Keeping hens and ducks chat.

edwink

babyblade41 wrote: »

I'm all ex batty , hens, ducks and turkey's .. I hate it as much as I love it if you get my drift.

My last batch 3 years ago are my last as it was too harrowing ..not a feather just open sores and broken legs .. you'd think you get immune to how bad humans can be but I don't it's grotesque

You ladies are doing a wonderful job and your diaries brighten my day

Aww what a lovely thing to say. So glad they brighten your day. Its sad isn't it how some of them arrive with sores all over them. I had ones that were almost totally bald, bless them. Just some tail feathers and a few on their backs. Totally bald chests, not a feather right up to their heads, just bald with bare skin that had been pecked and sores on them. I had one that arrived with a massive bump/swelling to the right hand side of her face but it didn't seem to bother her, she ate well and was active so I wasn't worried about it. Slowly it went down and then I couldn't recognise her when she was with the others. I just thought that her face was banged in the process of transporting her to the rescue centre maybe.

It gets to me sometimes how these people who keep battery hens have the cheek to call themselves farmers. I always think of farmers as growing veg or having sheep and other cattle but that's just me and my thoughts of an ideal world I suppose. To these so called farmers its all about money and making a profit from the eggs these lovely girls give to them, whilst all the while these poor little hens never see daylight or a single blade of grass. I've had hens that when they arrived I placed carefully on some grass and sat with them as they were so frightened and they just stand there and look at it, they don't understand that they can actually eat it. Then when you give them pellets they will eat them instead because that is all they know about food. It is very sad I must say. These so called farmers even sell these hens to rescue homes because they know they will get paid for them whatever because dog food companies buy them from them anyway. As long as he has two years of eggs or 18 months in some cases and then gets money for these very ill treated hens that's all he cares about and then he does it all over again. Its like out with the old and in with the new. Makes me sick to be honest.

We haven't had any eggs over the winter from our ducks because as you know they do stop laying. We have had the odd few from the hens but one sneaky hen is getting to it before we do. I really miss my egg and chips as it's my absolute favourite supper but I really can't bring myself to buy any eggs at all from anywhere. I just don't trust egg producers in the slightest so would rather go without. Even baking too we haven't done any for a while now, no eggs no baking, again I'd rather go without. Even if the box were to say Organic woodland free range happy hens eggs or whatever, I still wouldn't touch them. I just don't trust them or their labelling of these eggs. It's normally all just mass produced and these little hens do not lay happy eggs in my opinion.

So I'll just have to wait until my 2 new girls settle and they lay me two nice eggs so I can have my favourite egg and chips supper and I can't wait Yum yum yum

Edwink

Cheery_Daff

Fingers crossed for your little fella edwink xx

Aw babyblade :kisses3: Tis indeed harrowing when they arrive, and I've only done it a couple of times. I admit I shed a tear when this lot got here and Bessie immediately just lay down on her side and started scratching soil into her feathers, looking like she was having the best time.

Got me to thinking though - how did she know? Is it completely innate? Or are they raised outside for a while before being put into cages, and she'd remembered? Whatever, it was a joy :j

Bessie has the most odd beak. They've all obviously been clipped, but Bessie (and to a lesser extent Rusty) has an almost crossed beak, the two halves kind of cross over each other. Clearly she manages to eat (and eat plenty - she's almost as podgy as Maud and that's saying something :rotfl: ) but still.

All the ladies took themselves to bed tonight :j :j finally getting the hang of it, and I've not seen a single swipe from Maud or Mildred (mind you, i've not spent much time out there today as it's been rather nippy). All seem happy and well, all crops as they should be :j :j

edwink

This image is interesting as shows where all their bits and pieces are. I've had a long day today and can't think of what else to call them except bits and pieces . Maybe I'll have a better brain on me tomorrow after a goods nights sleep.

SisterAnna

babyblade41 wrote: »

trying not to hijack your wonderful diaries ..I read them most days .

I too have had a poorly ex batt.. egg issues most likely so she has been having a warm bath in the morning with a warm blow dry afterwards.

I think the hen diaries are wonderful too and I read them all the time, (don't have hens myself though). I think that these lovely posters are just so dedicated to looking after their hens that are unwell and especially with caring for their ex-battery ones who by the stories on here turn up in such a poor state. Some of the stories on here melt my heart.


I had absolutely no idea about battery farming and what these hens went through but I do now. I just feel it is so nice that they can be found homes to retire to with folks such as these on here. Think if I remember correctly it is edwink that uses the term "forever home". They truly do get their forever homes with the hen keepers on here.


Lovely diaries, lovely stories, obviously lovely people and lovely hens. I know it is sad when one of you looses a hen but please do look back at the blissful life you have given them no matter how short it is. Because they would not of had any of this new life without folks like you.


Hugs to you all Sister Anna

edwink

SisterAnna wrote: »

I think the hen diaries are wonderful too and I read them all the time, (don't have hens myself though).


I know it is sad when one of you looses a hen but please do look back at the blissful life you have given them no matter how short it is. Because they would not of had any of this new life without folks like you.


Hugs to you all Sister Anna

(((hugs too you too))) sisterAnna

Thank you for reading our happy hen thread. We don't have many poultry keepers on here but the ones we do have are indeed dedicated. Just look at our Cheery Daff and her hens. Spoilt or what? and so they should be I always look forward to reading about Cheery's chooks.

Yes it is sad when we loose one and I do feel that posting about it some how softens the blow, it certainly does for me. When I come on here next time after posting about loosing one of mine and I see a hug or some nice words it just encourages me even more in what I want to achieve with my feathered friends and that is to look after them and give them the best retirement I possibly can. It is so easy to get attached to these poor little hens and it is so hard when they go, it really is. They absolutely don't ask for anything really except to be cared for properly, loved especially, have nice fresh food to eat plus some treats of course and a warm dry place to sleep at night known as a hen hotel.

They really are my world and I would do anything for them like sit in the pouring rain sheltering a skinny bald hen and feeding her olive oil. I still remember clearly doing that 10 years ago and sitting on a very wet log getting absolutely drenched over a period of several days twice a day, but, I really didn't mind at all. In fact I actually think it was doing that and watch her recover and then flourish that started this big softie approach I now have with hens. Her name was Scarf, because when she arrived she looked as though she needed one as was completely bald except for a few tail feathers and some on her back. She later had a best friend named Glove but I'll leave that story for another time because I could talk for England about my lot.

Lovely Pyxis doesn't have hens like you but joins in the discussions on here and asks lots of useful questions as she is obviously inquisitive and interested, which is good because these questions are actually helpful to myself and others. Thank you to you too Pyxis.

So the more the merrier I always say. Thanks again for posting.

Edwink

Dizzy_Ditzy

Guess who's back, back again :rotfl:

True to form, I have been trying to keep up with all the hen-anigans but life has got in the way a little bit and I havent been on MSE as much as i was

I am down to one lady Lady number 2 was found in the nest box this morning. She has been a little bit off colour recently, quite on and off but overnight she decided to give up

We were planning on getting some more ladies anyway at the end of this month as ironically, we were worried what would happen if we suddenly ended up with one but now I think that we are going to have to get two more sooner rather than later. We were going for the end of the month because we are both off work and would have time to help with the integration but it would seem now that best laid plans and all that... :rotfl:

I promise to try and keep up and post a lot more

Cheery_Daff

Hi all :hello:

Sorry to hear about Lady Number 2 Dizzy very sad, and especially for your lone remaining girl. How is she doing on her own? It's not tooo long to the end of the month now anyway I suppose.

Welcome sisterAnna :hello: what lovely things to say :kisses3: Very glad some folks are actually interested in reading about our little hens and glad you've learned something (even if it's not always cheery things!)

Well we appear to be having a bit of an egg laying strike here. One egg today, and one yesterday - from five hens! There was no sign of them stopping before so I'm quite suspicious :rotfl: although I wonder whether the new ladies are just a bit more 'spent' than our original ladies were so maybe we're expecting too much? It's cold and dark and windy out here after all and maybe they just don't feel like it - I was surprised the original lot never really stopped laying over the winter when I thought they would.

Having said that, I have a sneaking suspicion Mildred & Maud have started laying in the coal shed... :eek: they have two bushes in the garden that they prefer to the hen house (especially now with the new ladies hanging round up there). But even that has been egg free for the last couple of days, and Mr Cheery was woken from his slumber while I was out this morning by one of them creating a right racket in the direction of the coal shed... :rotfl: they're often there when we open the back door (it's sheltered, and they've worked out that if they hop IN through the back door we will throw treats to get them to go out again..)

Meant to investigate when I was out there earlier but I forgot -, will go and shut them in the run about 4.30 and check then. Pesky creatures :rotfl:

Dizzy_Ditzy

Well, my lone lady wasn't doing very well on her own so we went out this morning to get a couple more ladies and came back with four :eek: :rotfl: intro hasn't quite gone as planned so I'll be changing tact tomorrow and doing it the way I wanted to in the first place but he wanted to do it his way *rolls eyes* I'll be there at first light to separate the run

We have a silver sussex, a white sussex, a Colombian black tip and a goldline, all POL. Our old lady is 4 and I'm hoping that she will settle with them quickly. Poor little things barely ventured out of the nest box/bedroom today

I'll be doing a full day there again tomorrow so I'll be pretty broken by the time I go back to work on Monday :rotfl:

Oh yes, their names are Doris, Gladys, Marjorie and Betty respectively

Cheery_Daff

Ooh, congratulations Dizzy! :j :j Lovely names I'm sure your lone lady will come to accept her new pals in time, especially if you are there to adjudicate :j

Do any of you have snow? We do Mildred and Maud are old hands and, despite being PATHETIC last time we had snow, this time just strode off into it without a pause :rotfl: (and yes, they headed straight to the coal shed, and I shone a torch in there and spotted where Maud was sitting so can investigate further when she's finished - no wonder those pair are always filthy :rotfl: )

New ladies less impressed :rotfl: Bessie tried flying up to perch on the handle of a gardening chair - couldn't quite get a grip though and flapped off and landed in the most undignified fashion :rotfl: Beaky did fly up, and then wouldn't get back down :rotfl: Have had to dig them a space - but when I popped out again a few minutes ago all three of them (and Mildred) were back in the run, which is completely snowless (Maud is still in the coal shed....)

Suspect they'll stay there for the rest of the day as it's only meant to get worse...

Dizzy_Ditzy

Morning! I was with the girls for more than 12 hours yesterday :eek:

Things seemed to be a lot better yesterday. The new girls ventured out into the big run a few times Old girl was more or less not phased by them but we did have some handbags. The new girls all seemed to stick together to start with and split into different directions when Elsie was anywhere near them. Three of the four seem to be getting braver and braver but one is terribly shy/terrified and spent most of yesterday afternoon sleeping in the inside run so I am a little bit worried about her.

I am glad to be back at work today for a break! He's off today so is going to be with them but we are both back at work from tomorrow so i am going to have to try and work something out. This is why we were waiting until the end of the month when we are both off for a week and could spend more time with them but we couldnt leave Elsie on her own for that long

We have a lovely white Sussex lady who decided to tip over a thing of water and then proceed to try and dust bathe in the mud so she has one side that is all muddy and horrible looking :eek: :rotfl:

Same one last night decided to try and get up on top of the little run and banged her head on the bottom of the nest box :eek: Not put off, she tried again and smacked her chin on top of the nest box!

I had a lovely cuddle with Betty last night before bedtime. She would have been quite happy to sit with me all night :rotfl: