Battery Hens

[rinkins]

Has anybody rescued battery hens? Would you recommend it? Anyone had any problems? Mu's loking to adopt and wanted a bit of advice???

[tamborine]

This time of year is when they're cleared as are past laying. They need to be kept very warm to recover and due to their regime have difficulty feeding/watering thru new methods.

Will take approx 6mts before they lay and not really productive, eggs could be 'soft-shell' & create bad habits of eating them.

They are 'Institutionalised' to the battery system.

[rinkins]

Thanks tambourine,, I think someone asked about this before but we wanted to get as much information as possible before we went ahead and I couldn't find the thread. You have been very helpful thank you :-)

[sue11]

I know this is not the same situation, but years ago, when I was a child, a chicken wandered into our garden. She had her neck feathers all plucked and we guessed that she had escaped from being sent on her way to slaughter. We kept her as a pet and she adapted wonderfully and became a much loved pet. She laid a few eggs in the next couple of years although we did not want her for that purpose, she was a family pet. She even got on with our dog, a golden retriever! Her favourite food was melon and peas, she used to live out in the garden shed and spent her days pecking around in the garden. She lived approximately 5 or 6 years and we very much missed her after she had gone. By the way we called her Henrietta!
Cheers Sue

[DC50]

yes we have and they are doing well when we got them we were given a leaflet outlineing all the probs we have had hens for over 30 years but still needed a bit of guidence with these we were told we could let them in to a run as long as they were shut up at night but we kept them in for the first 10 days as it was when we had all that snow and frosts we kept thewm in an old stable to start with we have had them 3 weeks tomorrow and they are now roaming free if they feel chilly they go back in of their own accord there feathers are starting to come through nicely at first they were finding it hard to eat and drink but after a couple of days they got the hang of it they now scratch and peck about like normal hens where we got ours from any problems they welcome a phone call and are there to help you out with advice no they probably wont lay as many eggs as my other hens but that was not why i decided to have them they deserve to have a bit of quality in their little lives not being kept 5 to a cage and being unable to stand or flap their wings dont you think
http://tinypic.com/1r517dsl these are mine first day here

[PaulSabin]

My one adapted straight away into her new environment and was friendly and lovely. Can't offer more advice but ours genuinely did not need to readjust to the good life.

[oldmaggie]

Got mine last september and within an hour they were in the garden scratching about no problems whatsoever. We had four and they laid at least 3 eggs a day in the nest box. Sadly 1 died after christmas but the remaining 3 are well. We get at least 1 egg a day at the moment they have grown all their feathers. Drawbacks are the holes they dig in the flower beds they tell me off if I am late letting them out but they are worth it. A neighbourhood cat is a bit of a pest but one of my terriers goes after it and guards the chucks

[ruthann58]

arnt they great maggie my hi light of today has been seeing them basking in the sun this afternoon with my old girls http://i44.tinypic.com/23mv77b.jpg

[rinkins]

Thank you all for your help, lovely to hear your stories!