Rehoming Battery Chickens

[Hashette]

Probably like a lot of people, I saw a slot on BBC news last week about a place that rescues battery chickens and rehomes them. I've always fancied keeping chickens, I love the thought of giving battery hens a decent life. We've got a big garden that backs on to fields so space isn't a problem but there are some practicalities e.g. we both work, so wouldn't be back before dark in winter (and I'm worried about foxes getting them), and I'm not sure how much work it would be for friends to look after them when we go on holiday.

Can someone please give me some absolute beginner's advice on whether this is worth looking into further, or a complete non-starter?

[JILLY JACKSON]

You'll get lots of good advice on here hashette.i have a chicken house called an eglu which suits me as its foxproof but i only keep a few birds,there is the eglu cube,which will house more and also is foxproof.Quite pricey though.i keep mine in there when i'm out and let them free range when i'm at home and can keep an eye on them.Others on this site have built very good houses and runs also foxproof but you'll have to wait until they come on line to hear about that.i'm sure you'll get what is suitable for you.Have fun.

[MaureenHall]

Definitely go for ex-batts I've got 10 now, and every one of them has blossomed into beautiful friendly girls. I do go away for a few days at a time to help care for my elderly mother, but one of my daughters comes over to get them up and put them to bed. Although I live in a town, we do have Mr Urban Fox and his family living not too far away, and he can often be seen trotting down the middle of the road around 2 a.m. My garden has high walls and fences, so although the run itself isn't fox-proof, he'd have a heck of a job getting in in the first place. I think that as long as you can provide your chooks with a fox-proof run, you should be fine.

Suggestions I've read about fox-proofing run along the lines of making a skirt of strong wire mesh all around the perimeter and putting paving slabs on top. Also make sure that the run itself is covered or too high for him to climb. It's a good idea to provide some shelter for the chooks anyway to give them somewhere to go out of the strong sun or heavy rain.

Neighbours can often be bribed into opening and closing coop pop-holes by giving them a present of some of the many eggs you'll get

Enjoy your girls, and be prepared to give all other jobs a miss for ages - they're great time-wasters

[bargainhunter]

evening hashette, interesting name! battery chooks are the best choice. I grew up with chicken but since i flew the nest i have had battery hens and just recently adopted 14 more if you look on the battery hen welfare trust website there may be a place near you, as for looking ofter them they are low maintenance just need a fox proof run and like maureen hall said bribeing people to help out could also work good luck

[Sunbeam]

I can't recommend battery girls enough - they are friendly, funny & totally addictive - AND providing you feed them a good diet their eggs are wonderful... ours live in a converted kennel, which has a run, but they spend most of the time in the garden. Get some! you won't be disappointed!

[Hashette]

Thanks everyone I really appreciate all your advice. Right, looks like this is a goer, just need to bribe hubby into making me a fox-proof run

*puts dodgy The Sweet track on the CD by way of subliminal programming*

Bargainhunter it's a running thing, if you put Hash House Harriers into Google all will be revealed. Beer, anyone? :-)

[Becca]

check out this website/forum for more info on getting ex-batts and when rescues are happening (you just missed out on one weekend before last I'm afraid but I'm sure there will be more..)
ex-battery-hens : Ex-Battery Hens

I've had my 3 ex battery girls for 2 months now and I can honestly say it is probably one of the best things I've ever done, within a few days of taking them home they were eating out of my hand and jumping on my lap and all their chicken instincts were coming right out, digging up bugs and eating slugs and digging themselves a nice dustbath to sunbathe in and of course laying lots of huge, delicious eggs.. :O) probably some of the most entertaining pets you'll ever have and always pleased to see you, mine jump all over me the minute i go anywhere near them (i learnt quickly to wear old clothes to visit the chooks.. )

[Hashette]

Aw...... that's lovely, and thanks for the link to that site Becca.

I'm off to the bookshop at lunchtime to see if I can find a basic idiot guide to keeping chickens, but I've learnt so much just over this weekend from lurking around on this forum.

I love the converted kennel idea. I was originally thinking of a 6 by 4 shed, but it looks like it doesn't need to be anything like that expensive, and plus a kennel and run can be moved around the garden so they can wreck different parts of the lawn in turn!

[Becca]

Mine live in an old wooden crate I scrounged from work and adapted with a 6ft tall run attached (some of the best advice I got when I was building mine was to make a run you can walk into, it makes it alot easier to do all the house keeping stuff and means you can go in and interact with your chooks really easily.. I have an old garden chair in the run so I can sit down and let them jump on my lap ) so it doesn't need to be fancy as long as you have somewhere for them to sleep and nest and get away from inclemant weather (tho mine seem to like the rain!) I worried alot over my housing before I got them, I spent weeks pouring over sites for fancy houses, then the rescue got brought forward giving me 3 days notice so they got the homemade set up instead and they seem very happy in it it might not be very fancy or very pretty but it's a million times better than they had before

[frias]

Dear Hashette, you will love your ex batts. I got 6 about 2 months ago and love them to bits. I do however live in fear of the urban fox as he's out and about late afternoon and not frightened of humans. My girls love to be out in the garden but if I'm not about they have to stay in an enclosed run. I have got lots of help and information from this forum. Everyone seems very knowledgable. I'm just learning. Good luck.

[vicky]

Hi Hashette.
I have an automatic pop hole opener thing, which you can buy from Country Store wide range of Smallholding, Poultry, Dairy, Cheesemaking, Country Kitchen Supplies it works on light levels and will open/close the door so you don't need to worry about that. They're pricey (£75 ish) but they work.
We converted an old wendy house, maybe try freecycle for unwanted sheds, wendyhouses and chicken wire etc?

[Hashette]

This forum's brilliant, thanks ever so much for all the advice, everyone.

One more question - how much hassle is it for people to look after them when you're away? Presumably if it's just for a week or so, they can get by with just topping up the food and water, or would they need to do anything else as well?

[MaureenHall]

Give the coop a thorough clean out before you go, and leave extra bedding / wood shavings etc in case it needs topping up. Have a covered bucket/bin handy and a trowel so that the chook-sitters can hoik out any poo. Tell the sitter that they'll need to provide their own egg boxes for all the eggs they collect . There'll be another big clean up to do when you get back, but they'll be pleased to see you.

[vicky]

We left ours for a week and all that had to be done was

-daily visit to collect eggs, check water/food
-top up with water once

The feeder is large enough to last a week, the drinker was only topped up once

I told them not to worry about cleaning out poo and cleaned them out before I left and when we returned. Poo from 4 hens for 1 week was ok.

They were desperate to see us when we got back as they'd been confined to the run for the week - they bolted out the door as soon as it was opened!

[Hashette]

Just had an e-mail:

Whilst we make every attempt to collect as many ex-bats as we possibly can for re-homing, due to their popularity we may have to ask you to join our waiting list and be patient … if so, we would remind you that your hens will be sitting somewhere in their tiny, dark cage … hoping you will be patient too.

That really hit home.