[chasechicken]

Hi again everyone - thanks for your replies to my last post... as some of you are already aware, I'm building a hen house at the moment.

I'm now thinking about what to put in the hen house, and have decided that I'd like to adopt ex-battery hens.

My main concern is that they won't survive very long because they're just bread to be chucked in a cage.  So, assuming many of you have ex-bats, in your experience what's the average life span of them post adoption?

Due to lack of space available for chickens I can only take in a few at a time...

Thanks

[chasechicken]

Also, how long does it take them to produce nice eggs assuming they do?

...sorry to seem naive!

[GrannieAnnie]

If this is your first time keeping chickens and you get ex batts, be prepared for sadness!!

It's a lovely thing to do, we used to have 75, but sometimes one will die the day after you bring them home, some can last for another 2-4 years!  But don't get them if you want lots of eggs.  When we had ours, after about 6 months, the 75 were only giving us about 6 eggs a day!

It's a wonderful feeling though when you let them out for the first time, mind you, some of them won't come out for a day or so, but it is wonderful to watch them look at their feet on teh grass, or look up sideways at the sky because they've never seen grass or the sky before!!!!

they look so scraggy, but after just a few weeks their new feathers start to grow adn they turn into chickens again!!!!

Sometimes they'll lay you an egg on the way home!!!

Good luck!!!

[chasechicken]

Ok thanks - eggs would be great although I'm split 50:50 between keeping them as "pets" and getting some good egg layers...

Maybe I'll get two ex-bats and two as egg layers - only having enough space for a few means I'm not expecting to feed an army on the eggs produced anyway.

It would be sad if they died on the first day - what is the usual cause of this do you think?  (ie illness or just shock of new surroundings?)

[Debbie D]

We got 4 almost 12 months ago and they are all still going strong, not had a days illness since we got them.  They have also laid well, we usually get 3 or 4 from them a day although in winter it does drop a bit.  We also have another six chickens of various ages and breeds and I would say the ex-batts are the nicest natured and certainly the friendliest of the lot which when you consider the experience they have had of humans is saying something.  I read somewhere that about 50% of them are likely to die within the first few months and a friend of mine lost all six of hers over the year so I guess its the luck of the draw really.  They are very rewarding though and it's lovely to see them basking in the sun (on the rare occasion it appears) and dustbathing.

[chasechicken]

Thanks Debbie

Looking around it seems there is a massive contrast in their lifespan and what they lay... bit of a gamble but if it doesn't work out I can always get some young healthy orpies anyway.

I'll keep you up to date 

[karlooben]

i got 14 ex batts last august and they havent stopped laying since { even had my  first egg on the journey home } .

then i got 4 baby maran { 3 cocks } 1 female who hasnt started to lay yet , an then i got another 7 ex batts .

from my first 14 i lost 3, and from the second lot i lost 1 .... so i think thats pretty good for my first time at keeping chickens.
i am getting more as and when i can build another run