Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[SimpleJenn]

Oh I had assumed they were given to someone who will eat them.
My husband finished our third coop yesterday and installed it. My sweet hen Shep got to be first inside, and three of the meatbird cockerels slept in it last night.
As usual, we lined it with foil bubblewrap other than the ventilation.

The roosts will fit 6-9 depending on if they want to cuddle up

4 nest boxes!

Shep getting to inspect. The straw is super deep because I have a hen that likes to redecorate and she's going to kick a bunch out into the run.

The cockerels at bedtime.

 

[fuzzi]

Thanks for reminding me. Unfortunately my English is not perfect. In the Netherlands we usually use the word ‘elimineren’ (eliminate). Google is unable to translate the word to Dutch. I know now I should have said killing instead of culling.

But killing maybe a bit harsh to say if I miss the finesse of the word killing too. It reminds me of 007s licence to kill (with a purpose).

Is it normal to use the word culling if you make an effort to rehome a rooster?

In my understanding there is a little difference between culling, killing (not the murdering kind) and eliminate when it comes to maintaining a flock. In practice it often seems to have the same result.

Spoiler: Ai explanation of culling

The term "cull" is often used instead of "kill" in various contexts, particularly in wildlife management, agriculture, and animal husbandry, for several reasons:

1. Connotation: "Cull" has a more neutral or even positive connotation compared to "kill." It implies a selective process aimed at improving the health or quality of a population, rather than simply ending life.
2. Purpose: Culling usually refers to the removal of individuals from a population for specific reasons, such as controlling disease, managing overpopulation, or enhancing genetic diversity. This highlights a management intent rather than an act of violence.
3. Focus on Population Health: The term emphasizes the broader ecological or agricultural goals. For example, culling may involve removing sick or weak animals to ensure the overall health of a herd or ecosystem.
4. Regulatory Language: In legal and scientific contexts, "cull" is often used to describe practices sanctioned by wildlife management policies or agricultural standards, which may help in framing these actions as responsible and necessary.
5. Emotional Impact: Using "cull" can help mitigate the emotional response associated with the act of killing, making it easier for the public and stakeholders to accept certain management practices.

In summary, "cull" is preferred in many contexts because it conveys a sense of purpose and management rather than mere destruction.

Your English is better than a lot of "native" English speaking people's.

 

[Ladies-Eight]

Two hours today. Rain on and off all day.
No signs of the boys being missed.
@Ladies-Eight These are the compost heaps. The raised beds will have their fronts removed and be turned into hopefully better organised compost bays. The plot holders are having a lot of problems understanding a three bay system and just chuck stuff everywhere.View attachment 3960315
View attachment 3960294View attachment 3960296View attachment 3960295View attachment 3960297

Going to roost was a much quieter affair without the boys who had started to harrass the hens at roosting time. It was also noticble that the two female juveniles got more to eat due to not being bullied away from the food trays.
View attachment 3960298

Thanks for the pictures of the compost piles.

I am thinking about using pallets to make a compost area in my chicken run.

I will have plenty of room in the run as I am in the process of drawing up a plan for restructuring the coop and run.

 

[Ladies-Eight]

Ex Batts good morning one and all!

Tea is ready.

Temperature is in the 80s mostly sunny.

Have a great day!

 

[Molpet]

I assumed Shadrach killed the boys and gave the carcasses to the people.
Better to know they died cleanly than wonder what they went through.

 

[Sequel]

And more good news: we have oyster-like mushrooms growing aplenty. They are a natural coccidiostat, but I don't think the chickens have realized it yet.View attachment 3959929

Perris I showed this picture to a relative who is an experienced mushroom identifier. He said it looks like psilocybe cyanescens. He said don’t eat one unless you have about 6 hours to stay put! He didn’t say whether they were coccidiostatic or not.

 

[Sequel]

Perris I showed this picture to a relative who is an experienced mushroom identifier. He said it looks like psilocybe cyanescens. He said don’t eat one unless you have about 6 hours to stay put! He didn’t say whether they were coccidiostatic or not.

Now he just said he’d have to see the stripes first. Cyanescens will be thin, whitish and stain blue. If they have fat brown stems they aren’t useful.

 

[Perris]

Perris I showed this picture to a relative who is an experienced mushroom identifier. He said it looks like psilocybe cyanescens. He said don’t eat one unless you have about 6 hours to stay put! He didn’t say whether they were coccidiostatic or not.

thanks; I'll look that up and see if it fits. I've yet to get a decent spore print from it.

 

[Perris]

Now he just said he’d have to see the stripes first. Cyanescens will be thin, whitish and stain blue. If they have fat brown stems they aren’t useful.

It does look very like the photo in Phillips, but don't think it is that; these caps are bigger, it doesn't stain blue, and the spores would have shown on the white background I think. Someone else suggested melanoleuca; perhaps he'd offer an opinion on that?

 

[Molpet]

It does look very like the photo in Phillips, but don't think it is that; these caps are bigger, it doesn't stain blue, and the spores would have shown on the white background I think. Someone else suggested melanoleuca; perhaps he'd offer an opinion on that?

And this is why I only eat morels or puffballs. Easy to id