keeping chickens - help and advice (merged)

studentgirl_2

I would be intrested in homing some battery hens, who did you get them from and when did you here about it ect

sparklygirl1

Do you need a big garden, I have a smallish garden, room for a shed a few kids toys like a swing and a little playhouse....... Do they cause lots of mess and take much to clean the etc. Ta

Heva2015

We had some before and we do have a big garden but the man we got them from said you don't need a big garden at all...just get one or two and they would be happy in a yard with a large rabbit hutch for night time (I mean a proper one not the tiny pet shop hutches!).

lka200

Hi everyone..sorry for the delay ive not been on for a few days.
Sparklygirl....you dont need a big garden..you will need a secure housing unit for the hens which has adequate ventilation..it must be fox proof..a determined hungry fox will go to any lenghts to get at your girls. The house should have a nest box in so as your girls can lay you some lovely eggs. Also a perch for the girls to roost although ex batts have never had this luxury in those awful cages and tend to just all cuddle up together in the house ahhhh. The more room you can give them the better..they will need access to the outside so a run is required..again as big as you possibly can.
They dont really make much mess but they do poo whereever thay like...the poo is not offensive like cat and dog poo..thankgod and is a fantastic fertilizer/compost activator. You will need dust extracted shavings to cover the floor of the hen house and some straw in the nest box. Hay is a big no no as it affects the hens air sacs and can cause breathing probs as it contains harmfull spores.
Student girl..please pm me if you are interested
Heva2015..a rabbit hutch would need some adapting for hens as they dont like draughts.
Do a googl search for hen housing or poultry housing there are thousands of different types out there and e bay have always got loads.
Anyone interested in homing some of these girls please pm me and i can give you further details. if you do decide to home some you wont regret it..they are absolutely wonderful and will love you for it and lay the tastiest eggs ever
Lucy x

keelyjrs

lka200 wrote: »

Today i received my ex battery hens which were saved from going to slaughter tomorrow. Altogether 1400 hens have been rescued and given the chance to breathe air and live out the rest of their days happily.
The coordinator of this rescue was only given 4 days notice by the farmer and has worked miracles (along with lots of other people offering transport, collection points and b&b for the hens)
The hens have gone to new homes all over the country with 200 going to scotland at the weekend.
It is absolutely marvellous to see them behaving like normal hens. They have been in battery cages from the age of 20 weeks old and are now 72 weeks old. All they have ever known is a cage.. their little feet have only ever been standing on wire mesh they have never had the chance to breathe fresh air and have never seen daylight, have never been able to perch or dust bathe until now.
Mine are surprisingly well feathered although there are some with totally naked necks and some red botties.
Please think before you buy eggs from caged birds as the system is absolutely barbaric
Thanks for listening
x

:T :T :T :T
I applaud you. If only I had a garden I would rescue so many animals! I cannot believe the way ani,als are treated, it sickens me. Thank goodness there are people like you out there willing to give these birds a happy, healthy home

churchrat

hi
I've got some ex-bat girls and they drive me crazy. :eek: They eat for England and lay about 1 egg between them a week. Now I know why the farmers only keep them for a year!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Having said all that, They are great fun to watch and have real personalities that make each one distitinctive. 2 died not long after I got them, but the others seem really healthy, and I've had them about 18mnths now.
You don't need a lot of room, but they gradually take up more space in the garden that I intended. Also consider what you will do with them when you are away. Friends may help with the feed ing but be less pleased about the mucking out. Good luck to all who get them, and please, never buy eggs form caged hens.

lka200

Churchrat ive had over 30 eggs since last tuesday off my girls bless em. They have got a special place in my heart. And i agree whole heartedly about not buying eggs from caged hens
Lucy x

cheeks

My DH has talked about keeping Hens, but need to do more research before comitting! How long do they tend to live for and do you need to have a cockerel too? how often do you have to clean them out? How many do you need for a family of 4? Do they often get sick or need yearly vaccines from the vet?

lka200

Hi Cheeks...doing your research is a fantastic idea...thats what i did and it dont arf put your mind at rest having an idea of what your doing.
The hens lifespan depends on the individual hen. The girls will have had vaccinations when they were chick and will also have had anti biotics whilst in the cages.
The best way to keep their housing clean is to put on some rubber gloves and pick the poo up and put it on the garden or in the compost bin daily. This takes about 2 minutes. Then give them a proper clean out once a week..replace the shavings and straw in nest boxes.
Hens wee isnt like a rabbits...its not wet it is attached to the poo..it comes out white and is part of the poo if you know what i mean.
4 or 5 hens would be adequate for a family of 4 but be warned..they are addictive...you will want more.
You dont need a cockeral...your hens will still lay eggs...a cockeral is only needed if you want fertile eggs to hatch
HTH
Lucy

churchrat

hi Ika200
do you feed em anything speacial?? i give mine layers pellets (they were on mash but seemed to leave agreat deal uneaten) they are about 2.5yrs old so getting on abit, but I've had "proper" hens before that laid for longer than this.

Cheeks--hens can live for quite a while, I think up to 5yrs is getting on. You do NOT need a cockerel, and your neighbours would not love you if you got one. Hens do the egg thing without any man in sight. 4 hens would give you 3-4 eggs a day, but less in winter (unless you have my useless lot who seem to have forgotten that they are hens). Also, they like to live in groups, so if you only get 2 hens and 1 dies you are left with 1 lonley chicken.
If you get ex-bats or point-of lay hens they should alreday have been vaccinated, if you buy them younger you will need to find vacs for them. As to illness--mine have never been ill, the 2 that died just "died", but you may have common things to deal with, such as being egg-bound etc. I have found the most help from people who keep garden hens, most vets don't seem to know very much about hens, although I think that maybe changing. There is a LOT of info on the web--I like downthelane, but you will find something you like if you search google.
And finaly--they are great FUN and easy to care for. I say go for it--but make sure that you feel confident you have all the info you need. pm me if you like.
churchrat:j