[plumseverywhere]

Once we have reduced the fox population over the next few days and once the electric fence etc is all 100% safe again, I'd like to consider replacing my lost hens with ex batts.
Is this a good or silly idea? I have just the 6 years chicken keeping experience and have only had hybrids up till now.
wondering about pro's and cons' and considerations please?

[in the hills]

Six years experience will do you nicely Plums.        They are no different to keeping any other hen IMO. We collected 4 last January ..... they were part of my daughters xmas present .... she liked the idea of giving some a bit of a life. Bit tatty on collection but soon couldn't tell them from other hybrids. They were laying when collected and surprisingly continued until their moult this autumn. They needed putting to bed at dusk as they had no idea what to do , this continued for quite a few weeks but not a difficult task as they were kept in isolation from rest of flock initially. VERY tame, almost stupidly so ..... didn't move from under your feet when you tried to walk, stood there when all the others scattered as a bird of prey went over and although my dog is completely safe with hens, so not a problem, they had no clue that maybe you should move when a big black brute is hurtling towards you!!! Soon clicked though and now behave just the same as the others.


Feed layers mash to start with as this is all they know but again within no time onto pellets and corn.


Ours are EXTREMELY docile so good for children to handle.

[Ina]

Ergh - where do you get ex batt hens these days, seeing that keeping hens in batteries is illegal now? 

I know you can get ex freerange hens here... Not the same, of course. You wouldn't be "rescuing" them, just prolonging their life. I've thought of that myself. The ones I know of would have had more freedom than they could ever get in my garden.

[plumseverywhere]

well this is what confused me but its the battery hen rescue trust i was researching it all on

[plumseverywhere]

aaagh! me being really dense - it now stands for british hen welfare trust not battery    lack of sleep lol!!  still nice to rescue some hens though 

[Ina]

Ah - all is explained now...

[Mrs Snoodles]

I had an email from BHWT this morning....they have a whole load coming in from enriched cages.

[plumseverywhere]

they gave me a date for Coventry on 22nd but I've booked family tickets for the footie in watford that day. I shall sit tight for January. Although would prefer a bristol venue as easier to get to than coventry even if COv is nearer as cros (or hen) flies.  Do you have some Mrs Snoodles?

[in the hills]

Ours were from near Ellsmere, Plums. Think it's a regular pick up point. Not sure if it's any easier for you to get to?

[plumseverywhere]

It could be, In the Hills thanks! will get a map and look. 

[Mrs Snoodles]

Yes We do Plums. We picked up 20 last Xmas and they have be wonderful.  My 7 yr old has run an egg business out of them and they paid for the pigs feed.  We have about 10 left.  They did really well though.  We lost only one hen in the early days and that was because she got swept into some panelling by a stupidly strong gust of wind, poor love.     There are some at Baylam in Suffolk on Dec 16th.    I can't recommend exbatts enough, lovely friendly birds despite all the crap they have endured.

[hughesy]

Ergh - where do you get ex batt hens these days, seeing that keeping hens in batteries is illegal now? 

A common misconception. The cages are a little bit bigger that's all.

[FiB]

My experience is that they dont last very long free ranging  - Out of 10 fetched in July (kept non free range and separate for about a month and integrated gradually), I only have 4 left.  1 'went' early days, one was picked off by the fox. 1 killed by vet (for the 'greater good' of a postitve diagnosis of gape worm - not convinced, and £18 poorer), then a month ago one fell off perch in night and anothr 2 taken by fox last week.  They have also started laying soft shelled eggs - a sign that they are getting on a bit in laying terms.  I think they could go on to have much longer lives non free ranging and with a bit more cosseting, but they certainly arnt doing well in the long life front here - but I figure its more than they would have had.  I'm not surprised they are knackered, when they did lay, the eggs were about 3 x the size of normal eggs - wouldnt fit in standard boxes.  Poor lovelies.  This is my second lot and I would take some again if I felt there were some that needed homes........  but at my collection point (Oswestry) there was a queue of posh cars, most people picking up 4 @£10 each, they wernt keen on me having 10 (its about £20 petrol for me to get there, so I wasnt going for 4 again, which is waht they let me have last time) and were really sniffy at my 'donation' of  £20.  So I'll leave it to the pet brigade I think. Hope you have better luck - its a great cause, but too expensive for me to join in with

[plumseverywhere]

oh no Fib, that's worried me a bit. only 4 and having to pay £40? that might put lots of people off as you can buy layers from dom fowl trust for 15 each without the petrol as its about 2 miles from here    I would hope that with respect to the fox, they wouldn't be picked off as they'd be fenced in and we'll have got rid of some of the injured foxes that seem to be hanging about. 

[deepinthewoods]

this might be a bit controversial, but ive always considered taking ex batts to be a way of supporting the industry tbh.
 
if i were you, id buy some proper good stock, from an established high welfare local breeder, in an attempt to a, reduce kiddy heartbreak, and b, support someone who is doing it properly.