Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[fluffycrow]

A dremel tool makes a nice round hole to blow through.

Don't have one unfortunately. Even if I did, I don't know if there would be a bit small enough out there. And yes, this does mean that I have yet to touch the egg. Too scared that it will go Kinder surprise on me

 

[Perris]

This research is conducted with British commercial layers as wel as different heritage breeds. I presume it is an average, is that right? (The online version only shows 52 pages).

From reading all kind of personal messages from BYC keepers, I concluded it differs for different breeds / different types of chickens.

I also concluded and my own experience confirms this statement : circumstances (like harassment / a mother that teaches her chicks / or a keeper that puts the chicks on a roost at nightfall) do influence their preference.

In view of the limitation of the online version, I thought you and others might be interested in another passage from Nicol:

p.65 "[Chickens] often prefer to exert a degree of control or influence over events, choosing, for example, to forage for food rather than accept the same food freely given… feral chickens and wild junglefowl have a great deal of behavioural freedom as they can select where and when to forage, which food particles to ingest, whether to stand in shade or sunlight, and how close to get to other birds or humans. 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.”

This is one of several passages in the book that have revealed to me why - at least in some circumstances - different posters on BYC report such different experiences with their chickens.

 

[MaryJanet]

Don’t get me wrong. I highly redpect what you and all the other rescuer’s do, giving these chickens a good life for the time they have left. But such chickens are too complicated (heartbreaking) for me. It just doesn’t suit me to be a chicken nurse too often or to have a chicken-sanctuary.

But I get it that these ex-bats are wonderful creatures.

I share your opinion on this too and no longer choose egg industry breeds of chicken to join the flock.

However, people bring me ISA Browns who no longer have homes. The first one, Sandy, was found wandering the streets. More recently, I received two whose home went under in the river floods from earlier this year. I don't like to refuse if a hen has no other options.

 

[BDutch]

I share your opinion on this too and no longer choose egg industry breeds of chicken to join the flock.

However, people bring me ISA Browns who no longer have homes. The first one, Sandy, was found wandering the streets. More recently, I received two whose home went under in the river floods from earlier this year. I don't like to refuse if a hen has no other options.

Good work!
I have only one ‘rescue‘ not a laying hybrid but a Dutch bantam . A lonely 4 yo chicken I took from a teenager. She wasn’t allowed to keep chickens anymore when the family moved to a new home with a tiny garden.

Kraai. The one and only chicken that came as a senior with a bossy character.

 

[townchicks]

Don't have one unfortunately. Even if I did, I don't know if there would be a bit small enough out there. And yes, this does mean that I have yet to touch the egg. Too scared that it will go Kinder surprise on me

You don't need to blow it out. I have saved cockatiel and budgie eggs by just leaving them in open air and they dry out. I haven't tried that with chicken eggs though. I have done the blowing out thing, some worked ,and I broke a few.

 

[BDutch]

In view of the limitation of the online version, I thought you and others might be interested in another passage from Nicol:

p.65 "[Chickens] often prefer to exert a degree of control or influence over events, choosing, for example, to forage for food rather than accept the same food freely given… feral chickens and wild junglefowl have a great deal of behavioural freedom as they can select where and when to forage, which food particles to ingestr, whether to stand in shade or sunlight, and how close to get to other birds or humans. 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.”

This is one of several passages in the book that have revealed to me why - at least in some circumstances - different posters on BYC report such different experiences with their chickens.

Thanks Perris, good info.
And nice to see an update of your 6 fluff balls.

 

[fluffycrow]

You don't need to blow it out. I have saved cockatiel and budgie eggs by just leaving them in open air and they dry out. I haven't tried that with chicken eggs though. I have done the blowing out thing, some worked ,and I broke a few.

That's promising. I remember @BDutch had a similar experience. They're only about the size of an olive, so that's good. In that case I'll have to get some kind of enclosed case for it, I'm not trusting it in an open case

 

[MaryJanet]

Good work!
I have only one ‘rescue‘ not a laying hybrid but a Dutch bantam . A lonely 4 yo chicken I took from a teenager. She wasn’t allowed to keep chickens anymore when the family moved to a new home with a tiny garden.

Kraai. The one and only chicken that came as a senior with a bossy character.
View attachment 3637219

I had wondered about Kraai! She seems to like things her way.

 

[Shadrach]

One and a half hours this morning and the same this evening. Still got relatives and friends on board. Apart from that we've had rain on and off all day, thought I've missed the worst of it. Just finished feeding the humans and I'm looking forward to some bed time.
One of the chicks has coccidiosis. One wouldn't know from their demeanor so I assume they're fighting it off. I wouldn't have know without my daily poop inspection. I'll be going with Coxid tomorrow just in case.

Perfect soil for Henry it seems; proper dustbathing. He didn't even leave his bath for suppertime treats. I can't write he looked any cleaner after.

Some cute chick pictures.

Another damp day forcast for tomorrow. Meanwhile a nice dry clean coop to sleep in.

 

[BDutch]

That's promising. I remember @BDutch had a similar experience. They're only about the size of an olive, so that's good. In that case I'll have to get some kind of enclosed case for it, I'm not trusting it in an open case

It can be done with common sized bantam eggs too. The chickens did it for me. I found a wild nest and tested the eggs. A few were so old they floated. But they didn’t smell and didn’t explode.
I used one as a fake egg. After a year the egg cracked and I looked inside. It dried out completely in the inside.
I saved a few in a cardboard egg carton to use as future fake eggs until someone told me this could go wrong. Now I Use chalk and rubber fake eggs.

Blowing an egg out, makes the egg less strong.