Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Sally PB]

Fly high and free, little Cadoc.

Thank you, @Perris, for giving her a good life while she was here, and not letting her become a victim.

 

[fluffycrow]

RIP Cadoc
View attachment 3965523
I euthanized her this morning, at 16 weeks old. She had started to use her left wing as a crutch, was struggling to walk anyway, and the August brood had started to bully her.

I don't think she could scratch the ground since her injury in week 2, nor chase flies across the lawn, but she did enjoy grass beneath her feet, sun on her back, membership of her large extended family, and good food. It was a short life, but a better one than most chickens get to live.

I'm sorry to read. You're right, she had a great life, and you didn't prolong her suffering when you realised her condition worsened. I'm sorry for your loss . She was gorgeous

 

[RoyalChick]

RIP Cadoc
View attachment 3965523
I euthanized her this morning, at 16 weeks old. She had started to use her left wing as a crutch, was struggling to walk anyway, and the August brood had started to bully her.

I don't think she could scratch the ground since her injury in week 2, nor chase flies across the lawn, but she did enjoy grass beneath her feet, sun on her back, membership of her large extended family, and good food. It was a short life, but a better one than most chickens get to live.

Shame. She was a pretty one. Did you conclude it was an injury? I think initially you weren’t sure.

 

[Perris]

Shame. She was a pretty one. Did you conclude it was an injury? I think initially you weren’t sure.

I examined it superficially when it no longer pained her. The left leg had limited movement, and in particular, simply could not come forward beyond about the hip position, so that the left leg was actually behind the right, rather than at the side of it. I don't understand chicken anatomy well enough to know what might have caused this, but it was clearly not just pain stopping her walking properly, and it had been getting worse.

She'd seemed fine the first week, then I got ill and barely saw them for a week+, and when I was recovering, first noticed she had an issue. As she grew and her weight increased, it ebbed and flowed, but gradually got worse. I have seen some of the males try to tread her, and that made it noticeably worse - and made her keen to avoid them all. My working assumption on the cause is the leg got caught at a bad place or angle, perhaps on one of the coop joints, e.g. between nest box and roosting area, or between poop trays, or some such, and then she got trod on or bowled over by one of the adults. (I have seen Killay leap out of the coop in the morning and land right on the back of a few week old chick, without causing any apparent injury, but the precise angles and forces can make a big difference for little joints).

Anyway, I couldn't find an obvious break or a dislocation, though the knee seemed large as well as stiff. I can imagine the muscles and ligaments shrank because they weren't getting any exercise or physio. But it's mostly speculation. If you have any ideas, I'd be grateful to hear them.

 

[fluffycrow]

Been quite some time since I updated this thread. Been a while since Lady Gaga and Erica's passing as well. Still, I can't fully realise Lady Gaga is gone. I expect to hear his annoyingly high-pitched crows in the morning, and see him flapping his wings surrounded by his girls and offspring when I visit the coops.

Can't remember if I mentioned it here, some time after the fox attack, one of Foureira's chicks disappeared. No sign of feathers, blood, or entry into their little broody coop. What happened to that chick still remains a mystery. A few weeks ago, a young hen died. She was Erica's best friend. The one I mentioned always being close to her, eating, laying, sleeping and dust bathing together. After Erica's death I didn't notice this hen showing sever signs of depression, so I wasn't worried, though kept an eye on her. One morning I found her dead under the roost bars/branches. Maybe something heart-related? Not sure. Her parents are much older, and are knowing no signs of heart issues. Neither are her siblings. I have no doubt chickens grieve deeply as well, so I'm not ruling anything to do with that either.

Despite all the deaths, life moves on. Foureira and her remaining chick now live fully integrated into the bantam group and pen. Foureira has got a young boy, who she is still watching out for. Ubon is still being raised by Ursula and Ocean as well. They all sleep in the olive tree that grows through their pen.

The (very) late April bunch (in other words, the Easter bunch) are growing a bunch as well. I believe the first pullet has laid. They're all at different stages of maturity, some have a while to go before laying. Hopefully at least one of those pullets will go broody next spring, alongside Galadriel. No incubator batches next year.

There's quite a few cockerels here now. With Lady Gaga gone, there is an open spot for a male. That might be a second male for the free ranging birds, or maybe Foureira's son will get to stay, as Lady Gaga's last son.

I suspect I owe quite a bit of tax. Here are to photos from this summer I keep coming back to. Terrible in quality, but mean quite a lot to me. One showing Lady Gaga looking out for one of his pullets (happens to be a daughter of his too) when they were in the process of figuring our free ranging and trying to balance going to their pen to lay eggs and going out to forage. The second one showing Kolovos trying to kick the youngsters from the roosts near him and his hens. One of the only times he'd peck a youngster (not counting the three times he tried to mate one of the very immature pullets, which I've yet to understand). As much as I love a really well taken, good quality photo, with a gorgeous bird posing beautifully, I find myself coming back to the photos where the birds are interacting with eachother, or showing interesting behaviour more often

 

[Molpet]

RIP Cadoc
View attachment 3965523
I euthanized her this morning, at 16 weeks old. She had started to use her left wing as a crutch, was struggling to walk anyway, and the August brood had started to bully her.

I don't think she could scratch the ground since her injury in week 2, nor chase flies across the lawn, but she did enjoy grass beneath her feet, sun on her back, membership of her large extended family, and good food. It was a short life, but a better one than most chickens get to live.

Sorry for your loss
Might have been a dislocated hip.

 

[Ladies-Eight]

Pineapple pizza is without question the second greatest pizza flavor in existence. All other opinions placing it below that are invalid and should be ignored.

Bacon with pepperoni is the best.

I love the pineapple and ham pizza.

 

[Ladies-Eight]

Tax for pizza talk. Tassels pretending to listen to my lecture about not staying broody now that nights are going down to freezing.
View attachment 3965409

Would you please take a picture of the bowls (feeding bowls, black bowls, etc.) on a chain it is very intriguing?

 

[Ladies-Eight]

Ex Batts good morning one and all!

Tea is ready.

I've already had a cup of Chai French Vanilla Black tea while sitting out in the screen room.

Temperature is in the 70s sunny.

Have a great day!

 

[ShrekDawg]

I've worked quite hard to keep thread crapping, as is happening above, off this thread. If people want to dscuss pizza I believe there is a thread for that.

Sorry