[Aunt Sally]

They are generally all the same. the quintessential brown hen.  I think they are probably meadowsweet rangers.

[Lilac]

Thanks Aunt Sally, I am just going to see if I can find any more info about them  

[Lilac]

Thanks again Aunt Sally

[Lilac]

Oops. I didn't mean to post twice :oops:

[Aunt Sally]

Click happy  :roll:

[GrannieAnnie]

Battery hens are usually either ISA's or Warrens or Llohmanns
As Aunt Sally says, they are basically your standard brown Hen.  They are called hybrids and are bred purely for egg production, that's why they don't normally live too long.  They are only kept for egg production for 72 weeks, whether they are battery or free range.  The supermarkets don't want them once the shells start changing shape or colour and you get more watery whites with older hens, its not just because the eggs are old like most people think.

I must admit that the ex free range hens we used to have when we lived in Essex lived longer and laid better than these poor little mites we have now.

Once the 72 weeks are up, so are their lives normally.  They get carted off and what meat they have is used in dog food etc.

[Lilac]

What age is it (in weeks) that they come out of the Battery Farms? Poor little things, they probably aren't going to live very long are they? But I hope I can make their time a happy time while they are here

[GrannieAnnie]

They are 72 weeks old when the battery farms are finished with them.  I hope you don't get the ones that are really bad, like the one they showed on the BHWT site.  I can't remember her name now.  

They are very stressed when you first get them, so an extra bit of TLC won't go amiss.  They are used to layers mash, but that is very wasteful as it flies all over the place.  our BHWT Co-ordinator told us to go straight onto layers pellets.  They do soon get used to pellets instead of the mash.

We've had our first lot since last September, so they are now about 27 months old.  We've lost about 15 now from the 2 lots we had, but they can live for another 2 maybe 3 years if you are lucky, but even if they don't live long, you can be proud that you have made their last days, weeks or months happy ones.

You'll find you get eggs with different colour bands on them, or even almost white ones, or very dark brown, also many with lots of winkles on them, and just lately we are getting some very elongated eggs, and I've had eggs weighing in from 15gms to 107gms!!!!  Don't worry about the watery whites if you get any, they are fine.

[Lilac]

The poor little hen in the BHWT gallery is Yoko. Bless her. She was in such a state when she was rescued wasn't she.  But she managed to survive for 8 months at least. But yes, I hope mine aren't as bad as Yoko. Of course if they are, I will nurse them and give them loads of TLC.  Thanks for all your help.

[GrannieAnnie]

You're welcome Lilac, I just wish more people would try to do their bit to stop these battery farms, but we are all to blame.  I used to work for the National Farmers Union years ago, and I asked my boss why don't more farmers go for free range and he said 'money' but its the consumer who continually asks for cheaper and cheaper food that is the biggest culprit.

Free Range farmers lose more eggs than battery farmers because some eggs are laid outside the sheds, and when you've got thousands of hens laying, you can 't be going around all the acres looking for eggs, although I do believe some of them are kept inside until they lay, but our friends in Essex who are free range farmers don't, they just trust the birds to lay in their nest boxes.  But a free range egg producer, doesn't get much more for his eggs than a battery farmer does.  They only get about 45p a dozen for their eggs, the processor/packer gets about the same, and the supermarkets gets more than either!!!!