Do ex-battery hens lay few eggs

Ex batts can be as described. They can also be very rewarding - watching them get used to their new freedom, grow their feathers back and develop the personalities they were always meant to have that living in an unnatural environment, where they could not express themselves, eg dust bathing, prevented. Some go on to be productive, others don't, as folks usually know this when they take them on, any eggs are merely a bonus.

The reason farmers get rid of their hens at 18 months old is because they are past their best laying days.  You may get a hen that has used up all her egg supply, or they may go on to lay for another year or so.

They only have a certain amount of eggs and once they are gone, they are gone.  Saying that, although our warrens aren't ex battery, they are the same breed, and they are 4 and a half and still laying a bit.

If you want to buy sexed chicks, you are better off with the hybrid breeds like the warrens, ISA's, black rocks etc, or other auto sexing breeds like cream legbars.

We've had ex battery in the past, and they came home with us and went straight on to layer's pellets.  When I was told that we had to do special things for them, I called the rescuer we got them from and he said no, they will get used to the layers pellets, although they have been used to layers mash.

A bit of poultry spice in their feed will help give them a boost, as they will be in poor condition.

I would say though, if you do go down that route, don't expect too much from them, if you want them for eggs, then don't do it.  Some may even die from the shock of being introduced to a normal environment after being confined like they were.

Rescuing ex batts is still popular, because people want them to have a loving home at the end of their days rather than be culled when they are in their prime of life.

But like I said, if you want them for eggs, then go for either chicks, or point of lay.  Shop around though, there are a lot of cowboys out there charging way too much!

I had 10 ex-bats and more often that not I got 10 eggs every day. The fewest I got was 8 eggs per day and then when summer was over the hens just stopped laying almost overnight and it got to about 2 or 3 eggs a day. Had I known I would have installed a hen-hut light (switch off midnight - 4am) and then I would have continued to get more eggs.

The economics went from about 17p per egg to over 80p per egg. When I do it again I will grow crops specifically for the girls tor educe feed overheads.

A nice part was I hand-fed worms and slugs to my girls - I was their best friend an d they would follow me and I got the very best eggs ever!

Lovely times.

I rehomed 3 ex batts this summer, aged approx 1 year old.

They were not bald, there was some feather loss but not too bad. Although the lad fetching them out the sheds must have been a bit selective because the person who came before me had 40 and they had more feather loss but were not completely bald.
New feather growth started within 3 weeks.

I put them straight into the run and they were scratching around straight away. They were given layers pellets which they took to straight away. A bit slow though but then the run had been empty for 3 months, very overgrown and lots of bugs and grubs for them to eat as well as the vegetation.

They even took themselves off to bed in the coop that night.

We mostly get 3 eggs a day, sometimes 2, which i expect will drop off over winter like any birds of their age.

They dont peck each other and I haven't had any behavioural problems from them.

The only thing I noticed is that drinking from our water pots took a bit of getting used to. The kept dunking their whole heads in rather than just their beaks, one still does it now but it doesnt cause any problems.

I've had chickens for a number of years and up until this year, I too steered clear of ex batts for the same reasons. My husband asked what have i got to lose? so i took the plunge and got them.

Maybe I've been lucky not having the problems described but they are honestly no different to any other chickens i've had except a bit of feather loss to start with which soon grew back. They are also very friendly as I imagine they've had a lot of human contact.

Whatever the allotment folk end up getting, whether it be a few ex batts for a few pound or pure breed POL for many pounds, the fox and human predators are not as selective as us chicken keepers. They will have whatever they can get. Make sure the budget covers decent fox and vandal proofing

not all ex bats are caged birds, not all free range do so. Picking up chickens when they are changed over though can be very cheap and saves the cost of culling and disposal.
Whatever is done, they must prepare the site well to keepout rats/foxes and understand making a run area big enough and dry for the numbers as well as looking after them especially in winter as water freezes.