Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[kcan2]

I was sitting in the chair feeding the chickens roast beef and walnuts (It's only one slice of beef and two walnuts between them all) when one of the chicks jumped up, tore a sizable piece of the beef out of my hand and hot the ground running with everyone in hot pursuit yet again. It all calmed down until one of the grey chicks appeared with a piece of beef in it's beak. The off white male chick went for the chick with the beef and must of hurt it. It gave an odd call and Fret who was standing by my chair flew at the pair, knocking the off white chick over. I do mean flew at them. Fret was not impressed with the performance.
Fret also told Carbon off again today in no uncertain manner. It seems Fret has decided that everyone needs to back up some and give the chicks a break. Henry is absolutely delightfull with the chicks.

Dry and warm at 20C with a pleasent breeze in the afternoon. Eight hours today pottering around on the field with the chickens. Disinfected the scratch on Carbon's back again, cleaned Mow's rear end, disinfected a cut on one of the chicks feet and got a coat of vaseline on one of Henry's legs while he was on the roost bar. He started moving away after one leg so I'll do the other tomorrow.
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Judging by the chick who is having a nice sit by the shoe, one might venture to add that Henry and Shadrach are both delightful with the chicks!

 

[Perris]

Found Rhondda's nest. If you look closely, that's her back end in the magenta circle.

Her head is completely hidden behind a beech trunk from my side of the hedge. Getting to her from the other side won't be easy either: via the shortest route, there's about 10 meters of shoulder high brambles and nettles to negotiate, not to mention any other bird nests hidden along the way. I may have to let this one play out as it will.

 

[Ladies-Eight]

Ex Batts good morning one and all!

Tea is ready.

Temperature is in the 70s and sunny.

Have a great day!

 

[fuzzi]

Found Rhondda's nest. If you look closely, that's her back end in the magenta circle. View attachment 3871193
Her head is completely hidden behind a beech trunk from my side of the hedge. Getting to her from the other side won't be easy either: via the shortest route, there's about 10 meters of shoulder high brambles and nettles to negotiate, not to mention any other bird nests hidden along the way. I may have to let this one play out as it will.

Looks like she picked a good spot, then?

 

[MrsNorthie]

I may have to let this one play out as it will.

It is going to be a bit nerve wracking, but Rhondda must be determined that nobody is going to stop her from having her chicks. Fingers crossed.

 

[BDutch]

Found Rhondda's nest. If you look closely, that's her back end in the magenta circle. View attachment 3871193
Her head is completely hidden behind a beech trunk from my side of the hedge. Getting to her from the other side won't be easy either: via the shortest route, there's about 10 meters of shoulder high brambles and nettles to negotiate, not to mention any other bird nests hidden along the way. I may have to let this one play out as it will.

I had a broody hiding in brambles once too. The brambles were behind our neighbours terrace and it was a to get her out of there.
I didn’t dare to let her sit on unfertile eggs for …. Knows how many weeks.
I was looking like a refugee who passed the Hungarian border for a whole week.

 

[Shadrach]

Judging by the chick who is having a nice sit by the shoe, one might venture to add that Henry and Shadrach are both delightful with the chicks!

The chick by my foot is the rescue chick that got left behind in the nest.
It's, erm, different.
It sits down next to my foot and shuffles as close as it can get and goes to sleep.

 

[Shadrach]

Found Rhondda's nest. If you look closely, that's her back end in the magenta circle. View attachment 3871193
Her head is completely hidden behind a beech trunk from my side of the hedge. Getting to her from the other side won't be easy either: via the shortest route, there's about 10 meters of shoulder high brambles and nettles to negotiate, not to mention any other bird nests hidden along the way. I may have to let this one play out as it will.

She's gettable. I did those at night with a head torch. Eggs, hen and for some even part of their nest. I shut them in a maternity unit for the night. Most settled. Some needed putting back on the eggs a couple of times the next day and if they didn't settle, I just removed the eggs and later that day most were back with their tribe none the worse for the experience.
I have to write I've lost a few that nested wild over the years.
I lost a couple on my uncles farm simply because I couldn't find them and didn't have much nest hunting experience.
The last one I lost due to wild nesting was Knock in Catalonia. I couldn't find her nest and the one opportunity I had to catch her I made a mess of.

 

[Molpet]

The chick by my foot is the rescue chick that got left behind in the nest.
It's, erm, different.
It sits down next to my foot and shuffles as close as it can get and goes to sleep.

Hoping it's not a boy.
The ones I fuss with are hard to harvest.

 

[Shadrach]

Hoping it's not a boy.
The ones I fuss with are hard to harvest.

I'm pretty certain he's a boy.