[Sparr0wman]

I've been reading this forum for a couple of weeks now whilst building the coop and run. work hes stoppped this week with the weather/work.
But all i seem to be focusing on more are the dangers to the chicken. After the risks of FOXES, RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS, RED MITES and the fact the chickens have to lay eggs the size of...well, eggs. i'm not sure i will be able to sleep
i think i'd like to rescue a couple of ex batt hens as this is the first reason i cared so much about the treatment of chicens in the first place, and get a couple of other breads with them aswell. would i be advised to get them at the same time, or let some settle first?

[wafflycat]

April 08 was the first time I got hens: two ex-batts. I read up loads of information beforehand... worms.. mites.. lice... foxes.. badgers.. mink... sour crop.. egg-bound.. aiiee! Talk about panic. So I understand your concern. The concern is good as it makes you think about predator-proofing your hen accommodation. It makes you get everything ready before you get your birds. That makes it much easier on you & the birds in the long run.

I made sure I had everything in place first. Accommodation, bedding, substrate for the enclosed run, food & water containers, wormer, food, etc.

When I collected the birds they went straight into the new accommodation. I started worming them & started mite control on the day I got them - the condition some ex-batts come out of a battery farm is appalling and it's not unusual, apparently, for ex-batts to be riddled with parasites to varying degrees. So I erred on the side of caution. One thing I did worry a lot about was the girls sorting out their pecking order. In the first week there were some fights that *looked* dreadful. BUT - there was no serious blood drawn, so I let them get on with it and I'm glad I did as it was over quite quickly and harmony reigned.

Have to say I don't regret for one second getting the girls. They are such characters and the eggs I view as a rather delicious bonus. I've also found that they are no hassle to look after provided I make sure that I spent a few minutes (literally a few minutes) each day cleaning out the henhouse of overnight droppings, giving clean food and water and giving each bird a swift visual once over to check for external parasites - I hope that in that way, should any problems develop, I catch them at an early stage so the matter can be dealt with more easily than with an ignored & than ingrained infestation. I also worm them every month with VermEx and the girls seem remarkably healthy.

The girls have been so easy to look after (I deliberately only got a couple to start with as I didn't want to get a lot and them find myself overwhelmed and not coping, as that wouldn't have been fair on the birds) that I'm going to get some more. Once I've extended their run area that is!

In this first year, I haven't learnt everything there is to know about hens, but I have learnt what fun they are and how easy they can be. I recommend hens!

[cathangirl]

Hello Sparrowman,
Having hens is great, so try not to worry unless you need to.  Being aware of things that can go wrong is half the battle.
If you get some ex-battery and some breed birds, you will need to keep them seperate anyway, until they are used to seeing each other through wire netting, or fencing.
Good luck.
cathangirl

[shiatsusu]

I'd get them all at the same time but if you get them from different places they will need to be kept separate for a week or two to get used to each other or the feathers will fly! That's been my experience recently anyway! Having chooks is great- you won't regret it, and when you get any probs you'll find this site is a really useful resource for advice and reassurance. Go for it! 

[Debbie D]

It's only natural to worry before getting them and it just shows that you are a caring person who is taking the responsibility seriously.  Having said that they are really easy to look after once you get into the swing of it.   I would recommend getting ex-batts as it is so nice to see them recover and become "proper chickens" again, they seem to have such nice characters too.  I would agree that it is best to get them all at the same time but keep them seperate for a couple of weeks. 

[Sparr0wman]

Thanks everyone.
How do you keep them seperated in the coop at night?

[Rubellite]

Hi - I, too, worried about getting hens and fretted about all the diseases etc. as laid out in the poultry manuals. Chickens were never something that I thought of as an interesting animal (as opposed to dogs - my first choice). When we moved into this house last year, the people before had kept chickens and thus had a shed and pen just sitting there. The seed was sown and I decided to "look into it". Bought a couple of pol hens in October to provide us with eggs, which didn't come until first week in December. I had taken a lot of stick by this time re the expense of an egg  etc (we'd had to renovate shed and added guttering etc.). It didn't really matter as by this time I was completely smitten. Hens are fascinating to watch and affectionate too (in their own way). There was absolutely no way I would let them go and when the eggs came.......well, what a bonus! Mine are healthy and I hope they remain that way. Yes there are a multitude of things that can go wrong but better to be forewarned I suppose. I have now bought another two and am trying NOT to fill up my field with even more, although I do fancy a couple of bantams.................. Don't worry, do it and enjoy!

[shiatsusu]

Put them all in the coop together at night. Oddly they will be fine during the night and accept each other, although the pecking will start again in the morning. We did this for a week, then free ranged them in a wider area together to see how things had settled. It's trial and error but should be fine after a couple of weeks.

[WhatCameFirst]

Looking at the "problem pages" here adds to worries.  Go and look at Chicken Chat and you will stop worrying and smile more!

[shiatsusu]

That's good advice 

[Rubellite]

........much like catching hypochondria from a medical A-Z.
My mum swears by those! And the encyclopedia of drugs (and their side effects)
well that's really gripping stuff 

[shiatsusu]

Where you can convince yourself you've got EVERY disease listed and really you just need a big glass of wine and a good nights sleep! 

[Rubellite]

Am I back in the loop, here? I've been in the wilderness for 5 days?

[Vember]

Good to see you back RR 

Any interesting post's over there

Sarah

[Rubellite]

Couldn't read anything but my own posts 
Thought you were all ignoring me to start with and the acute paranoia started to kick in!!
Then Woodburner put me straight and rescued me.
Not much fun being on a forum on your own I can tell you :blink: