[Vember]

     

[Kym503]

Hi everyone and first of all many thanks for your messages and support over the last couple of days.

I'm pleased to say that the hens were safely rehomed today.  I was up very early to catch the remaining hens, boxed them up and spent the day driving around their new homes.  A total of 6 were rescued in the end.  

Just to clarify what exactly happend.... these hens were part of a larger group that someone rescued from a battery farm in July.  However, having had them and nursed them back to full health she felt she could no longer keep them and rather than seek  help just released them into the orchard with no protection to take their chances with whatever they might come face to face with..... (As someone said - bit like throwing the kids out the car in the middle of Longleat when they've wound me up all day!).  Very sadly, some had already met their fate with Raynard before I was alerted to what had happend and was able to start rounding them up into their former enclosure and take steps to rehome them.

I was able to rehome them via the local Bromley Freecycle site - they had less stress of long car journeys and I was able to ensure that they went to good homes with people who appreciated that they had been through a rough few days and although healthy in everyway are not a full egg production due mainly I think to a poor diet (too much corn and bread and not enough greens in my humble opinion).

Anyway - the good news is the lucky ones are safely housed and in loving homes tonight and their former owner has assured me she will not be thinking of getting anymore chickens.

Once again - thank you all for your support.

Scott -I've PM'd you separately

Kym

[happy chick]

That's great news; all's well that ends well.  Well done Kym for everything you've done for those poor girls and putting right the former owner.  Let's hope they live out the rest of their days happy and content with their new owners  

[poultrygeist]

Well done Kym for all your hard work in rescuing them.  

Rob

[Kate and her Ducks]

So now we just need to pick Scott's new chickens then!

[ScottBarton]

That is good news...has taken the decision out of my hands now.  
I can continue buying all my bits and bobs and stick to my original plan of mid January.  

So now we just need to pick Scott's new chickens then!

My little boy cant wait to come with me to pick the hens up! We did a bit of a reccy at the weekend to a local farm, Mumbles, and gave them a call. They have Rhode Island's ready for mid January so that will be port of call.

I shall keep you all updated.
 

[babe]

hi scott,

can i just say that personally if you are getting your first chickens, then i wouldnt go for ex batts.

get yourself a few ( 20 ish ) to start with. that are young and healthy.

give yourself the chance to get used to how a chicken should look, behave, feel, , poop etc.

then when you feel you have the confidence to deal with the more needy , then get some ex batts.

chooks are addictive and ex batts will always need rehoming. dont hurry. take your time, learn about your new hobby (way of life) and enjoy them.

[ScottBarton]

20!!! God no! :shock:
Only looking at maximum of 4, pref 2 or 3.  

[Kym503]

I'd say go for 3 .    If one passes on to the great coop in the sky that leaves 2 for company!

[Evansent]

Hi Scott,

Glad you found Mumbles... I would warn though, they have a lot of rather nice chickens there....we were going to get 3 and came away with 6!!! Beware the chicken fancier fever!!!! :o  :o


C x

[Jellyhead]

Dont worry Scott, Babes only got 5 or 6 herself dozen that is      

[richyrich7]

Glad they found a new home  

Scott I agree with Babe, I'd not have xbatt's fist time round, 3-4 hens is a good number they don't like being on their own, but at the same time it's not natural for them to have 2000+ flock mates to sort out a pecking order with, and in the hen world you are who you can peck  

[happy chick]

I'm really sad that some of you don't recommend ex-batts first time round  :cry:   Touch wood we've had ours since October (said Nov earlier; that was wrong)  and apart from a broken wing they've been great!! I think they're like any chicken apart from they've had a really rough time previously.  It literally only took mine a few days (3/4) to strengthen up (apart from Sophie who had her taped t-shirt -no probs)  and they've been fine.  Common sense and kindness are the only attributes I've found I've needed in dealing with my girls; attributes needed for the care of any animal.  If they die well that's part and parcel of having animals and my 6yo was well briefed that that might happen; kids are more resilient than some people think!  Touch wood all five still with us.  It seems more likely that a chicken will die or be poorly due to a dog/fox attack than from having been an ex-batt reading some of the recent posts on here.

I'd love some pure breeds soon because I think they look lovely and would like the variation in eggs.  I'm not telling anyone what to do or think, I just wanted to redress the balance slightly less against the ex-batt.  We must weigh all opinions and decide what will suit us best in the end but please don't write off the poor ex-batt as unsuitable for newbies.  Mine have been great (eggs immediately! over 20 per week) and knowing what i know now I would make the same decision a hundred times over, again and again  

There's really no wrongs or rights, just whatever you feel comfy with and as a newbie i would have to seek advice for any chicken ailments. Prolapse, red mites, broken wings; all birds get ill at some point or other and eventually you have to learn to deal with it from whatever support network you have.  Some newly bought pols bought from decent suppliers aren't that healthy and have probs; at least with the ex-batt you know what you're getting.  

[Jellyhead]

I agree with you to a point HC. However, I remember when I first got my chooks (not ex-batts), how I enjoyed them and loved caring for them, but, then when I had the first thing go wrong, it was horrid cos no matter how animal orientated you are each animal presents its own sort of problems and a certain amount of panic sets it in when you arent 100% sure what to do. Some people dont cope very well with sick animals and I think generally what the advice is, is get to know chook keeping a bit before you take in something that may present you with every problem in the book within the first few weeks and could therefore put you off keeping chooks at all.