Topic: At last I have my girls

[Merlins Mum]

I am now the proud owner of two ex battery hens ;D  Picked them up on Sunday and they are a joy. :)  They don't always lay every day but both are laying which is a bonus for me as they are as much pets as they are producers of eggs. 
Going to show them off now

[katynewbie]

 ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

GORGEOUS!!! Hope they are happy now they have a great home and someone who loves them...sorry, I get soppy about hens!

Well done you for taking them in!

 ;)

[OliveOil]

Awww I have the opportunity to get either ex battery or ex free range hens... I'm tempted!

[Merlins Mum]

Get some ex bettery OO, they've had such a miserable existance, they deserve better.
MM

[loz]

Well done MM, a worthy cause  :D

Now if I could just convince you to have another two and think about saving rare breeds............................................................. ;D

Loz ;)

[Merlins Mum]

hi loz,  I would if I thought I had the space but we only have an ark and I think three is my limit.  one of the original two died after a neighbours dog got into our garden :'( so we replaced her with two more. :)

just out of interest what rare breeds?

MM

[Marymary]

What beautiful chicks MM.  I reguarly get news of rescued hens and they never look like yours, healthy with all their feathers & laying too.  I rescued 2 last year - not ex battery but badly neglected & they laid all last winter but are having a little rest along with the other 7 so no eggies for breakfast here. 

[Merlins Mum]

Hi Mary, I think I took pics of their best sides ;D  but one had a bald bum and very few feathers on her underside and the other had a lot missing on her neck and front.  One of the 3 I have at the moment is going through a moult and really looks tatty.  she only has to shake and some feathers fall out and you always know where she roosted as there is a pile of feathers under the perch, lol  But they do have more feathers than a lot of ex battery hens.  The farm they came from only keeps 4 to a cage and not 6 so that might help a bit.

MM

[Marymary]

I know what you mean about all the feathers coming out in a heap but why oh WHY do the silly things shed their feathers just when the weather is getting cold & they need all the warmth they can get.  Last year I had healthy but almost completely naked chickens standing shivering in the snow! ::) I saw an American website once with knitting patterns for jumpers for chickens - I was tempted. 8)

[Merlins Mum]

Mary, I have seen pics on the Battery Hen Welfare Trusts website of chickens with little jumpers on because they were so bald and poorly when they were rescued.  I do hope mine don't get to that stage.  It does seem to depend on the hen, some seem to lose a few at a time so you don't notice it so much but others just fall apart.  My other two girls don't look too bad at the moment

MM