TWO MONTHS OF FREEDOM - RESCUE HEN UPDATE! | EPISODE 16
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- Опубліковано 15 вер 2024
- The 2 month update! My rescue hens have been free for 2 whole months now and I update you on how they're getting on living a cage free life.
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Hi Sarah. Been enjoying watching this series even though it has been posted a few years ago now. Always great to see how your ladies are doing and knowing your doing them well ❤
My experience of rescue was brilliant - your series has brought the odd tear to my eye - hens are often the worst treated domestic creature on the planet and they give so much. I had 15 ex-caged and they came along wonderfully. So great to watch them plume out. One we were going to cull - we call her Limping Lucy. However, she did not seem to suffer and lived a god long life (and layed well). My comments are - they are naturally quite tough creatures and don't need too much cosseting - just proper care. Make sure that the pink paint isn't poisonous. One treat they always enjoy is straw in the run. I spread a full bale at first but eventually learned to break the bale in three or four - didn't they have a great time digging into it and spreading themselves! Not keen on bark chippings as they can be quite sharp. Deep litter chopped straw in the hen-house and less deep in the scratching shed were my solutions. Lasts for ages - they turn it over - and makes fabulous compost as a bonus.
The shed always smelt sweet.
Farm Gate food was a good price and mine thrived on it, as did my Norfolk Greys and Scots Greys.
Chickens create a lot of invisible dust inside. Blocking up ventilation can give them breathing problems. My solution was an 6 x 3 mesh front to the house that was only closed over in the coldest or windiest conditions. Seal drafts around doors etc and esp nr perches but otherwise they love lots of air. Every good wish for your fabulous enterprise - I'm sure your girls will reward you well. Paul
I know this is an old video but I’ve managed to get caught up on your awesome rescue series.😁 You and your husband are just absolutely amazing and so cute. I must say the the mind struggle between you both over what to do about the rat just tickled me. It just shows how much you both truly love animals. Those four little Prissy feather Pants Angels have no clue that they have made it to their heaven on earth to live out their hopefully long rest of their lives. Thank you for saving the lives of these beautiful girls and for sharing the journey with us.😌
We used to keep a dozen chickens in our council house back garden. Ive seen a rat gnawing on the chickens crop to eat the corn the chickens eaten. It doesnt kill the chicken but not nice. The layers mash we always mixed in potato peelings and very finely ground eggshells that had been baked in the oven, good for calcium and strengthens the new eggs.
Hi Sarah, great update, I was away last week and the owner has 2000 hens running around in a huge area, which is just lovely we have been a few times before and it a joy to see, they have a huge area at night I did ask the owner about the cold weather and he said they cope very well, when we were there it was very cold/foggy and all the week all the hens were out I did notice they didn't roam to far but he said they were fine , I think the huge accommodation they go in at night is heated, xxx
linda chapman that’s good to know thanks Linda! They seem to be fine and I think they’ve had quite a good adjustment period whereas some go straight from the hot cage farm into the cold and don’t cope as well. X
Hi Sarah. Hens love boiled eggs, so they can still get their goodness from their egg if they aren't keen on them raw. I used to chop them up and pop them into a couple of containers so they all got a fair share. Nice to see they are all well and having a great time.
Thanks for taking them in free at last
Hi Sarah I think it’s lovely 😊 how much you care for your chickens 🐓 they are so lucky to have you, they have such a happy home now! Of course you worry you a mother hen💕and I totally mean that in a good way, you have such good mothering instincts, you are truly amazing, I couldn’t have them as I have a jack russel cross Staffi she would definitely get that rat it’s in there nature, we had a rat last winter if there is food about, and a water supply they will find it, maybe get some specialist help, we had a mouse in our shed and it bit through all the bird seed it was every where!, have you got any foxes in your area? They can be a problem! Good luck!🎄❄️☃️best Christmas to you all xxx
I don’t know if you watch life in the cottage with Georgie, she has chickens and had a rat problem, may be some advice on her channel👍🏻👌🏻👋🏻💕x
My neighbour has a Jack Russell and has offered to bring him in but I’d rather try to remove her humanely if I can. Thank you for your kind comment ❤️
And we haven’t seen any foxes yet although I’m sure we do have them around, our nature camera has also never picked them up the whole time we’ve lived there. X
Thanks for the update.
What I would say Sarah is that chickens in the wild would not eat fish. Thus its not a natural food for them.
And buy giving them fish we are exploiting one sentient being for another. (Sorry if I sound like preaching here ).
Many beans etc have as much protein as fish, which is a natural foods for them. Plus worms etc have very high protein content.
As for Basil ( the rat lol ) you must be careful.
Because the urine of a rat can be poison to birds.
Plus its not unusual for a large hungry rat to eat into the crop of a sleeping chicken.
Sorry to worry you.....
Therefore I would have dug some chicken fence wire under the pen, so the rat cant dig under. (However even chicken wire wont stop them for long.)
So try to adopt a preventative approach.
As said before, dont leav food around un eaten.
And in terms of selective food eating,
chickens like most animals will act hungry in hope for something more taste lol.
My chihuahua does it all the time lol.
Take care Karl
vegananimalrights I hear you. Thankfully we have a strong galvanised mesh bottom on our run which is meant to be vermin & fox proof so I don’t think anything will have any luck in getting under and in. 🤞🏻
We had the same problem with our summer house and sheds. So we got some felt roof tiles and just nailed them in and they work great
laura h oh that’s a really good idea! Were they quite affordable?
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and Andy and the family.
Tell Andy to keep the Ebike and Twizy videos flowing lol x
vegananimalrights haha I will! Although he may be taking a couple of weeks off over Christmas
Do something about the rat! I could tell you a story about a pet rabbit but it will upset you, just as it still upsets me. Rats will never starve. Trap it and take it as far away as possible.
love these updates have you tried fermenting their seed mix mine love it. Take four day but not much trouble
Very nice ❤️
Hello there. Have you tried the pet food place in Marks Tey? Might be worth a trip if you are out this way. I used to get all manner of things for my hens (and dogs and cats!) in there. Staff are super helpful and it has a big car park for easy loading x
Have you a thermometer you could hang in the coop bedroom area? That way you could check how low it goes overnight x
the minimalist vegan no we haven’t actually, might have to get one!
I am new chicken and I worry all the time
Good to see that they are doing well they should be ok now you have stopped all the draughts that's the main problem with any shed in winter. Regarding the rats you could try a product called
The Big Cheese Anti Rodent 300 ml Lacquer (Surface Treatment, Deters Rats and Mice, Poison-Free, 6 Months Protection)
it's supposed to be pretty good worth a try you can get it on amazon and get them to move on hopefully. I say them because rats don't come alone I'm afraid you could if not dealt with end up with a fertile female rat could have a litter averaging 10-12 babies every 3 or 4 weeks. She could have up to 17 litters in a year, so you could have 170 to 204 rats in a year and that you don't want. Wishing you both all the best for Christmas and the new Year 2020.
David Howard blimey! 😟 I’ll look into that product thanks! I think the trap we bought is by The Big Cheese actually. She definitely looks pregnant 🙃
Justin Rhodes has a nice farm set up with chickens if you get a chance have a look on UA-cam
Never seen a chicken go fishing, eating fish is not part of their natural diet at all! They are fed all kinds of crap in their torture chambers, all kinds of animal products left over from the murder of other sentient beings, don't do that to them now they are rescued and have a safe home. Hanging up millet sprays for them to pick at will be fun for them. Also, as you love plants you could start a chicken friendly window still garden for them, different sprouting seeds that are safe for them to eat.
Also with the rat, you have a huge field behind you, lay a line of chicken seed to the field from where she comes through the fence ( until she gets the hang of it) where you could leave a daily egg, and any waste chicken feed for her to eat so she wont have any reason to come to the chicken run.
If they are rats then ground up pepper does work but it's strength will of course fade.
I was under the impression that releasing a Rat or Mouse after capturing it is an offence... not sure as different Counties may have different rules.
Do you feel them corn?
Andreea Cretan yes everyday before bed ☺️