Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Shadrach]

A mostly dry afternoon and the wind has abated. Two and a half hours today.
First day for a while I've been able to watch them out and about. I can't see any problems. Henry is his usual laid back self and that means he isn't on Dig's case and that should mean that if Dig isn't being harrassed he'll feel comfortable in the group. This may all change when and if the hens start laying. Dig tries it on with them all. Carbon just gives him the look mostly. Dig does pester Mow a bit but Mow seems to be able to look after herself. Dig got a slap from mum Fret for a random neck grab and took the hint.
It's interesting to see, especially given a study that suggests chckens, given a choice will attempt to balance their diet. Exactly what this means away from the lab/experiment remains to be seen. I supply my home made mix dry, some days fermented, growers pellets, plus fish and meat. Carbon and Fret still like the pellets. They'll eat pretty much everything but they eat more pellets than the home made mix. Henry and Dig very rarely eat pellets. They much prefer the home made mix. A bit strange given the home made feed is higher in protein than the pellets. Some of these feed theories are not translating to reality here.
Carbon looked well today. I still have no real idea what was and may still be wrong with her.

 

[BDutch]

The chickens think I'm crazy. They want to know what a bathroom is. I've told them, but they refuse to become civilized.

My chickens sort of potty trained themselves. They poop while they are on the roost but not elsewhere in the coop. And poop outside in the run. But if they see me, it seems they prefer to wait til they are outside in the garden. Or even better, on the terrace.

 

[notabitail]

My chickens sort of potty trained themselves. They poop while they are on the roost but not elsewhere in the coop. And poop outside in the run. But if they see me, it seems they prefer to wait til they are outside in the garden. Or even better, on the terrace.

Abigail had some sense of "don't poop here". I used to bring her into my room all the time. She would make a huge poop mess, I'd make a loud noise. She eventually started holding her poop. As soon as she was outside, she'd poop. It was very interesting. I miss her so much.

 

[no fly zone]

Abigail had some sense of "don't poop here". I used to bring her into my room all the time. She would make a huge poop mess, I'd make a loud noise. She eventually started holding her poop. As soon as she was outside, she'd poop. It was very interesting. I miss her so much.

Skeksis never pooped on me. If I was holding her and she had to go, she let me know by fidgeting. I'd let her go and she'd hop down and go almost immediately.

 

[notabitail]

Skeksis never pooped on me. If I was holding her and she had to go, she let me know by fidgeting. I'd let her go and she'd hop down and go almost immediately.

Abigail would just launch herself off my side desk by standing on the remotes. The chickens (I'm sure it was mostly Abigail's fault) broke one remote.

 

[MrsNorthie]

It's interesting to see, especially given a study that suggests chckens, given a choice will attempt to balance their diet.

I offer the fermented mash, when the older girls were moulting, I put some grower feed in the coop for them (they were not coming out of the coop much when they were so disheveled, no matter how many times I told them that they were still beautiful. LOL), I give them some scratch scattered around, and some fresh fruit or veg, as well as alternating between scramble and fish a few days during the week. They eat everything but lose their minds over the fish and fresh produce.

 

[notabitail]

Important:
For those of you who use you phone as a camera: Ever since my sister got a phone with a good camera (per my recommendation), she's won at least three contests. So please, do your best to make it hard for her here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/poultry-paparazzi-a-cell-phone-photo-contest.1608015/
She's CCsGarden
(For the curious, the phone is a Google Pixel 4 XL. I have the Pixel 4. There's no stopping her from using that thing).

 

[notabitail]

Abigail would just launch herself off my side desk by standing on the remotes. The chickens (I'm sure it was mostly Abigail's fault) broke one remote.

Here's her favorite remote to launch herself off of. It still works. Just the right size for chicken feet. The remotes right next to it were usually victims of being shoved off the desk with however many pounds of force that bird had when she tried flying (Speckled Sussex).

 

[BDutch]

A bit strange given the home made feed is higher in protein than the pellets.

Is it possible woman do, and the men don't, like the high calcium level in the pellets?

 

[notabitail]

Is it possible woman do, and the men don't, like the high calcium level in the pellets?

I've never tried pellets, so I can't say.