Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Perris]

the contractors should be back today to have a second attempt at fixing the leak. Wish me luck

 

[BDutch]

Fret is probably sensing that she now has more responsibility as the senior hen. Henry's reduced time out in the field, means she is 'in charge'. It is never easy, even though logically we all know that life comes with an expiration date and they will all deal with it differently.

Sounds like a good explanation.
My thought on top of that : chickens have individual characters and some like to care more than others. Sylph being a hen that loves to care.

Poor Henry.

the contractors should be back today to have a second attempt at fixing the leak. Wish me luck

 

[fluffycrow]

congrats on getting PoW @BDutch ! Whisky looks wonderful.

Congrats @BDutch !

 

[Perris]

This picture shows how Henry is getting on.

poor old chap looks really miserable. Comb over. And those legs look horrible. I find it's awful tending them at times like this, not knowing what to do for the best. Can't go wrong with lots of TLC though.

Some roosters and a couple of cockerels I've known were sensitive about egg collecting.

It stands to reason. The collector is a predator.

I am always very discreet about it. Despite that, I think they know I'm predating the nests, but they also know I let some hatch every year, and that the flock has grown, so they tolerate my depredations.

 

[HiEverybirdy]

It's odd that C and another person who tried to care for the chickens for a few weeks both report that when they tried to clean out the coop, Henry would come in and try to peck them.

C had a record of stealing his hens in the past as well. Lucky there's not more than a few pecks delivered.

 

[ChaosMom]

For those of you who have years of observing chickens - and believe in the importance of letting chickens be chickens - what do you think about broody hens in all-hen flocks? I realize that all-hen flocks are unnatural, but it’s what many of us have.

Is there any benefit to the hen in letting her sit on golf balls or whatever for three weeks? I understand that there is an instinct, an imperative to do so, but is it beneficial to her overall physical and mental health? And is “breaking” the broody therefore harmful to some degree?

I know that broodies can be disruptive to the flock, in terms of hogging the favorite nest box, growling, etc.

Also, I realize that they’re not laying eggs during this time, but I’m asking from the hen side, not the human.


Edit: aaaand of course, I just now found Wild Iris’s thread in the Chicken Behaviors subforum. So I see that broody spells do involve living off stored fat to some degree.

So what happens with wild hens who go broody and for whatever reason, aren’t on fertilized eggs?

 

[Perris]

So what happens with wild hens who go broody and for whatever reason, aren’t on fertilized eggs?

I don't know about hens specifically, but with wild birds, if the nest is predated then the pair try again if they have the strength, or give up for the year if not. Typically most if not all wild bird eggs in a nest are fertile; there are no 'all-hen' flocks in the wild.

I have come to think that breaking is at least as bad for their health as letting them sit until they give up themselves. I have no reading to support that, it's just my gut feeling now. But I will still break a broody if I think it's necessary for the good of the flock. Majority rules here.

 

[Molpet]

I have come to think that breaking is at least as bad for their health as letting them sit until they give up themselves.

I have had chickens and turkeys sit for months until I finally broke them. Last year 2 turkeys. Both started in April. One until September, even though she hatched 3 chicks, she sat on the remaining eggs. Both were mothering any baby that needed a warm up the whole time.

 

[ChaosMom]

I don't know about hens specifically, but with wild birds, if the nest is predated then the pair try again if they have the strength, or give up for the year if not. Typically most if not all wild bird eggs in a nest are fertile; there are no 'all-hen' flocks in the wild.

I have come to think that breaking is at least as bad for their health as letting them sit until they give up themselves. I have no reading to support that, it's just my gut feeling now. But I will still break a broody if I think it's necessary for the good of the flock. Majority rules here.

I guess, in light of the other thread (plus other posts, which I just didn't put together in my head), my concern is that they appear to be under-eating while broody. It doesn't kill them then and there, but it might affect them long-term. Similarly to humans who are malnourished at varying points in their life due to lack of food or terrible eating habits whose lives are weakened or shortened.

Maybe, as with your example of a breeding pair of wild birds, just don't let them have eggs (or golf balls) to sit on in hopes that the lack of stimulus will trigger a change in hormones.

(note that I am dreaming up things to ponder that won't happen for another 6-8 months at the earliest when I'm supposed to be studying for my conservation biology exam tomorrow)

 

[ChaosMom]

the contractors should be back today to have a second attempt at fixing the leak. Wish me luck

How did Round 2 go?