried to feed William a raspberry the other day when he was in my house during a thunderstorm and he just picked it up and dropped it over and over, tuktuk-ing like a maniac until the raspberry was in a million pieces. No girls were even around to hear him but he didn't care. He is also extremely gentle with the babies and teaches them what food is best -- total dad material. Johnny is not very nice to the babies... he doesn't injure them but he snaps at them and runs them off snacks and dust baths.

I'm currently building a run on another acre of my plot so I can relocate Johnny with his main girls and keep William near the house with a couple loyal hens and the juveniles. I tried the relocation last month with just a coop, but the main flock always came back as soon as I let them out. This time, they will be kept in the run for a week to get used to their new surroundings, and I am strimming a few paths in the tall meadow grass, digging a pond, and adding other areas of interest so they have good places to explore. I'd relocate William instead but he only has one eye and I need him and the babies close to my house since there are hawks about and they only get protection from our dogs in the main yard.

 

[TropicalChickies]

Basically the rooster has a harem. Hens may join and leave but the roosters favourite hens tend to stick with him, whike the more junior hens are more likely to be attracted by another rooster with less or no hens.

Ok, this makes sense. It's pretty clear who Lucio's favorites are and I can see how the other he mates with but isn't very devoted to could want to have a higher status in a different group.