[debih]

We are at long last almost ready for our hens.  It has taken a year to get to this point for one reason or another and in a couple of weeks will be ready for four hens.

We don't want to start off with anything fancy - just something that will lay well and are thinking about getting some ex battery hens.

Are ex battery hens a good "first" hen and if so, can anyone recommend where I can get them from in Derbyshire/Peak District area?

[joyfull]

if you want plenty of eggs then don't get ex-batts. These girls have used most of their egg supply already which is why the farmers get rid of them. You are best getting point of lay - something like blackrocks which are a hardy hybrid, will lay 5 or 6 eggs a week and keep laying for many years - their number of eggs will trail off after three years but have been known to still lay when over 5.

[debih]

Thanks for that.     I like the idea of giving some a home but the main reason for our having the hens is for the eggs.

I will look around locally for a supplier of blackrocks or similar.
 

[Casey76]

Ex battery hens are not a good idea for a beginner.  First of all, they are being removed from the farm (usually at 80 weeks of age) as they are "spent" that is, they have rached the end of their peak laying life, and egg production will slow right down.  they may lay soft eggs, or mis shapen eggs.

Exbats are also prone to illness because they have never been exposed to normal pathogens available in the average back garden.  Due to the strain on their bodies they are also prone to problems with their egg laying mechanics, such as egg yolk peritonitis, caused by internal laying.  Or egg binding, which can become a medical emergency.

Exbats can be very poorly feathered when they first leave the farm, and are often intorverted and scared of everything.  Often ex bats will have had part of their top beak removed in an effort to curb cannibalism in the battery cages, this can lead to problems with eating pellets, and they lay need to be transitioned from an exbat crumb to normal layers pellets over a period of time.

Some people say that if half survive the first six months then they are doing well.

In reality, the philosophy of getting exbats is not to get a cheap source of good egg layers, but to enable the hens to experience what it is to be a chicken as much as possible in how ever many weeks or months they have off the farm.  to be able to feel the weather on their backs, to be able to dig for creepy crawlies, and to have a good old dust bath - any eggs should be seen as an excellent bonus, but not expected.

For beginners I would recommend getting some POL (point of lay) hybrids.  You will be able to get ISA browns/warrens, which are the hybrid used on commercial farms, and benefit from their superior egg laying ability without having to worry about the issues which come from ex bats... then down the line, once you are more experienced, you may still choose to get some exbats to give them a nice retirement

[cejx]

I got 6 ex Bats as my first chickens - naively maybe, but wouldn't have it any other way.  I have had them now for 6 months.

The first month was tough as one was badly bullied, and in the end we took the decision to remove her.  She was rehomed on a farm, and now has the last laugh as as 8 acres and 40 new friends who accepted her.

The other 5 were far from introverted and scared.  OK, they were featherless (one still is a tad threadbare), but within the month, they were following us everywhere, nicking cat food, pecking the cats, and shouting for treats!  The first egg we received was greeted with excitement, and now we get 5 a day - always in the same nest box... which we do see as a bonus!  We now have 5 healthy, happy, noisy ladies.

I know this goes against what much of the chicken fraternity think here, but I'm glad I gave my 5 girls a new life.  Its tough, but the things worthwhile often are.

Battery Hen Welfare Trust
www.bhwt.org.uk  will be able to give you all the info you need, including rehoming points.

Some before and afters for you.

[joyfull]

cejx we aren't against people getting ex-batts but not if they are expecting eggs - I have 4 rescues in with my other girls and within a month of getting them 2 laid lashes so no   :)more eggs off them (good job I have lots of others laying so doesn't bother me)

[cejx]

There was no suggestion otherwise, I was simply stating the other side of the discussion, and pretty much every negative point outlined by Casey I have not experienced with my ex batts.

[debih]

Thanks for your replies - they have been really helpful.

We have decided not to go for ex-bats for now.  The main reason being that we want our two children (aged 8 and 10) to take responsibility for letting them out and feeding them and I know that their interest will soon wain if they dont get at least one egg each time they go to them.   

We will probably look at ex-bats at a later stage as we have plenty of room for more than 4 chickens, we just wanted to start off small.

We have done it all the wrong way round really - we already have pigs and ponies and are now going for the smaller animal!

[Aidy]

If I may add my two bob from a bat/pol keeper.
Both Casey, Joyful and Cejx give absolute advice on both ends of the spectrum, I choose bats as my first chucks, to be honest with hind sight I would go for the pols as a first bird and if you want to rescue the bats then think about this later when your a little more wise to chicken keeping and more importantly how to spot any illness quickly. I still have three exbats that love life and it is a pleasure to watch as I did yesterday, them enjoying chicken life, sunbathing etc, however, I originaly got 4, two did not last 3 months, 1 has laid out so now has a free meal and I took an orphan on recently that was found wandering the streets, along with these are two Blackrocks, which are stunning birds and have laid right through the winter months.
Enjoy chicken keeping, it's fantastic to do and the reward is even better