Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Shadrach]

So sad to see her like that. This seems to be the best choice for dear Fret. It will be hard for all of us, though, especially you Shad. Does this end C's involvement, such as it was, with the other hens?

It does I think. C hasn't had much involvement with the field chickens for the last almost four years. She wasn't able to claim Henry as hers, I don't think they ever got on very well. Fret was different. C bought Fret with money from her husbands life insurance I believe. The rest, including the Crested Cream Legbars (remember them when there were six of them if one included Fret?) were rescues and the Ex Battery hens were beyond reasonable doubt, bought with field subscription money.
C has written on her Whatscrap channel that that is it for her and the chickens.
In some ways this is good but they've avoided the responsibility and consequences of their actions; not so good. Euthanizing Fret on my advice (I said vet or death basically, ignoring the responsibility wasn't an option. is the only decent thing C has done since I've been at the field with regarding the chickens. I don't count the occasions when they've thrown some mixed grain on the floor and in a hopper when I've not been able to get there or wanted a day off.

 

[Shadrach]

I lost Tamar this morning, found her deceased in the nesting box. She had a wing injury that I'd been treating, no sign of infection.


Here she is last year, sitting on eggs, turn sound up:

She eventually hatched/brooded two chicks.

It hurts less if one gets pecked if one slides ones hand under the broody hen palm up I've found.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

I hope this doesn’t come across as heartless, in the face of these losses:

The Cat, who has never in her 7(?) years of life been given wet cat food, is stunned to watch CHICKENS eating Sheba tuna and salmon (separate bowls), each spiked with a crushed 600 mg Ca - something Vitamin D caplet. Boy howdy, if you ever need to bribe a chicken, this is da bomb.

 

[townchicks]

I lost Tamar this morning, found her deceased in the nesting box. She had a wing injury that I'd been treating, no sign of infection.


Here she is last year, sitting on eggs, turn sound up:

She eventually hatched/brooded two chicks.

So sorry fuzzi. Such a cute video

 

[Sally PB]

@fuzzi, I am so sorry.

Fly high and free, beautiful Tamar.

 

[fuzzi]

It hurts less if one gets pecked if one slides ones hand under the broody hen palm up I've found.

I've been pecked by my broodies, but never hard enough to hurt. I appreciate it.

 

[Shadrach]

Three hours today. Grey with drizzle.
C euthanized Fret today.
I've written a t various points in this thread that trying to ensure Henry had a better life in his senior years was my main objective. I made a wonderful friend and buried him.

I don't think Fret got over Henry's death which made the neurological problems more difficult to deal with. Having fits and wry neck is one thing, not eating any solids for three days after eating not enough from the moment she first sat to hatch just made things worse. Barking Bracket with similar symptoms ate like a horse when she wasn't rolling around or star gazing and was young enough to have the stamina to keep up with the tribe and to the casual onlooker, lead a normal life.

I'm devastatingly sad about what happened to Fret and will always wonder if I should have done things I didn't. I think the feeling is common for many of us.

Now there are two and two isn't enough.
I've rejected the idea of taking a cockerel and even a hen with him from my friend who keeps Light Sussex chickens. I want to be able to provide whatever comes to the field with a better life than they life, or death, they would have with their current keepers. That means rescues and/or Ex Battery hens.

A further practical and moral problem is many heritage breeds are artificial and the breed is only kept going for the backyard keeper. The vast majority of these breeds would have died out years ago, but instead they been isolated, bred to produce more eggs, or more meat and while an extreme view perhaps, being turned into more colourful production hens. I don't want to be part of that. There are good breeders but very few.

I've started looking at the local advertisements for unwanted chickens and made contact with a couple of Ex Battery rescue centers.

 

[Sally PB]

I am so sorry, Shad.

Fly high and free, beautiful Fret. Tull and Henry are waiting for you.

 

[MrsNorthie]

I lost Tamar this morning, found her deceased in the nesting box. She had a wing injury that I'd been treating, no sign of infection.

I am so very sorry for your loss!

 

[BDutch]

I lost Tamar this morning, found her deceased in the nesting box.

Sorry for losing Tamar Fuzzi.