nervous about chickens coming!! help!!

[MaureenHall]

As ex-battery hens are "supposed" to be getting towards the end of their egg-producing life (i.e. they're not producing the 1 a day that the farmers want) the production rate goes down to about 50%. Some ex-batt chooks lay more than that but nothing's guaranteed! I'd suggest 6 to 8 depending on how much space you have for them. More if you can house them
Congratulations on deciding on ex-battery, they certainly do deserve the freedom and they'll reward you with much more than eggs

[Sky-Dreamer]

Ahhh! I remember being like that when my first ones arrived.
They soon settle in and then comes all the wonderful anticipation of waiting for your very first eggs!

I still get excited each day when I open the nest box and see the lovely clutch of eggs lying there and the taste!
Mmmmmmmm nothing like it.
Crack them in a pan and the high dome of wonderfully dark golden yolks looks fabulouse surrounded by a wonderful white that stays tight and close to the yolk and doesn't spread all over the pan like shop bought ones do.
Even the whites have a fantastic taste

I make tons of lush lemon curd with my spare eggs and swap them with my neighbours for sacks of horse manure for my vegetable patch and Bramley apples from next doors tree.

Fabulous....you'll love watching them!
Hope it all goes well and don't worry about your other critters, the hens will soon get used to them. I have a Border Terrier [hmm maybe that should read Border Terrorist!] who loves going over and having a good barking roar at them....they totally ignore him now that they realise he's a big softy and can't get to them!

I have Marans that lay dark chocolate brown eggs, Leghorns that lay gorgeous white ones and a mix of hybrids and a few ex battery hens that lay a variety of light brown eggs. I alo have Golden Italian Quail and Chinese Painted Quail.

If you get the chance to adopt a battery hen its a fantastically rewarding experience, watching these poor tatty critters who don't even know how to scratch and peck transform from moth eaten dazed and terrified birds into glossy, fat and full feathered little fowl is heavenly. It makes my heart sing when I see my two flapping around pecking at sweetcorn and happily scratching around in the grass such a brilliant transformation from the sorry looking little critters I first got

I'm moving on to hatching my own next month and am setting up with an incubator and brooder etc....Oh no! Now I'm feeling all nervous again!
Best of Luck
Lisa-Dawn

[Flummery]

Hi and welcome Sky-Dreamer. I'm intending to adopt some retired hens in the spring. Just got my weldmesh delivered - hen run making the next few weekends. We've got the plans of a house drawn up but need to go and sort the wood out. I'm excited already but reading posts like yours from people who've had hens for some time makes me really up for it!

[Sky-Dreamer]

Hi there....Oh my I almost wish I was new to it all again I was sooooooooo very very excited!

I still get such immense pleasure out of keeping my hens and can't wait to start hatching my own. I'm planning to try and raise some of the rarer breeds that are in danger of dying out. Many older breeds are falling by the wayside in favour of hybrid birds who are capable of laying far more eggs or [not that I could think of eating mine!] gaining weight and producing far more meat than some of the older breeds so I'm looking at types like Marsh Daisies and Ixworths.

What type of hens are you thinking of getting. I've got Marans which lay the most gorgeous big dark brown eggs and some Leghorns that lay lovely white eggs. The leghorns lays tons of eggs I think I got almost 290 in the first year and about 180 -200 in the second. They also look really good when you pop a white egg in with the brown ones in a box....really makes the dark of the Maran eggs stand out.

I also keep Italian and Chinese Painted Quail that lay very well....the little eggs look sooooo very very sweet when you fry them and they taste delish!

What type are you going to try?
Lisa-Dawn

[Bephlam]

Lisa-Dawn...you ooze chicken love!! If I wasn't already completely sold on the idea of chickens you would most definitely convince me that chicken keeping was something I have to be a part of!!

I'm picking up three faverolles next week, and then hoping to add to them (by 2 or 3) over the next few months. I am thinking of getting ex batts, but haven't entirely decided yet. I just know I don't want anything too light and flighty...

Enjoy the Grapevine!

B xox

[Sky-Dreamer]

Ahhh thanks so much!
Faverolles are such sweeties aren't they
Ex Batts are not at all flighty in my opinion...in fact quite the opposite. You almost have to teach them how to do chicken things and they soon become very trusting and handtame.

My two faves are Blizzard...she was a bald half pecked little grubby off white looking bird when I got her but now sports a gorgeous set of fluffy brilliant white feathers that she loves showing off by puffing herself up and shaking them in a big ruffle whenever you tell her she's looking gorgeous and my other is called RubyHoudini on account of the fact that she's now a gorgeous shiny red russet colour....and the fact that she had a lucky escape from Mr Fox on the first day I got her!

She was completely naked at the back , looked as though all of her feathers had been pulled out and she was totally dazed and listless. Within 2 weeks she was eating out of my hand and now comes when I call her....only if I call RubyHoudini and never if I just call Ruby!

All of my hens have names and lovely little cheeky personalilties. You re so going to enjoy looking after them
Good Luck
Lisa-Dawn

[shirlthegirl43]

I wish we could get ex-battery hens but there doesn't seem to be a co-ordinator down this way any more A trip to Bristol would make for dreadfully expensive chooks and though it would be lovely to re-home them it doesn't make environmental sense really 140 miles each way!!!

[MaureenHall]

I wish we could get ex-battery hens but there doesn't seem to be a co-ordinator down this way any more A trip to Bristol would make for dreadfully expensive chooks and though it would be lovely to re-home them it doesn't make environmental sense really 140 miles each way!!!

Have you done a search for chicken farms in your area? A friend of mine was going to get some ex-batts from the November rescue in Coventry. She found out that there is a battery farm locally and has arranged to get some from there. However, these won't be "spent" hens as they did a cull last week, they'll be the young hens that are just going into the system so she'll be rescuing them before the imprisonment starts.

Some free-range farmers will also sell you a few of their stock, it might be worthwhile doing a search

[shirlthegirl43]

Have you done a search for chicken farms in your area? A friend of mine was going to get some ex-batts from the November rescue in Coventry. She found out that there is a battery farm locally and has arranged to get some from there. However, these won't be "spent" hens as they did a cull last week, they'll be the young hens that are just going into the system so she'll be rescuing them before the imprisonment starts.

Some free-range farmers will also sell you a few of their stock, it might be worthwhile doing a search

Thanks for that, have spoken to one local producer of free-range eggs (don't seem to have battery producers round here) and they will be reducing stock next summer. Have found another online today and will give them a call later on.

[Hashette]

Our chook house and run has been ready for weeks, but the ex-bat rescue fell through so it's been sitting there all waiting, with nobody home except Stretch the rubber chicken, and he's not laying too well for some reason.

Anyway, woohoo Woke up to an e-mail from Carly at North London Hen Rescue telling me our girls are coming the weekend after next. I'm so excited I absolutely can't wait!

[T-lady]

[QUOTE=Hashette;288934]... nobody home except Stretch the rubber chicken, and he's not laying too well for some reason.

AnyQUOTE]

Hashette, you big silly. Of course the rubber chicken isn't laying - boy chickens don't

[Hashette]

I'm only a beginner

[Hashette]

Woohoo, Stretch is going to be evicted in favour of the real thing! We had final confirmation this morning that the ex-batt rescue is definitely happening and we're off to Bishops Sortford on Saturday to collect our girls.

I can't wait. Going to be a Mum at last

[T-lady]

Excellent news Hashette - I'm dead chuffed for you. We've had our chickens for just over 3 weeks and I can't imagine the place without them.

Roll on Saturday and keep us updated on how you get on.

[MaureenHall]

Woohoo, Stretch is going to be evicted in favour of the real thing! We had final confirmation this morning that the ex-batt rescue is definitely happening and we're off to Bishops Sortford on Saturday to collect our girls.

I can't wait. Going to be a Mum at last

That's wonderful news I'm really thrilled for you. How many are you getting and have you thought of any names yet?