[Caramelle]

Hello everyone, it's lovely to meet you all!
Over the last couple of weeks we've come to the decision to increase our little family to include a couple of hens. Hubby, who grew up in central Wolverhampton (unlike me - a real farm girl!!) has always wanted to keep a couple of little chickens and now we've decided to take the leap.

I've been in touch with an ex-battery hen organisation, as we've decided to go down this route. Ordered the coop, all the bits on the way. Armed with a bunch of chicken keeping books, I'm hoping we're approaching more or less ready!

I have a question I was hoping you guys could help me with. We had ducks on the farm when I was younger, but I've never had ex-battery chickens before. I'd really love our chickens to be tame enough to eat from the hand and little things like that. Have any of you guys had any experience with ex-bats? Do any of you know how tame they tend to get, after the unsocialised year in the battery?

Most importantly; from your experience, how could we best approach our new hens and eventually tame them without scaring them?

Hoping for some helpful advice, thanks so much in advance!!!!

Lots of love from Northants :-)

[joyfull]

Hi and welcome.
You will find ex batts to be very friendly, inquisitive and very bossy when they find their feet. Please make sure you have located a poultry friendly vet (not all are) as ex batts can come with various problems - weak bones etc.
Favourite treats of most hens are meal worms (dried or live) or sweetcorn kernels 

[bantam novice]

Welcome to the forum, Caramelle, and Good Luck with your hens.    Keep us posted and we love to see pictures here so it would be great if you could post some of your new hens when you get them 

[Helenaj]

Hello and welcome! I've always found that the way to a chicken's heart is definately through it's stomach! If you have the space, put a chair in their run (a cuppa is compulsory at this point) and scatter a few bits of corn near your chair and just sit quietly. You'll soon have them pecking around your feet and that's the best time to put some corn in your hand - mine will kill for defrosted or tinned sweetcorn. They will soon be climbing all over you, fighting you for your cuppa and anything else they find interesting - jewellery, buttons, toes etc!

[rachelr]

i agree with everything that has been said. I sat in the coop area everyday with their treats they sussed it very quickly unlike my  new chicks who having been reared in my lounge now think I am definitely persona non grata.

ps ex batts are so loving and friendly but the only issue i have/had was when they peck food from your hand they can be a little rough to start with.

[JaK]

Welcome to the forum Caramelle. I am also very new the keeping hens. I have a friend who has 6 ex batts and they make wonderful pets.

[Caramelle]

Thank you everyone for your lovely replies. And your helpful tips too!

Can I ask another question please? Presumably it is preferable the girls to trot around on the grass? Is this so with the ex-bats too, immediately after arrival? Or should we move the coop to a less grassy area first? I just want the 'transition' to be as easy for them as possible!

I am hoping that there should be enough height in the coop (not even arrived yet, ha ha!) to put a little stool in to have a sit down on. I know that's what husband is intending to do anyway. I can see myself being widowed not to football, but to a bunch of chickens ha ha ha! :-)

Thanks again everyone. I'll be sure to post some pictures of the pride and joys as soon as they are out and exploring their new surroundings!

[joyfull]

being on grass will be fine, but please make sure the grass is short as long grass can lead to crop impaction 

[gracie]

Good luck with your girls, I'm sure you will get lots of enjoyment out of them. Are you only getting 2, it's usually advisable to have at least 3 so that you never get left with only 1. It may be worth increasing your order by one.

[Dominic]

They'll suffer most indignities if you're feeding them at the time.

[brick22]

Hello Caramelle, welcome to the forum.
Good luck with your new hens, I think getting another 1 to make them 3 is a great idea. We got 2 to start with and we had a very shaky start with the pecking order, I've been told that getting 3 would've spread the bullying out a little. We are off to get another 1 this weekend.
Good luck, we look forward to seeing the photos