Author Topic: ex-batts (Read 3312 times)

mab · « **on:** April 10, 2011, 03:42:50 pm »

Hi all,

I got four ex-battery hens last summer and they were giving me a good 3-4 eggs / day.

They tailed off over winter until Christmas I was getting 1/day from 'old faithfull'. Then, at the beginning of January they went up to 2/day for about a week, then back down to 1 again from Old faithfull. I gave them a bout of Verm-X about 2 week later as a precaution, though I haven't seen anything I'd recognise as worms.

I'm still only getting 1 a day from Old faithfull and non from the others, though I was expecting them to pick up again by now.

Is this what I should expect from ex-batts or should I be investigating further. They all seem perky as usual.

I did have my first infestation of red mites a week ago

but - now I know what they look like - I'm fairly certain the mites had not been around for long. The hens have been relocated to the shed for the past week while the creosote dries, but Old faithfull's still going strong, and still nothing from the others.

Cheers

mab

princesspiggy · « **Reply #1 on:** April 10, 2011, 05:46:52 pm »

i thought batts were bred to produce alot of eggs in 1st year then it tails off quite alot, (when they are then culled/rehomed) whereas traditional breeds produce a lesser amount longterm.

doganjo · « **Reply #2 on:** April 10, 2011, 06:14:17 pm »

My ex-batts (6) and LS (3) are producing approx 7 eggs from 9 hens, so I reckon they are laying pretty well. Ex batts are not likely to lay every day as they are considered 'spent' when they are culled/rehomed

hughesy · « **Reply #3 on:** April 10, 2011, 09:48:13 pm »

We've got 4 out of the original 8 ex batts we got about 18 months ago. They laid like it was going out of fashion for a year, then it petered out to only one egg every day sometimes not even that. I've waited till the lighter days and warmer weather to see if they started again but it doesn't look like they're going to. They're for the chop I'm afraid. Shame is there isn't a great deal of meat on them.

doganjo · « **Reply #4 on:** April 10, 2011, 10:05:49 pm »

Mine are rehomed for their sake, not mine. So if they lay eggs it's a bonus. I'll never eat them

ramblerskitchen · « **Reply #5 on:** April 11, 2011, 12:06:39 pm »

Hi, I have 13 ex battery hens and I average about 8 eggs a day. Some I have had for 3 years and the rest for 18 months. There a some which aren;t laying but they are hear to have a great life. They will hopefully die naturally, or even they are in pain I will put them out of their misery, but I will not kill them because they have stopped laying.

Their eggs are delicious and I could do with more as unable to keep up with the demand from friends and neighbours who say that they are better than any organic free range egg they can buy in the supermarket or at farmers markets.

mab · « **Reply #6 on:** April 11, 2011, 03:31:13 pm »

Mmm OK, so it looks like it could just be that they've given up. That's OK so long's they're happy & healthy.

Thanks for the replies they set my mind at rest.

I may get some POL next then... now have to start looking at which breeds...

mab

doganjo · « **Reply #7 on:** April 12, 2011, 12:30:43 am »

Hylines are almost the same as ex batts, you can buy them for about a tenner (so long as you don't go to a certain large garden centre chain

)

Newfoundland · « **Reply #8 on:** April 14, 2011, 08:24:06 am »

My 4 ex-bats which we got 14 months ago, also followed the pattern of laying like mad and then tailing off dramatically. They have perked up again recently but I have recorded The number of eggs laid over the year and it runs into a hundred dozen. They certainly have a home here with us for life.