Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Iluveggers]

This is interesting. But sardines are widely cited as one of the best and most sustainable of fish species, for a variety of reasons. See e.g. https://www.seafoodwatch.org/recommendations/search?query=:species;Scad,Sardine:free;sardine|species
https://drfranklipman.com/2021/05/24/4-reasons-to-dive-into-sustainable-sardines/
https://www.thespruceeats.com/sustainable-seafood-choices-1665724

I have heard similar. I eat wild caught salmon once a week, and wild caught sardines 1-2 times a week. The good quality sardines are $3.50 per package, but I don’t mind spending extra money for my own safety. I would rather skimp on items not entering my body. I won’t eat any meat if it isn’t local, pastured, &/or organic/grass fed. My chicken feed costs double the non-organic feed, but since I consume the eggs I spend the money to ensure I am not putting glysophate remnants into my body. I have autoimmune issues so I am super careful with all foods.

 

[RoyalChick]

This is interesting. But sardines are widely cited as one of the best and most sustainable of fish species, for a variety of reasons. See e.g. https://www.seafoodwatch.org/recommendations/search?query=:species;Scad,Sardine:free;sardine|species
https://drfranklipman.com/2021/05/24/4-reasons-to-dive-into-sustainable-sardines/
https://www.thespruceeats.com/sustainable-seafood-choices-1665724

Yes. Seafoodwatch is my source as well and it illustrates the practical issue.
European sardine (pilchard) is classified as both best and worst depending on where it was caught. But they never tell you where it was caught on the can, or at the fishmonger.
If it is caught in the Southern Bay of Biscay then it is a best choice. If it is caught in the Northern or Central Bay of Biscay, or Portugal's Atlantic coast, then it is to be avoided.
I don't know how to find that out!
So I have gone a different direction. Several sources I found (including I think a National Geographic report) cite Alaska as having the only sustainable at-scale fishery industry across species in the world.
So, I now only eat Alaskan fish. Which means I miss my beloved pilchards on toast.
And no, I did not check if the Alaskan fishing industry paid for any of the studies - I can only go so far before I give up digging!

 

[Molpet]

I do eat a can of wild Alaskan salmon weekly. Mercury is an issue in bigger salmon. They claimed the smaller fish are used in cans and have less mercury and other contaminants that accumulate.

 

[Perris]

But they never tell you where it was caught on the can, or at the fishmonger.

The good quality sardines are $3.50 per package

This is not always the case. The ones I am using now are from Morocco (Atlantic fishery, rated good at those sites) and they are cheaper than the big brands from worse places (e.g. John West, even supermarket own brands). For those in the UK they're called Omega and they're sold in Farm Foods at 39p a can, and you can see on opening that they are better fish in better oil than is usual here.

Of course it's also become a trendy food fad in some circles, so you can pay a couple of quid for a can, but I venture that cost is to cover fancy tins and marketing rather than a superior product

 

[Perris]

I do eat a can of wild Alaskan salmon weekly. Mercury is an issue in bigger salmon. They claimed the smaller fish are used in cans and have less mercury and other contaminants that accumulate.

smaller breeds of fish are also less likely to be farmed, medicated, or mislabelled.

 

[Shadrach]

OMG! I came to check in and you have chickens I don’t know! And I don’t see Lima. I’ve been gone too long.

Not just chickens; home brewed hatchlings. Fret and Major are mother and father and Carbon a somewhat relutant aunt.

 

[Shadrach]

here's the problem with fish meal
https://www.theguardian.com/environ...ic-salmon-farm-welfare-disaster-footage-shows

I've read similar on the imported fishmeal plus the various contaminates in the majority of the fish we are likely to buy mentioned in the posts below.
The thing is, me and the chickens need to eat.
I've been poisoning myself for years. It's not going to get any better and the various certifications for husbandry and organic don't mean a lot once you've read a bit about how these large producers grow and still retain their certification.

For most of us, particularly in cities and suburbs, we are pretty much dependant on the commercial food supply chain. We live in pollution and many of us are poor by National averages. For me it's a question of reducing the amount of crap I ingest; elimination is not an option.

 

[Sally PB]

We're less than one degree away from the equator. So the amount of light only varies by amount 15 minutes from the shortest to the longest day. Sunrise is at approximately 6am and Sunset at 6:30 pm all year long.

I don't know whether I'd love the consistency, or miss our really long hours of daylight in the summer.

 

[Sally PB]

Tax:

Very reminiscent of the look Sunny gave me today when I said I was going away for a week and that she needed to be good for the sitter.

 

[Shadrach]

I saw a discussion on @ManueB thread about roosters getting dark tips in their combs. I was relieved to read that none of the roosters named got sick or died. But I also remember @Shadrach saying it was a problem in Catalonia -- roosters combs changing color and then the rooster dying.

This happens to my 11 month old Lucio almost every day, right around 3-4pm, his comb gets very dark purple, almost black tipped. Not the whole comb, just the tips. The rest of the day, it's normal red. I wonder if it's dehydration because I almost never see him drinking water. But the grass is always wet these days so the chickens are getting water every time they peck in the grass. But still I wonder what is causing this and if it's a problem or it will pass? Otherwise he seems fine. Active with the hens all day, treating, eating his fill at regular meal times and I'm keeping the lice away with regular sulfur applied to his skin and feathers. He does get more of the critters compared to anyone else, so something for me to note.

The dark bluish tinges at the comb extremes I think are blood pressure drops rather than circulation problems, blood is still going round but at a lower pressure. I think this can be seen most easily on a roosting bird.

Nitrate poisoning is still believe it or not a problem for ranging chickens.
A sticking hear valve will also turn combs dark but black rather than blue.
I've mentioned I've seen Henry's comb with dark tips, sometimes a couple of centimetres deep.

The cause I believe for some of the roosters I've known has been liver/kidney failure due to excessive calcium. Apparently it's a cumaltive problem I doubt you have with your chickens.
Strangely Henry's comb and wattles have been fine since he started eating the chick feed. However, there has been a marked change in the temperature from around that time.