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clarky93
Joined: 06 Jul 2008
Posts: 14
Location: Burton Latimer
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 Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2008 8:13 pm Post subject: Day 3, Loving it. |
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Well we have had the girls for 3 days now, its great.
I am a truck driver, and today was one of them bad days!
I was so glad to get home and sit in the garden, just watching the girls pottering around, coming up to me seeing wether I might share my lager with them lol
They seem to be quite happy and cheerful, no problems with our jack russell again lol.
We have decided to look at getting a bigger coop and rehome some ex-batts, does anyone here have ex-batts, if so are they ok to go straight in with my current hens? |
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EGirl
Joined: 01 Nov 2007
Posts: 1001
Location: Dublin, Ireland
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| Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 12:17 am Post subject: |
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Hi Clarky, You have just discovered exactly what chickens are for! Well done & enjoy them.
Someone will be along soon re the ex batts.
Welcome! |
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NannyP
Joined: 13 Apr 2005
Posts: 10937
Location: 86310 Nr St Savin
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| Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 6:53 am Post subject: |
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3 days, expanding already.....oh dear, slippery slope and sliding fast 
It is one of the most relaxing pasttimes I know, enjoy your birds. |
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crazypianolady
Joined: 26 Mar 2008
Posts: 664
Location: Nottinghamshire
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| Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 7:37 am Post subject: |
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And I thought I succumbed fast.................
I got some ex-batteries last Friday, in much better condition than I expected but still very tatty and weak. I'm keeping them in a run and coop by themselves until they're re-feathered and in much better health. Plus it's always a good idea to keep new hens apart from existing girls until you know your new ones are healthy.
I got my ex-batts through
http://www.bhwt.org.uk/
but be warned, I registered with them in March and only got them last week! You've probably found their web site already, but if not it's worth a look. There's loads of information about caring for ex-batts.
Of course, if you're getting a bigger coop you could always use the existing one for your ex-batts to convalesce...........and then after that it would be so useful if you needed to isolate one for any reason.............
Happy chicken keeping!  |
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mojo
Joined: 13 Apr 2005
Posts: 10189
Location: GLENAY north deux sevre FRANCE
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| Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 9:55 am Post subject: |
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| chickens are magic birds........just watching them makes worries disappear and puts a smile on your face............... and they supply prepack food for humans too.........just boil and go.......eggs for a truckers lunch |
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clarky93
Joined: 06 Jul 2008
Posts: 14
Location: Burton Latimer
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| Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 8:47 pm Post subject: |
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I had Chooks when I was younger but dont remember them being this fun!
LOL @ "and they supply prepack food for humans too.........just boil and go.......eggs for a truckers lunch"
Crazypianolady, You are right I have looked at and read thru the bhwt site, are they helpful?
Good idea with regards to keeping the existing coop for a hospital wing!
Thanks all for your replies. |
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crazypianolady
Joined: 26 Mar 2008
Posts: 664
Location: Nottinghamshire
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| Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2008 10:00 pm Post subject: |
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I have mixed feelings about BHWT. I'm fully with them in their aims, but get the distinct impression they're overloaded at the moment. There were long delays between me e-mailing or leaving a phone message and receiving a reply, and they don't seem to have any system in place to advise people when they are likely to get hens.
That said, I have now got my four hens and they are doing very well.
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Pekinout
Joined: 29 Apr 2008
Posts: 880
Location: Cornwall
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| Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2008 2:44 pm Post subject: |
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Although BHWT have the chickens welfare at heart, I can't for the life of me understand why they make people wait for ex batts.
There are hundreds of egg farms all over the country, in every county, and all people have to do is ring an egg farm and ask when they're clearing out a house. They usually clear them out every month (large farms) or couple of months.
Near me there's loads of egg farms and they are always getting rid of the hens when they're coming up to moult and glad to get rid of them. Most go to Shipphams factory for processing into paste (all flavours, they're all chicken based), or else to other desitnations for pet food etc.
People don't have to wait for BHWT to get their bums in gear, while people are waiting, there are thousands of battery hens being slaughtered who could be saved.
I think BHWT are very narrow minded in telling people they have to wait when infact they could tell people to contact their nearest egg farms. MAkes me wonder what the motives of BHWT are. |
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crazypianolady
Joined: 26 Mar 2008
Posts: 664
Location: Nottinghamshire
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| Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2008 3:15 pm Post subject: |
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Pekinout, could I ever so politely and gently suggest you have a look at their website?
(Sorry, Clarky, we're hijacking your thread! It tends to happen on this forum........................ ) |
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rosierosie
Joined: 11 Jul 2008
Posts: 7
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| Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2008 6:43 pm Post subject: |
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| Hi,this is my first post.We have had our 3 girls nearly 4 weeks and wish we had got them soon.We have such a laugh at all the antics.Since sat 5th we have had 15 eggs and 5 have been double yolkers which I find amazing.They are so so tasty.This is a great site. Take Care rosierosiex |
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Dusty
Joined: 07 Jan 2008
Posts: 629
Location: St. Asaph
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| Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2008 9:41 pm Post subject: |
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| Welcome Rosierosie, enjoy the forum. Hope you've got lots of room to expand, chickens are sooooooo addictive |
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bailey-bops07
Joined: 31 Mar 2008
Posts: 10
Location: Dorset
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| Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2008 8:43 pm Post subject: |
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| Pekinout wrote: | Although BHWT have the chickens welfare at heart, I can't for the life of me understand why they make people wait for ex batts.
There are hundreds of egg farms all over the country, in every county, and all people have to do is ring an egg farm and ask when they're clearing out a house. They usually clear them out every month (large farms) or couple of months.
Near me there's loads of egg farms and they are always getting rid of the hens when they're coming up to moult and glad to get rid of them. Most go to Shipphams factory for processing into paste (all flavours, they're all chicken based), or else to other desitnations for pet food etc.
People don't have to wait for BHWT to get their bums in gear, while people are waiting, there are thousands of battery hens being slaughtered who could be saved.
I think BHWT are very narrow minded in telling people they have to wait when infact they could tell people to contact their nearest egg farms. MAkes me wonder what the motives of BHWT are. |
Hope nobody minds me chipping in on this thread. I got 4 ex-batts in june from the BHWT. I registered with them in March and the first rescue date they had been given was in May. When they turned up, the farmer had sent all the birds to slaughter 2 weeks before. It really isn't their fault for keeping people waiting. They emailed me and called me to let me know what had happened but the situation was out of their control. As i understand it, unless the farmer informs them when they're clearing out then they just have to wait, along with the rest of us. It's just a shame that the BHWT seems to have so few volunteers. I'm sure with more people actually carrying out the rescues then more and more fantastic girls could be saved. As for collecting hens direct from the egg farmer, I live in the middle of the Dorset countryside and have absolutely no idea where my nearest farm is so it's only thanks to the BHWT that I have my girls now.
Sorry, just needed to get that off my chest!!
xx |
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jreeve
Joined: 26 Jun 2008
Posts: 73
Location: North Wales
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| Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2008 9:18 pm Post subject: |
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| I think it is just the lack of volunteers that holds the BHWT back. I am picking six up in two weeks, got the call today after registering about 2 months ago. The same day i registered i found out about a farm shutting down in lampeter, so i got six from there as well. If you can find a farm that is sending their hens to slaughter it is probably best to go that way because then there is no need to involve the BHWT, so less work for them in a way, and they are always overloaded anyway. But the work that these volunteers are doing is great, and i would love to help out if there were any rescues nearer to me. |
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MamaPacker
Joined: 20 Aug 2008
Posts: 18
Location: Essex UK
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| Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2008 9:23 am Post subject: |
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I registered with them on Friday 15th August, got a phone call yesterday 20th August and was told the next rescue was end of september so not a bad wait I guess.
I wouldn't have a clue where the battery farms are either  I am not keen on eggs and only buy organic/free R eggs for the family so only know where those 'farms' are.
Never thought of calling the battery farms direct! Would the farmer allow an individual to collect then? |
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jreeve
Joined: 26 Jun 2008
Posts: 73
Location: North Wales
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| Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2008 4:42 pm Post subject: |
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We got ours direct from the farm, but it was shutting down and getting rid of all the hens .. they make more money charging people £1 each to collect them than sending them to slaughter and making about 5p off them!
If you were to ring around battery farms i would think you'd have a mixed response .. i would steer clear of the word "rescue" though.. maybe "i'm looking for some layers, do you have any spent hens for sale?" .. as opposed to "i want to rescue some of your poor battery hens!!" |
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