[OscarInnes]

I am a first timer and thinking about taking on some ex bat hens.  Are their any specific management issues to be aware of?  Do they have a limited shelf life due to their early stage treatment? etc etc.......

[GrannieAnnie]

Ex batts may not live very long and/or may not lay many eggs Oscar.  For first timers, I think POL's are best.  Once they start to lay, the hybrids will lay almost every day for the first year or 2, then it goes down.

Chickens only have so many eggs, and the reason the commercial farms get rid of them is because they have laid most of them already.

But if you are looking for pets, who will be grateful for a 'normal' life until the end of their days, then ex batts will give you that, and they are very friendly too.

[Casey76]

There are lots of cons...

Depending on when they were taken out of the factory, they may have very few feathers (problematic during the winter due to the cold, and problematic int eh summer due to potential heat stroke).  The will have been beak clipped, so eating can be an issue (it is easier for ex bats to eat mash than pellets).  Although exbats are vaccinated, they can have very low immune systems, because they have been in a controlled environment all their life.

Upon release, exbats can become very depressed, the stress of release can even kill thm in a few hours/days.

Exbats are prone to internal problems such as internal laying and egg yolk peritonitis.

Of course, upon rescue, exbats will be about 80 weeks old, and at the end of their laying life, therefore eggs should not be expected, but seen as a bonus.  Shells can be wrinkled, soft, absent.

The pros... the joy of watching these hens do chickeny things for the first time - scratching int eh dirt, having a dust bath, feeling the weather on thier bodies.  Watching them turn from oven readies into fully feathered beauties.  Seeing each one develop thier own personality.

Generally exbats are NOT for novices, they can need a lot of special care and attention that hybrids do not need.  They can also mean a lot of trips to the vets etc

[joyfull]

I agree with the two comments above, whilst it is lovely to take in rescues (I have 4) they can be hard work. They need somebody with experience to understand their special needs and also a good vet on hand. Mine were ex free rangers so didn't have quite the same immunity problems having been exposed to some outside life but non the less two stopped laying within a couple of weeks (they laid lashes so never to lay again). Luckily for me I have plenty other birds for my eggs. As a beginner really you should start with some point of lays, then after a couple of years maybe think about getting rescues if you want to give these birds a happy retirement.
Whichever way you decide to go before getting them do lots of research and also ring around your local vets to see if any will treat chickens or even take a look on this page:-

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=26140.0

[cejx]

I took on 6 ex bats for the first time in October.  We had a terrible issue with bullying, and in the end, we had to have our bullied chook Violet re homed - and she is now thriving in a massive flock.  The other 5 have now settled down, and are enjoying their chickeny retirement.

For me, taking on ex bats was not about egg production - (these intelligent, sociable little girls have been through enough), but its about taking on 6 animals that have been diabolically treated by humans and seeing out the rest of their days in a happy loving environment.

Its been tough, Ginger is still featherless, the others however are now monsters!  They sneak in through the back door, nick the cat food, they'll be stroked, sit on your arm, they wreck the garden but we love them - it really isn't all about eggs - but as a bonus, we get 3-4 a day, and any we sell, we donate the proceeds back to the Battery Hen Welfare Trust who are first rate with any advice.

I grant you, its not the easy route - but its very worthwhile.

[Jeanette]

There are a lot of reasons not to get ex bats but if you want to be able to really help chickens to get to know what chickens do instead of being in  cages. When they come out a lot dont have feathers but a lot do. Not all of there beaks are cliped and the ones that have been clipped will grow back. I have had ex bats for the last 4 years and yes i have lost a couple early on but most are still with me now. Some dont lay after they have come out but most will lay for a time, one of mine is still laying after having her for 2 years. A lot depends on if you are lucky when you get your girls. All chickens will probably need to see a vet at sometime, I have only taken one ex bat to the vets and that was with a respiratory infection.
Please dont get me wrong i also have other chickens as well that i bought as POL but i do love my ex bats. You cant beat the feeling of seeing them feel grass under their feet for the first time.

[cejx]

There are a lot of reasons not to get ex bats but if you want to be able to really help chickens to get to know what chickens do instead of being in  cages. When they come out a lot dont have feathers but a lot do. Not all of there beaks are cliped and the ones that have been clipped will grow back. I have had ex bats for the last 4 years and yes i have lost a couple early on but most are still with me now. Some dont lay after they have come out but most will lay for a time, one of mine is still laying after having her for 2 years. A lot depends on if you are lucky when you get your girls. All chickens will probably need to see a vet at sometime, I have only taken one ex bat to the vets and that was with a respiratory infection.
Please dont get me wrong i also have other chickens as well that i bought as POL but i do love my ex bats. You cant beat the feeling of seeing them feel grass under their feet for the first time.

yeah, mine had full beaks.

[rachelr]

I got some pol chickens and almost immediatley got some ex bats. Whilst the pol are really cute and friendly and cuddly the ex bats are pushy noisy and in your face. I love em.

To see them go from shrinking violets to strutting hens is so good. I had to use a lot of purple spray as they were all bold. so much infact one is called purple bum (i reallyshould rename her).

I get very few eggs from my ex bats but its not why i got them. A year on I am glad i have both and its nice to give something back eh. My friends will never ever buy battery/caged eggs again after seeing my poor ex bats. Another good pro eh.

[hillfooter]

I think all the posts above are pretty fair and cover  the issues of ex batts well for any novice reading this thread.  It's important they understand what they could be letting themselves in for if they are thinking about ex batts.  

If things go well it's tremendously satsfying to nurse a bird back to a normal life.  However laying problems are common with ex batts after their first season.  Anyone who gets ex batt rescue hens should be prepared for this eventuality.  Rescuing hens is an act of compassion and no one should undertake this without being prepared to fork out on vet bills and possibly have to nurse unhealthy and unproductive chx.  If you are thinking of exbatts as a cheap source of lots of free eggs you are not getting them for the right reasons.  

Personally I never recommend ex batts to novices unless they are prepared for having to deal with issues they have no experience with and so being reliant on a good hobyist poultry vet.  These are not a common commodity but see Joy's post which lists known good ones.
HF

[22fox]

Hello,

Pros

Once settled they will be most friendly birds u have!
If u get them with severe feather loss its a joy to help get them back.

cons

Expect loss
very few eggs pending on health
bullying and pecking if not managed well

Ive only been keeping chickens for a year or so now and gave ex batts ago and was very pleased on there outcome tho i have lost 2 of the 4. 1 of my remaining batts took 8 or so months to get her feather back and still its not completed so what i learnt from that is it takes time.

go on make some hens happy! 

[helens-hens]

I took on 6 ex bats for the first time in October.  We had a terrible issue with bullying, and in the end, we had to have our bullied chook Violet re homed - and she is now thriving in a massive flock.  The other 5 have now settled down, and are enjoying their chickeny retirement.

For me, taking on ex bats was not about egg production - (these intelligent, sociable little girls have been through enough), but its about taking on 6 animals that have been diabolically treated by humans and seeing out the rest of their days in a happy loving environment.

Its been tough, Ginger is still featherless, the others however are now monsters!  They sneak in through the back door, nick the cat food, they'll be stroked, sit on your arm, they wreck the garden but we love them - it really isn't all about eggs - but as a bonus, we get 3-4 a day, and any we sell, we donate the proceeds back to the Battery Hen Welfare Trust who are first rate with any advice.

I grant you, its not the easy route - but its very worthwhile.

cejx, I remember you posting the picture of Violet after she had been bullied, she was a pityful sight. I still think about her sometimes and its great to hear that she is thriving in her new home, so glad it was a good outcome for both of you.

[Beakybird]

Totally agree with what has already been said. I have ex-batts - had never kept hens before - and they have been very hard work! However, I absolutely adore them and would walk to the ends of the earth and back for them Despite the terrible winter we have had this time, my girls have continued to lay. I had hoped they were going to take a break over the winter, but no such luck.
It's been an amazing experience to see them come from being featherless, pityful little creatures to beautiful, bonny little girls who appreciate all that free-range life has to offer!

 

[cejx]

I took on 6 ex bats for the first time in October.  We had a terrible issue with bullying, and in the end, we had to have our bullied chook Violet re homed - and she is now thriving in a massive flock.  The other 5 have now settled down, and are enjoying their chickeny retirement.

For me, taking on ex bats was not about egg production - (these intelligent, sociable little girls have been through enough), but its about taking on 6 animals that have been diabolically treated by humans and seeing out the rest of their days in a happy loving environment.

Its been tough, Ginger is still featherless, the others however are now monsters!  They sneak in through the back door, nick the cat food, they'll be stroked, sit on your arm, they wreck the garden but we love them - it really isn't all about eggs - but as a bonus, we get 3-4 a day, and any we sell, we donate the proceeds back to the Battery Hen Welfare Trust who are first rate with any advice.

I grant you, its not the easy route - but its very worthwhile.

cejx, I remember you posting the picture of Violet after she had been bullied, she was a pityful sight. I still think about her sometimes and its great to hear that she is thriving in her new home, so glad it was a good outcome for both of you.

Thanks Helen - it was horrible making the decision, but thankfully we found someone who was willing to give her a third chance and didn't think - oh, its just a chicken and have her slaughtered.  The other 5 are sooooooooo much more relaxed without Violet, so good news all round. xxx

[andreadon]

We started out with POLs and got ex-batts later when one of our POLs was killed.

My advice would be not to start with ex-batts.
I loved having ex-batts - it was amazing watching them go from helpless worried scruffs to wonderful normal chickens.
They were so friendly and ridiculously cuddly   
But they are hard work - they fought a lot, and were very worrying to look after - especially when they were very new.
They also didn't lay a lot of eggs: Rita became very ill with a prolapse and stuck eggs (weak and broken shells) and we ended up taking her  to the vet several times with that.

The reason I say don't start with ex-batts is because they do take such a lot of attention and care.
We wouldn't have been able to be such good carers if we hadn't had that experience of what a "normal" chicken is like.
There would have been many times that we went running panicking to the vet and probably many times when we wouldn't have realised there was something wrong.
I think it best to go for POLs first just to gain experience of looking after hens, then get ex-batts once you know what to expect adn once you know how to look after hens.

[cornishgirl]

Rant. Buy POL pure breeds from a recommened breeder and put the cash you would have spent on vets bills / heartache into campaigning against the awful practice of battery / caged hens. Preserve the beautiful diversity of fowl we have rather than mop up after the battery poultry industry who like to put things like "when our hens have finished laying they will be retired to loving homes in the country". 

Pure / cross breds are healthier birds - and they all have thier own characters. Some will like this and some will like that. But they will all be special and you can be thankful that you are giving them a good home. They won't produce as many eggs as hybrids (but will produce many as opposed to the batteries) but will lay over a longer period of time. You can be pleased that you are continuing a breed rather than an individual hen, which in the long term is more important.