Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Shadrach]

This reminds me I meant to compile a burble video.

When Unquestioned & Most Esteemed Head Hen Brahma Donna is about to lay, she turns into Most Cantankerous Head Hen. Scolding, running others out of the coop, etc. Stilton sometimes steps up as mediator, providing Donna with the Head-Hen-level egg-laying escort she deserves.

While Stilton serenaded and nested for over 20 minutes, Donna chased her friends, took a walk, had a bite to eat, and (as expected) settled into the only nest Stilton hadn't recommended. Stilton eventually purred himself to sleep in a nest box. The vocalizations are a hoot.

What a great marriage guidance video.
Videos like these are fantastic for demonstrating the behaviour of chickens.
Many many chicken keepers have never seen a couple like this go nest choosing. Unfortunately it's the case for many of the natural behaviours that are rarely discussed in keeping conditions topics. Some of these couples will walk from one place to another for hours, often a discussion taking place until they hit a no cover spot and make a dash across it. I could swear I've seen a rooster tapping his foot while waitng for a hen to stop wiggling in the nest which she had rejected earlier.

Seriously, videos like these are important. If I could persuade you to write a short article explaning what is going on and the video, we would both have done chickens a service.

 

[Shadrach]

Yup, it's Fret. She's been thinking about it for about three weeks. She's sitting on seven eggs, six of which I had the foresight to mark a couple of days ago. She has a mixture of her eggs and Mow's eggs. I can't tell sometimes which is which. She may lay one more egg.
I changed the bedding in that nestbox three days ago and put the eggs back in. They all looked clean enough. It is still rather cold at night and I wish I had put the space blanket backed butile mat in at the bottom of the box now. It helps a great deal in keeping the underside of the eggs warm, a problem in designs where the egg box hangs off the coop. I might try and slip it in once the first three days are over.

Ohhh, yes, of course I'm going to let her sit. I need my head examining.

Cold this afternoon with slight drizzle. It's supposed to warm up around Tuesday.

 

[fuzzi]

Yup, it's Fret. She's been thinking about it for about three weeks. She's sitting on seven eggs, six of which I had the foresight to mark a couple of days ago. She has a mixture of her eggs and Mow's eggs. I can't tell sometimes which is which. She may lay one more egg.
I changed the bedding in that nestbox three days ago and put the eggs back in. They all looked clean enough. It is still rather cold at night and I wish I had put the space blanket backed butile mat in at the bottom of the box now. It helps a great deal in keeping the underside of the eggs warm, a problem in designs where the egg box hangs off the coop. I might try and slip it in once the first three days are over.

Ohhh, yes, of course I'm going to let her sit. I need my head examining.View attachment 3814227
View attachment 3814206

Cold this afternoon with slight drizzle. It's supposed to warm up around Tuesday.
View attachment 3814208View attachment 3814207View attachment 3814209

You're making Fret "happy". Good for you.

 

[fuzzi]

Look who got up on the Big Chick perch today!

I SEE...BOYS

 

[MaryJanet]

It is still rather cold at night and I wish I had put the space blanket backed butile mat in at the bottom of the box now. It helps a great deal in keeping the underside of the eggs warm, a problem in designs where the egg box hangs off the coop. I might try and slip it in once the first three days are over.

I'm planning a hatch for Ivy around October/November and it'll be in a protruding nest box. I think that design may have been a factor in low hatch rate the last time she sat.

Would you please show a photo of the mat you're planning to put under Fret's nest? I'll try and get one.

 

[SimpleJenn]

Congrats on the sitting hen!

 

[Shadrach]

I'm planning a hatch for Ivy around October/November and it'll be in a protruding nest box. I think that design may have been a factor in low hatch rate the last time she sat.

Would you please show a photo of the mat you're planning to put under Fret's nest? I'll try and get one.

I'll try to remember to take a picture.
You need a piece of this,
https://shop.deltarubber.co.uk/black-epdm-rubber-sheet.html
and a piece of space blanket (cheap is fine) and a roll of double sided tape.
Cut both over size, stick one to the other keeping the foil as crinkle free as possible and then cut to nest box floor size. Put usual bedding on top.

 

[MaryJanet]

I'll try to remember to take a picture.
You need a piece of this,
https://shop.deltarubber.co.uk/black-epdm-rubber-sheet.html
and a piece of space blanket (cheap is fine) and a roll of double sided tape.
Cut both over size, stick one to the other keeping the foil as crinkle free as possible and then cut to nest box floor size. Put usual bedding on top.

Thanks mate, much appreciated.

 

[MrsNorthie]

Ohhh, yes, of course I'm going to let her sit. I need my head examining.

She is such a great mum, it would be almost cruel to fight against her natural drive, since you do have room for a few more and they make such beautiful peeps!

 

[BDutch]

Look who got up on the Big Chick perch today!
View attachment 3814272
I SEE...BOYS

3 boys, 1 girl?