keeping chickens - help and advice (merged)

jahyra

I am new to the site but not to keeping hens. At the house I lived in before divorce, I had 12 hens completely free range and sold surplus eggs at the gate. We now live in the centre of town and our only surviving elderly hen, Betty lives here. She sleeps in a rabbit hutch which is outside in the summer/not months and in the conservatory the rest of the time. She knocks on the kitchen window if she wants to pop in and lay an egg, and she yells through the cat flap if I forget to put down her pellets. She dines on anything she can find in the garden and annoys the neighbours by flying over their fence almost daily. Her eggs are legendary.

If you set them free, hens willl always return to the same place to go to bed and lay eggs. Although our side gate is often left open (onto a very busy road) she never wanders down. Hens stick to their territory and are so easy to keep. Her bad habit is that if you leave a downstairs window open she will wander in the living room and sit down to watch TV.

We also have 4 cats, again we used to have more. They are terrified of the chicken. They try to sunbathe but she wont leave them alone and pecks them while they sleep.

She is very happy as she is for now but when she eventually goes (and she is already over 4) we will take battery hens. She usually lays an egg every day except for when she is in moult - aroudn Xmas time - and if she gets stressed - like the few weeks following our house move.

She costs me a sack of layers pellets per year (£6.50) and I have a HUGE free range egg every day. The only problem with her eggs is that if you are cooking something which needs precise ingredient ratios, you will need to increase the other ingredients (as my daughter found in her cookery lessons a few years ago).

churchrat

hello all hen people:j:j:j
jahyra--doesn't your one hen get lonley (although, tbh, I don't know how you could tell!) mine hunt as a pack and like each others company, so I'm not sure what I'd do if just 1 was left. I know some people take in new hens at the same time--don't know how that would go?

Eager_Elephant--70?? I am in awe:T:T. Is it a very big allotment and do you only grow chickens there?? mine used to stand out in the rain as well, and when we first got them and it got a bit breezy they would sway and flinch away from moving trees and bushes. I am amazed at how quickly they adapted. Thanks to foxy I've only got 3 left, but would def get more.
good luck everyone

Eager_Elephant

Hi churchrat

I call it an allotment but actually it is part of a field which someone has kindly loaned us. We are due to extend again within the next few months.

We don't have anything else up there although in our garden we tried to grow potato's and the chickens ate the plants - never mind I prefer eggs!!!

We have just increased our number by 14 - my husband has been and rescued some more hens who's owners are moving abroad. I do keep asking him to slow down but it's his new hobby - at least it is cheaper than electronics!!!

EE

shelley_crow

my OH and I are thinking of keping former battery hens. This is a excellent thread and most of our uestions have been answered. The only thing we want to know is quite morbid. If and when the hens pass on (shake off ther mortal coil) are there any rule or regulations about the disposal of the remains? X

lka200

WOW..i cant believe what ive missed over the last week or so.
Ive been mother henning my new little girlies and haven't been on for a good week or so..damn..its great to see so many peeps talking discussing etc everything ex batt...brill:rotfl:
I would just like to say that for all the people who have pmd me regarding info about these little darlings i must apologise if ive ended up emailing and pming you and if i havent replied properly to you..sorry..just pm me again!
Im a bit of an idiot when it comes to technical stuff. Its my own fault as i haven't been on here for so long:o and have had a lot of pms to deal with..hooray!
Im just so glad that it is a real talking point.
Some people have posted some great links to try..i use them all myself.
I will be logging in daily from now on to check my pms so hopefully can rehome as many sweet girls as poss and to answer any questions anyone may have.
Hats off to all those who have helped these girls.
I will be involved in a rescue in july hopefully. Im not the organiser but am going to be there to rescue and transport some girls to their new homes.
Apologies for being away so long:o
Lucy x

lka200

shelley_crow wrote: »

my OH and I are thinking of keping former battery hens. This is a excellent thread and most of our uestions have been answered. The only thing we want to know is quite morbid. If and when the hens pass on (shake off ther mortal coil) are there any rule or regulations about the disposal of the remains? X

It all depends on the original hen really. You can lose some quite quickly..within the first 6 months and others can keep going for..a good few years.
When they do go bless em i would advise burning the carcass. Some people prefer to bury them but this can cause dogs/foxes to dig them up if they aren't deep enough..horrible subject but an impotant one.
Under no circumstances should they be thrown into the rubbish bin. I think that this is possibly illegal to do so anyway..so thats a no goer.
Lucy x

shelley_crow

lka200 wrote: »

It all depends on the original hen really. You can lose some quite quickly..within the first 6 months and others can keep going for..a good few years.
When they do go bless em i would advise burning the carcass. Some people prefer to bury them but this can cause dogs/foxes to dig them up if they aren't deep enough..horrible subject but an impotant one.
Under no circumstances should they be thrown into the rubbish bin. I think that this is possibly illegal to do so anyway..so thats a no goer.
Lucy x

Thanks very much for that Lucy. I can't wait to get started now, bless them x

MARTINS_DOLL

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

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I have only admiration for you, and people like your good self in this.

These poor Birds have a hell of a life, so thank you so much for helping them.

Luv Jan xxx

MARTINS_DOLL

Just to add...

I have nominated this thread for post of the Month... :T

lka200

Thankyou very much Jan.
Ive had loads of interest from people who want to help these poor girls so hopefully a good few more will be saved from their impending doom...bless em.
Lucy x