rescue hens

[littlegem]

got my first 5 ex-battery hens today from BHWT. I think they rescued about 400 in total. Not in bad condition either, as i mentioned in ex-battery hens, they've only been in cages of 4 rather than 6, so not bad. I haven't got photos of them yet, will do tomorrow, however, i do have a phot of the egg that one laid on the journey back, so they can't have been too stressed. they were funny though, as soon as they were put in the box, one stuck its head out straight away for ages. she is very inquisitive, and the one in the best condition. i think she used to be able to stick up for herself! anyway here is the phot of 'the egg'! weighing in at 61g. I'm sure the weight of them will go down once all the drugs and stuff are out of their system!

[littlegem]

[littlegem]

Well, heres some pics

[CityChick]

Congratulations on your new girls :D  Wishing you many years of happy, healthy chook keeping!

[katynewbie]

;D

They look in much better condition than some I have seen! I hope you enjoy them and that they make a swift recovery and enjoy the summer in their new, happy home!

;D

[Margaret]

It certainly makes my day that bit better,seeing those poor creatures able to enjoy life again.Good on yer!!

[Paulines7]

Well done littlegem for giving these chickens a happy home.  I can just imagine their faces when they see the outside world for the first time and have the opportunity of scratching about in soil, spreading their wings and just being happy and contented as chickens should.   ;D ;D

[agapanthus]

Ahhh....bless them Littlegem!! I'm so happy you've got them...and don't they look good ;D I would'nt  bank on the eggs getting smaller....the ones my girls lay seem to be getting bigger :o
I can guarantee you will have a wonderful time with them. ;D

[littlegem]

thanks for your kind replys. i cant wait until 10th june for the next rescue. gonna get another 5 (or maybe 10)

If anyone wants the details, the chooks are to be collected from Wragby near lincoln, PM me and I will give you the e-mail. They are part of the Battery Hen Welfare Trust. x

Gem  ;)

[Heldi]

Aw well done Littlegem! Hope they settle in really quickly and have many happy days!

[Merlins Mum]

littlegem, I don't know how I missed the pics of your girls but I've found them now.  goodness they look really good for ex battery hens don't they.  Hope they are doing well.
Fingers crossed we are hoping to move in the next couple of months.  We will be near to Wragby so I am now seriously thinking of getting some rescue hens.  Do you have any tips.

MM

[Jesse]

I missed this thread too. Hope they've settled in well and well done to you for offering them  new home. :)

[littlegem]

An update of my girls. One - Abi has had a rough time, sour crop, blackened feathers and is now limping, why for i do not know! but i'm persisting with her, why have rescue hens then give up at the first hurdle I say!

2 weeks after getting the ex-bats I got 3½ hens and 1½ cocks from R.S.PC.A. I say 3½ and 1½ cos one hen has spurs! even though it lays. we've called it bangkok chick boy!


sarah jessica 'nosey' parker, Matilda and perry 'comb over' (flat comb!)


Tina and Ike Turner (tina cos big hair)


Abi 'Titmus' (as you can tell- tits out) she's the one thats struggling a bit


no names as yet


Bangkok chick boy (notice spurs!)

theres also another ex-bat thats not on photos, no name as yet cos she hasn't particularly shown a personality yet, but theres time yet!

[Merlins Mum]

love the pics littlegem but I hope Ike doesn't live up to his name!
abi 'titmus', that poor hen she'll have a complex  ;D  hope she's better soon.
what breed are the rspca hens and are you still getting more from bhwt on the 10th
MM

[stuffed]

I had a cockeral once that looked loads like Tina he was dutch bantam crossed with silkie I think.

[Heldi]

LMAO at "bangkok chick boy" . That is so funny Gem!!

They are looking great,Ike is a handsome chap isn't he?!

All the best to Abi (another corker of a name). Hope she pulls through.  When Dennis had a limp we read that it could be caused by jumping down from the perch too heavily. First time it healed itself then he started limping again so we took him to the vet who gave us some dog anti biotics to give him...that was fun. ::)..he recovered really quickly. Vet said they can get aches and strains like we do if we move suddenly or trip up or suchlike.

Cod liver oil is what we were told to give Dennis when he was poorly. It did the trick and now we give them a couple of glugs in their veg mash atleast once a week.

Lovely to see the photos  ;D  ;D

[littlegem]

MM doesn't look like i'll be getting more as hoped. looks like i'm going to have to move my chooks from the field to home. fallen out with family over my sister expecting me to cart her about up to field when she wants to see to horse then when she can't be bothered, she expects me to feed him. I keep getting it in the neck from my dad cos i'm p****d off with her laziness, so he said if I cant run her about then i should move the chooks, so i'm gonna move them and we'll see how long it takes for my parents to be p****d off with her ungrateful ways! shes the spoilt one if you didn't guess, 24, never had a full time job and still lives with parents! i'm fighting a losing battle, all I want to do everyday is go and see my chooks, have peace and quiet and get on with it! So, now like you MM I am debating what housing to use! been looking at wooden playhouses seeing as though gonna be in garden. there's a two storey one on ebay in lincs, got my eye on it! got about 6days left yet thou. No idea what breed the R.S.P.C.A. ones are, next job is to post pics onto Practical Poultry Forum and see what replies I get. The R.S.P.C.A. did have a pair of those fighting game bird, gorgeous they were but don't think i'm up to that yet, you have to keep them seperate from others - obviously!  ;) x

Heldi, I'm hoping its just a strain, I've had he in my arms like a baby washing her feet and looking for thorns and stuff but couldn't see anything. they've been getting veg oil with their pellets cos i'm worming them at mo, but i heard that cold liver oil made eggs all smelly! is this the case? if not i'll go for it. x

[stuffed]

I never found cod liver oil made the eggs fishy.
The only problem I had was when I once put mine in with the water, one of my girls was a messy drinker and would get water all down her front...well being coated in codliver oil for a few days she started to whiff a bit. ::)
Should be fine if you mix it with the food.

[Heldi]

No Gem,like stuffed I haven't noticed anything fishy about the eggs and everyone who gets them from me raves about them. I can only think that maybe someone in the past has been giving them too much cod liver oil and then the eggs went pongy???

I give a couple of glugs for 14 chooks well mixed into boiled up kitchen scraps and only about once a week.  Gives them lovely glossy feathers but unlike stuffed's messy drinker chook, it doesn't stink when coming from the inside  ;D

If you don't get your playhouse,which I hope you do because it'll be so cute as well as perfect, what about looking in the advert papers for sheds?  I sometimes see them "free if collected" . Not very often admittedly but it is worth keeping an eye out.