Have you adopted battery hens?

mouseymousey99

Anyone any idea how much space they would need? I saw the posh chicken run thingie in the paper (with the igloo for them to live in) but it was around £300 ouch...

Muppet81

I think you mean an Eglu - we bought a wooden hen house and enclosed run which was a similar price and we have fenced off an area of the garden for the girls to destroy .... and they do destroy. When we are in the garden we sometimes let them "out on safari" i.e. the run of the garden and they love. We keep a careful eye on them though.

boo81

I am quite jealous, I would love to have a mini farm of my own as my childhood I grew up with a facination that my dad grew up on one. I think its lovely for children and they have a respect for nature if they have animals, especially something that is normally farmed.

I really love chickens but dont have a proper garden at the moment. I used to help out with the school farm when I was young and the chicken were a bit of a favorite of mine.

Sallygirl

We have hens and also regularly have foxes in the garden. My hens live in an ark with the perch area and nest boxes upstairs and the run downstairs. The ladder connecting the two areas is pulled up at night and the fox can't get at them. He does visit during the day as well so the hens have a sheet of wire (with very large holes in so they can still scratch happily) on the ground under the run area. This has saved my hens on several occasions as the fox dug under the run but could not get to the hens through the wire. Had I not had this wire, I'd have lost my girls several times now.

I do love my hens and find them endlessly amusing. I love the eggs too!
S

Hapless_2

Kit_Barbari wrote: »

how high can a fox jump? I have a 6ft wall around my garden, could they jump that like a cat? or are they more like a dog?

they will also dig and tunnel which is why you need somewhere you can lock the chucks in at night and preferably a pen where the there is a top wire cover and a wire barrier underneath. (does that make sense?)
try getting hold of The Backyard Poultry Book by Andrew Singer.

moanymoany

Thank you all so much, I had heard of adopting battery hens and decided to do a bit of research. I knew if I asked on here there would be someone who had adopted hens already. I am not disappointed. :T

My neighbours have had ducks. She started off with three and now only Ada is left. We have just been Ada sitting while they were on holiday. This has inspired me, I've thought of it before but I feel serious about it now.

I understand about foxy and friends. The house will have to be designed and made, but I have a bit of wood to do it. My garden has a 'wild' bit at the end and I think 'les girls' will love that. I intend to start with 2. Also, my garden has no flower beds, just lawn and stones, plus the wild bit.

I have a small dog, but I think they will be OK. As soon as the hens get their strength back they will be able to manage him as they will be twice his size. :rotfl: :rotfl:

reverie

There was an article in Good Food magazine (August 2007) about keeping hens and it mentioned rescuing hens. It mentioned the website for the Battery Hen Welfare Trust, http://www.bhwt.co.uk.

I think it sounds like a fantastic thing to do. My in-laws keep hens and the eggs taste (and look) nothing like shop bought free range, they are so much better and tastier.

Mariel

I really want some now! I love eggs, I'll have to see if we are allowed to keep them in the garden.

vivaladiva

I knew someone who adopted them direct from the battery farm - she had trouble getting them to understand the she only wanted 5 not 500!
You've got to feel sorry for the rest though.

bs0u0128

how would you go about adopting them?