[gcb]

Two of my battery rescued birds seem to have given up laying. Happy to wait until springtime to see if they start again but after that what are the best/most humane ways of dispatching the birds?
geoff

[joyfull]

Ex batts are re-homed on the understanding that they have a home for life and not culled when they stop laying. There is no guarantee that they will ever lay eggs are just a bonus.

[gcb]

Sorry, I re-homed mine because I thought the pampering they have had for 2 years in my back garden was much better than the life they would have led in the battery farm.However, I am stuck for space and though I treat them well they are not pets. Don't see anything wrong in getting some new birds if the old ones have stopped laying. I have made my decision - was just asking for ideas on most humane method.
GEOFF
p.s wife has clear instructions for disposing of my ashes into the river when I stop bodily functions

[Laine21]

Sorry, I re-homed mine because I thought the pampering they have had for 2 years in my back garden was much better than the life they would have led in the battery farm.However, I am stuck for space and though I treat them well they are not pets. Don't see anything wrong in getting some new birds if the old ones have stopped laying. I have made my decision - was just asking for ideas on most humane method.
GEOFF
p.s wife has clear instructions for disposing of my ashes into the river when I stop bodily functions

The Most Humane Method would be to Contact the people that rehomed to you and explain you are unable to keep them and ask them to find another home.
I would suggest that you buy in point of lay hybrid hens rather than have ex-batts again as your next lot may not even lay right from the start.
Laraine

[orchardlady]

I use a humane dispatcher. It looks a bit like a pair of pliers. I place it round the birds neck and squeeze it shut. I hold the bird on the floor and say. "God bless thank you for being a good chicken". I understand that these crush the spinal column and death is vey swift but I continue to hold the pliers closed until all movement and twitching has finished. I've tried the broomstick method when I first started keeping hens. The scene. Me with two little children in tow. (Dad working a 90 hour week so never home). First cockerel, didn't do it properly so several attempts. Second cockerel decapitated (too enthusiastic) blood everywhere, screaming hysterical kids, me trying to look calm but screaming inside. The axe. Try doing by yourself! Cockerel head on bloc...nope not willingly. Did do it in the end but took two swipes...not good. The spade. Again try doing it by yourself...I'll leave that one to your imagination. I find the pliers are not messy, pretty quick, quiet, discreet and I always do it out of sight of the rest of the birds.

Good luck.

PS The kids are now 17 and 18 and mostly fine...apart from the twitch and the nightmares....

[min200]

Ive done the over enthusiatic head off as well!!

Thankfully I was in the shed so no one saw it but it was very very messy!

GCB pop your hens on your local website or Preloved as someone will take them off of your hands within hours!  Also bear in mind that most chooks will stop laying for quite sometime over winter (ive got seven eating and drinking and will they give me an egg because its cold???....Nope! )

Hope you get sorted soon.

[joyfull]

When you do replace them please consider getting point of lays in future (if you want eggs then think along the lines of amberlinks, warrens, goldlines, ross lohmans etc) as ex batts are re-homed as pets and supposed to be in retirement and any eggs are to be considered a bonus.

[alancane]

I use a humane dispatcher. It looks a bit like a pair of pliers. I place it round the birds neck and squeeze it shut. I hold the bird on the floor and say. "God bless thank you for being a good chicken". I understand that these crush the spinal column and death is vey swift but I continue to hold the pliers closed until all movement and twitching has finished. I've tried the broomstick method when I first started keeping hens. The scene. Me with two little children in tow. (Dad working a 90 hour week so never home). First cockerel, didn't do it properly so several attempts. Second cockerel decapitated (too enthusiastic) blood everywhere, screaming hysterical kids, me trying to look calm but screaming inside. The axe. Try doing by yourself! Cockerel head on bloc...nope not willingly. Did do it in the end but took two swipes...not good. The spade. Again try doing it by yourself...I'll leave that one to your imagination. I find the pliers are not messy, pretty quick, quiet, discreet and I always do it out of sight of the rest of the birds.

Good luck.

PS The kids are now 17 and 18 and mostly fine...apart from the twitch and the nightmares....

Orchard lady, this really made me laugh I am sorry! I felt I was reading Bridget Jones diary of when she becomes a housewife, with a home in the country and two children hehe

Where abouts do you live? Maybe someone reading this thread will be getting their car ready to come take them off your hands. 

[drmoonshine]

poor ex bats

they thought they had a good life from now on but really there was a deep dark secret being kept from them 

[rachelr]

I have three ex batts and only one has laid regularly since I got them. Please the rules with them are they have a home for life.

They have had a really bad life and they deserve to be retired with pleasure.

I will take them from you if you are close enough to me. Or contact the rescue you got them from they will re home them.

I also had to sign a form statin that these birds would be looked after until they died of natural causes.

Please do not cull them.

[GrannieAnnie]

Sorry, I was disgusted with this thread.  If you wanted egg layers, why on earth did you buy ex batts?  batts are bred to lay for 2 years, after that they are considered spent and usually culled, except the few that are rescued. 

If you've had them for 2 years gcb that means they are 3 and a half now, so you are lucky if they lay any more.

I agree with Joy and Rachel and Drmoonshine.  These hens are re-homed to give them a happy retirement, not to be culled unless they are sick!

If you want eggs regularly, then dig a bit deeper in your pocket and buy POL's!

When our girls stop laying, we try to re-home them as 'pets' before they are culled, but the ex batts we've had re not culled unless they are sick.

Sorry if I offend anyone, but I feel really strong on this point!

[rachelr]

I am glad i am not the only one anne.

If they are rescued then he must have signed the papers that say you will keep them till death do you part.

I was sooooooooo gutted i have even offered to get them from him.

[joyfull]

I am glad i am not the only one anne.

If they are rescued then he must have signed the papers that say you will keep them till death do you part.

I was sooooooooo gutted i have even offered to get them from him.

don't worry Rachel lots of us feel this way xx

[drmoonshine]

seems very selfish really. 

worrying thing is its not just chickens this happens to there is a very dark side to grey hound racing im not even going to get into.

topic should be locked before the guy gets flamed even more by even more upset members of this bored

[joyfull]

locking this topic as we have made our feelings perfectly clear ex battery hens are rehomed for a life in retirement.
If anybody wishes this topic to be re-opened please send me a pm.