Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Shadrach]

Two and half rather cold, sunny, hours at the field today; Ides of March no doubt.
Fret is broody. She isn't sitting yet but she's eating for two and making found food chick calls; sort of getting in tune I imagine. I had to strip out both nest boxes and somehow have aquired a dozen eggs in the process. I managed to sell them for a change.
Everyone got out onto the field despite the cold and a stiff breeze.

 

[Shadrach]

The occasional mealworms are the only expensive special treat I gove a few times a week.

I like giving the chickens those expensive treats and they like it too.
I care for chickens because I like chickens, not for their eggs, or their meat.

 

[fuzzi]

Good Night from fuzzi's flock!

 

[no fly zone]

Updated pics from the last fuzzball

 

[ChaosMom]

View attachment 4073615
Good Night from fuzzi's flock!

So much fluff!!

 

[ChaosMom]

If I may, a word of caution about planters and bushes/shrubs/plants next to a run fence. One really needs to be able to inspect the fence at regular intervals and it's unlikely to get done properly if there are things leaning against or growing up the fence.
The other point is a planter, or anything that reduces the single jump distance from the ground to the top of the fence may work as a leg up for foxes in particular but I'm sure other creatures would make use of it if it's there.
Keep a tleast one side of the fence absolutely clear if you can. A small hole that a rat can go through is with very little work, a hole a weasel/mink/stoat can go through. These creatures eat rats and are prone ot investigating rat tunnels.

Thank you! Good points that I will keep in mind.

 

[Perris]

Unfortunately commercial feed is the benchmark, like it or not.
If one hopes to change peoples view on feed and to look on feeds other than commercial feed as good as or better than commercial feed, then the nutrient content and availability of the alternatives is one way to go about it.
A better quality feed may prove to be a way to improve the heath of contained chickens although it's not a substitue for ranging and foraging on diverse vegitation.

Chickens are omnivores. Commercial feed is usually vegan. All the fuss about nutrient content and availability is compensation for an absence of animal protein/carbs/fats in the dried, ultra-processed, cheap vegetable chicken feed.

 

[BDutch]

Chickens are omnivores. Commercial feed is usually vegan. All the fuss about nutrient content and availability is compensation for an absence of animal protein/carbs/fats in the dried, ultra-processed, cheap vegetable chicken feed.

Chickens can do without meat just as well as humans. A balanced feed with a few vitamin supplements is all it takes. That’s why its important to buy quality feed for chickens.
Humans need to eat balanced if they skip all meat and fish. And need extra vitamins if they skip all animal proteins.

Chickens search for insects and other animal feed because they love to eat them. Probably just like most people love to eat meat.
In my country there are many vegetarians and vegans. In general they are healthier than the meat-eaters. Researchers found this was not just because of the choice of vegetarian/vegan. The group with vegetarians/vegans often had a better lifestyle compared with the group of meat eaters.
But craving meat is proven to be unhealthy.

Our nat heath institute, The Nutrition Center currently recommends the following maximums:
No more than 500 grams in total per week.
Up to 300 grams of red meat products per week.

 

[Perris]

Chickens can do without meat just as well as humans

your chickens are not vegans because you let them range and as you note they can and do eat insects and other animal protein when they do. And most commercial chicken feed is not the poultry equivalent of a vegan restaurant or home cooked meal. It is the cheapest plant matter available at the time it was made.

 

[Shadrach]

Chickens can do without meat just as well as humans.

Incorrect. Chickens kept by humans may be able to do without meat as well as humans. Feral chickens, Jungle Fowl, would not survive on a vegan diet and wouldn't choose to do so. There is nothng more natural or healthier than omniverous diet in the right proportions.

A balanced feed with a few vitamin supplements is all it takes. That’s why its important to buy quality feed for chickens.

How does one know a feed is balanced? We only have the feed producers view and given we can't decide what a healthy diet is for humans, the chances of having got it right for chickens is remote.
It has been suggested by many nutrtion experts that getting ones vitamins via supplements is the least healthy option when compared to getting them through eating real food.
If one is going to play the "naturall" and "healthy" card then commercial chicken feed is the same as the ultra processed food we are now being told is responsible for many of the diet related problems humans are now dealing with.
Buying good quality feed is important but quality and vegan or organic does not mean better quality than a quality feed contaiing animal products.

In my country there are many vegetarians and vegans. In general they are healthier than the meat-eaters. Researchers found this was not just because of the choice of vegetarian/vegan. The group with vegetarians/vegans often had a better lifestyle compared with the group of meat eaters.
But craving meat is proven to be unhealthy.

There are no studies that have proven that vegetarians and vegans are any healthier than omnivours due to diet alone. People who eat vegan and vegitarian diets usually have better lifestyle options and are more aware of the importance of the other non diet realted componants of better health.
Craving meat has never been proven to be unhealthy. Eating too much meat has been.

Lots of chat from the vegans and vegitarians regarding "natural" when it comes to chickens. There is nothing natural about locking a chicken in a run and feeding it highly processed vegan food.

I've fed commercial feed to chickens for years. I don't have too much of a problem with it. What I am having a problem with is all the nonsense spouted by vegans and vegetarians about diet.