Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Perris]

all great ideas RC. To answer your specific question re space, he's under a 12' diameter trampoline, so he's got lots of room (relative to a typical chicken coop + run) and he gets plenty of exercise, though it's too small for a full speed run.

You can see the retained sheaths on the new tail feathers here btw.

you could also put up a temporary fence to confine him but in a much larger area than he has now

except that it would need to be roofed, or Fforest at least would find a way to get in (as he did with the first temp pen, and set Chirk's recovery back at least a couple of weeks in the process). The trampoline is the only way I've found to protect him outdoors here, and in a sense has been serving as the half-way house since mid August. So he's done a month in it, and has had lots of visits from the rest of the flock (I'm sure some of the hens still prefer him to all other roos here). I just worry, in view of the Nicol passage about captivity's toll on welfare, whether there's a risk of confining him too long by accident and making his eventual release less successful than it might otherwise have been. Otoh, I do hear what you're saying @ManueB, and recognize how difficult it has been to know what's the right thing to do for Piou-Piou (sorry if you had another hen in mind).

 

[Molpet]

all great ideas RC. To answer your specific question re space, he's under a 12' diameter trampoline, so he's got lots of room (relative to a typical chicken coop + run) and he gets plenty of exercise, though it's too small for a full speed run.
View attachment 3637592
You can see the retained sheaths on the new tail feathers here btw.

except that it would need to be roofed, or Fforest at least would find a way to get in (as he did with the first temp pen, and set Chirk's recovery back at least a couple of weeks in the process). The trampoline is the only way I've found to protect him outdoors here, and in a sense has been serving as the half-way house since mid August. So he's done a month in it, and has had lots of visits from the rest of the flock (I'm sure some of the hens still prefer him to all other roos here). I just worry, in view of the Nicol passage about captivity's toll on welfare, whether there's a risk of confining him too long by accident and making his eventual release less successful than it might otherwise have been. Otoh, I do hear what you're saying @ManueB, and recognize how difficult it has been to know what's the right thing to do for Piou-Piou (sorry if you had another hen in mind).

could you allow a hen or two to visit?

 

[Perris]

do you mean shut one up in there with him?
(because most of the flock visit during the day, though they're the other side of the netting)

 

[BDutch]

No problem. It's an amazing story, thank you for doing what many wouldn't have

yes that's the one; thanks for linking while I was afk.

Thank you for the link and sharing the story. Agree with fluffycrow and as I was saying. I don’t have any similar experience. Hoping it turns out okay for Chirk.

The only solution that crosses my mind is to dedicate one coop for a small group and put a run/cage around it. Only with Chirk and maybe two or three hens/pullets.

 

[Perris]

Here's the Nicol quote again: "In captivity, individual chickens have much less control… this lack of control will have welfare consequences. It has been known for decades that exposure to uncontrollable aversive events, compared to controllable events or no stimulation, results in ‘learned helplessness’, increased fear, stress and susceptibility to disease". I don't think putting into confinement more birds that have been born and bred in freedom is the answer.

 

[MrsNorthie]

he's come a long way in his recovery. That's why I think it might be time to free him from the temporary pen; sorry, I should have made that clearer at the start.

I would think, with your supervision, it may be good for him to have the chance at returning to his normal life. It may take time for him to realise that he can explore and start foraging, and it may help further his recovery.

 

[RoyalChick]

all great ideas RC. To answer your specific question re space, he's under a 12' diameter trampoline, so he's got lots of room (relative to a typical chicken coop + run) and he gets plenty of exercise, though it's too small for a full speed run.
View attachment 3637592
You can see the retained sheaths on the new tail feathers here btw.

except that it would need to be roofed, or Fforest at least would find a way to get in (as he did with the first temp pen, and set Chirk's recovery back at least a couple of weeks in the process). The trampoline is the only way I've found to protect him outdoors here, and in a sense has been serving as the half-way house since mid August. So he's done a month in it, and has had lots of visits from the rest of the flock (I'm sure some of the hens still prefer him to all other roos here). I just worry, in view of the Nicol passage about captivity's toll on welfare, whether there's a risk of confining him too long by accident and making his eventual release less successful than it might otherwise have been. Otoh, I do hear what you're saying @ManueB, and recognize how difficult it has been to know what's the right thing to do for Piou-Piou (sorry if you had another hen in mind).

Poor lad.
I am glad he is getting visits.

You have way more experience than I do, and know the individual, but in case it sparks some ideas this is what I would do.

I would let him out for an hour. I would be there to supervise and I would do it in the hour before everyone notmally goes to bed.
That way you k ow whatever happens is time limited as the others will go to bed. And I assume he is already acclimatized to the trampoline being his home so will also probably go there.

I would arm myself with a headlamp in case he gets in trouble and darkness falls.

Once everyone is locked back up I woild finish the experiment with a stiff drink and plan from there!

 

[Little Tala Bug]

If you decide to have him stay under the trampoline for a bit longer, it might be worth making a dust bath for him. I made one using a big wide shallow plastic crate when I had to treat my flock for lice and keep a group of them confined to a run while I completed treatment of the rest of the flock.

I put soil from under their favourite conifer trees in the tray, along with various other things from the garden that my chickens love to roll around in (chives, lavender, oregano, and rosemary). I put the crate in a small plastic dog house so it would stay dry. My chickens love it and have continued to use it even after the confinement period was over.

 

[Perris]

Poor lad.
I am glad he is getting visits.

You have way more experience than I do, and know the individual, but in case it sparks some ideas this is what I would do.

I would let him out for an hour. I would be there to supervise and I would do it in the hour before everyone notmally goes to bed.
That way you k ow whatever happens is time limited as the others will go to bed. And I assume he is already acclimatized to the trampoline being his home so will also probably go there.

I would arm myself with a headlamp in case he gets in trouble and darkness falls.

Once everyone is locked back up I woild finish the experiment with a stiff drink and plan from there!

that's a great plan; thank you for suggesting it.

 

[Perris]

If you decide to have him stay under the trampoline for a bit longer, it might be worth making a dust bath for him. I made one using a big wide shallow plastic crate when I had to treat my flock for lice and keep a group of them confined to a run while I completed treatment of the rest of the flock.

I put soil from under their favourite conifer trees in the tray, along with various other things from the garden that my chickens love to roll around in (chives, lavender, oregano, and rosemary). I put the crate in a small plastic dog house so it would stay dry. My chickens love it and have continued to use it even after the confinement period was over.

I tried this but he doesn't even attempt to dustbathe. I guess he still hasn't regained enough control over his body movement to undertake all the actions or some part of the process. He can stand on one leg and scratch his head with the other foot, which is probably the best balancing act he can manage as yet.
your dust bath sounds lovely btw; mine has just dirt, bonfire ash and DE in it!