# re-homing ex-battery chickens



## michelle fuller (Apr 11, 2008)

Hi all,

I'm in the process of building a chicken coop and enclosure (lucky my husband's a builder) for 6 ex-battery hens
and have got some reserved for me from the BHWT April lot. I know nothing about keeping chickens but have done a lot of research on them over the last 6 months or so. I'm so looking forward to giving some poor chickens a nice free range life! I'll let you know how I get on.

Michelle.


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## Kay73 (Mar 26, 2008)

michelle fuller said:


> Hi all,
> 
> I'm in the process of building a chicken coop and enclosure (lucky my husband's a builder) for 6 ex-battery hens
> and have got some reserved for me from the BHWT April lot. I know nothing about keeping chickens but have done a lot of research on them over the last 6 months or so. I'm so looking forward to giving some poor chickens a nice free range life! I'll let you know how I get on.
> ...


 thats fantastic i'm sure theyll lay you some lovely eggs.


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## michelle fuller (Apr 11, 2008)

Thanks

To get some free range eggs would be lovely but as long as the chickens are happy and free is all I care about.


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## Kay73 (Mar 26, 2008)

If there happy they wil lay


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## cupcake (Feb 19, 2008)

Thats great  I have told my mum about this and when we have the money coming in she said she would love to do it


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## bullbreeds (Jan 14, 2008)

I think its a brilliant idea. If I had the space id do it myself.


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## MrsNik (Dec 5, 2007)

This is something that I have always wanted to do. I want a huge plot of land next to a nice wee cottage that I can have a nice big chicken...coop...house..run...thingy...with lots of land for them to run around on.


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## Le Loup (May 23, 2008)

thats brilliant! my aim is to rehome some ex battery hens and also save some from slaughter. 

 

i bet they will be amazed at the space they will have and the care you'll give them


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## jeanie (Nov 11, 2007)

Thats great, good for you poor things they will get a nice life now, i had one that fell off a lorry in front of my car, i picked her up put her in my shopping bag and home she came , hubby built a big outdoor run and a chicken coop, she laid me an egg every day i had her till she was old and passed on peacefully her friend was a ferel cat that befriened us and never left the garden and they both slept in coop.


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## Guest (Jun 4, 2008)

I had some ex layers once,not battery they are all housed in barns at night and run free during the day in several acres,so i guess they would be classed as free range,however when they are about 18 months old they all get packed off for dog food! so even though they get a better life than free range,they still end up dog food.anyway the ones i rehomed were all bald and had their beaks clipped! their feathers grew back and they layed well.


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## Le Loup (May 23, 2008)

Yes a free range life isn'ttoo much better than a battery life. Chickens still get their beak tips burnt off to stop them pecking each other, and the barns they "sleep" in are not nice. Sometimes they don't even go outside for the majority of the time because the farmers don't like to round them all up  

I want a chicken!  i love chickens


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## silly gilly (Apr 7, 2008)

Good for you Ive just got some chickens and I find it really nice listening to their little cackles and clucks, they are quite anti stessing. We had some ex battery hens when I lived at home and they were fab, we kept them free range and they laid loads of eggs as if they were grateful. Good luck with yours.


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## michelle fuller (Apr 11, 2008)

jeanie said:


> Thats great, good for you poor things they will get a nice life now, i had one that fell off a lorry in front of my car, i picked her up put her in my shopping bag and home she came , hubby built a big outdoor run and a chicken coop, she laid me an egg every day i had her till she was old and passed on peacefully her friend was a ferel cat that befriened us and never left the garden and they both slept in coop.


Hi Jeanie, What a lovely story that is, I'd have rescued her from the road too. How interesting to hear that a cat and the chicken got on so well. I have 2 cats and am wondering how they will react to my chickens when I get them. Im still waiting for the BHWT to contact me but they've reassured me I'm now at the top of the waiting list for some.


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## michelle fuller (Apr 11, 2008)

Thanks Gilly, I'm still waing for my chickens though but the BHWT have assured me I'm at the top of the waiting list for some, it's hard being so patient!


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## Hennish (Aug 10, 2008)

Best of luck with everything! I'm sure you'll all have a great time-looking after ex-bats is so rewarding!


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## staflove (Sep 4, 2008)

michelle fuller said:


> Hi all,
> 
> I'm in the process of building a chicken coop and enclosure (lucky my husband's a builder) for 6 ex-battery hens
> 
> Thats really nice, i would make them some nesting boxes, you have to think theses chickens have been caged, so dont worry if they are a little all over cos they have never had freedom. just feed them laying pellets sweetcorn greens and they will be fine it will take them 3 -4 days to settle in.


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## michelle fuller (Apr 11, 2008)

Hi again all - it's been ages. Just thought I'd let you all know that my 6 ex batts are doing great. I give them cous cous every day and they love it. Does anyone know if garden worms are ok for the chickens to eat. When it's been raining mine find loads in the earth and I just wondered if it does them any harm to have too many also all the earth they're swallowing?


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## TortMad (Oct 2, 2008)

I have 6 ex batts and I love them to bits.

I recently found some old pics of them, of when I first got them and was completely amazed by the transformation.

They roam free range around the garden now like they have been doing it for ever, they also follow me around like a dog.

You will love them. Well done for taking 6 deserving girls out of their cages


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## GMRxIxHENDERSON (Oct 26, 2008)

yay more battery hen rescuers i got my ex-bats for bhwt to-and i got the merch too


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## jeanie (Nov 11, 2007)

Hi Lovely to hear your x batts are doing well Michelle, bet they love every min of it good for you , mine used to eat lots of worms and i when i used to cook spagetti he used to love that too,


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## Lizzy38 (Dec 4, 2008)

hi
we have selection of hens and bants most are rescue but my light sussex cost more than Id like to tell hubby!!
I am by no means an expert and so am not posting to give advice but am posting to give encouragement.
We once went for some hens , only four to be precise.
I thought they were kept in sheds but they were indeed battery hens kept in awful conditions.
We took a dog crate (you know the metal cages for cars etc) which was large as we have an assortment of dogs ranging from big to small.
They cost 30p each.
I only wanted the four but the owners filled the crate for 'no extra charge'.
I was in tears taking them home as they were crammed in on top of each other and it was horrible and distressing for them. I didnt want that many but it was too late they were simply stuffed in. We had the space at home so it was just the awful journey to deal with.
So my ladies went from not being able to move to loads of space.
Fantastic I thought but alas it was not the perfect fairy tale just yet.
The girls struggled with the fluctuating 'natural' outdoor temperatures.
I was worried what Id done to them when they sort of squatted out of the shed and appeared drunk as they tried to walk around.
They hadnt used their legs much before and so that was why they struggled.
They looked a sorry sight for some time but how fantastic when eventually , minus two who died, they had full feathers and slept (by choice) up a tree at night and ate bugs and stretched their wings and walked and ran with a more muscled merry gait!
I hope you have a great time with your hens too but dont worry if it takes time.
We thought we were being kind and I believe whole heartedly we were but I didnt have the facilities to wean the girls into free range life, they were thrown straight in and so lost a couple who found the transition too stressful with the change of temperature etc.
well done you and good luck


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## bluebell (Jul 17, 2008)

Can I just take the liberty of mentioning that Hen Rehomers UK are due to rescue over 2,000 hens on 24th January 2009 and if anyone is in a position to rehome ex-battery hens to check out the website www.henrehomers.net and complete the application form on the adopting hens section.

The official waiting list is due to close in next few days. Sorry but just found out about this rescue date recently. Hen Rehomers Uk is a group of volunteers who come together to rescue and rehome ex-battery and ex-barn hens. A minimum donation of £1 per hen is required, but I have to say this money goes towards securing the life of the hen and transportation costs. We are a not for profit organisation who works in the best interests of these hens at all times.

Thanks for reading, folks!


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