Battery vs Free range

[HayleyB]

I'm paying £5.95 for 20kg of pellets from Frontier suppliers on the A1 at Sandy. They are big seed and animal feed suppliers. Mine are still laying about 5-7 per day from 13 but they're going through moult at present so hopefully the newie whites will see me through for a couple of months until the browns are back laying again.

I think the only downside to batts is the life span - many posh birds are not very good layers and prone to broodiness. Thing about batts is the fact they are bred for purpose and that is to lay eggs, the bonus we get is happy hens that really do seem to love life for the first time ever. BTW, my girlies are more than paying for themselves even now whilst a little off lay

[Hilary B]

There is one 'downside' to battery rescue that bothers some folk, but not others. They will probably have been fed some weird stuff to encourage laying, and it may take a while to get out of their systems. If you are very 'healthy eating' oriented, you may worry about the first few eggs from ex-bats. It wouldn't worry me, but everyone has their own preferences.....

[HayleyB]

I've been told it takes about a month, didn't worry me neither.

[CarolineW]

Free range rescue in Oxfordshire

At Little Hen we quite often get pure breeds in as well. WE have 3 cochin ladies at the moment that are being rehomed this week. I took 2 bantams and we also had 4 others. So you can rescue pure breeds. The only draw back to thisis that it's often not clear how old they are. The breeders tell you one thing and it's obvious it's not true! I've had one bantam egg so far! (am going to frame it!)

I'm going torescue a load of amber links on Thursday and they are supposedly free range although in the past they are often in a worse physical condition than the ex-batts, they just have feathers to cover up other sins!
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We've been offered some free range hens from a farm in Oxfordshire, who are to be got rid of because they're 72 weeks old and the supermarkets won't buy the eggs after that age, we've been told. Is that true, do you know, or are they just offloading poor quality stock, do you think? We like the idea of saving them from an untimely end, but we do need to some eggs too. I didn't think there was a problem, just that it was another silly supermarket rule which made life hard for the farmers and livestock. But now I'm wondering ...

[RedThorn]

Thank you all for all of your input. It's greatly appreciated. I think I'm gonna have to get a 6x6 ft shed and convert it at this rate and from what you all seem to be telling me is keeping chickens is like greenhouses, you always want more!

[MaureenHall]

We've been offered some free range hens from a farm in Oxfordshire, who are to be got rid of because they're 72 weeks old and the supermarkets won't buy the eggs after that age, we've been told. Is that true, do you know, or are they just offloading poor quality stock, do you think? We like the idea of saving them from an untimely end, but we do need to some eggs too. I didn't think there was a problem, just that it was another silly supermarket rule which made life hard for the farmers and livestock. But now I'm wondering ...

The only reason I can think of is that the shell quality isn't always as strong as in younger birds and they get more breakages? It's like all hens (I think) they lay really well in their first year then production gradually declines so it's not viable or profitable to keep the hens any longer, it doesn't matter if they're free range or ex-battery, they're in it as a business. For most of us chicken keepers, they're pets with the added bonus of eggs

[CarolineW]

Thanks Maureen - I you're absolutely right. I just heard from someone who's taken hens from the same farm (there was a batch to go in Dec and another in Jan). He says they're good quality birds, just older. He said it is the shell thing, the supermarkets have a rule on it because of the amount of transportation and handling they have to go through.

[RedThorn]

Well we've decided to take the plunge and get some chooks, however at the mo (post Christmas and all) we're a bit tight in the ol' finances... an' was wondering if anyone had some ideas for a cheap option for chicken coops... Must still be good for the ol' girls that'll have to live in it though... wouldn't want them to suffer, but it don't need to keep up wiff the Jones either....

[lynda66]

try looking for a shed on ebay, loot or freecycle ..... you might be lucky and get a one cheap or even free, then you only need to add a couple of boxes a perch and a run, and you've got a chicken house big enough for when you end up with 20

[RedThorn]

does that mean your brood's expanding?

Will look in the local rags then....

[Glutton4...]

Or do what my ex-neighbour used to do, and get a rabbit hutch! He just stacked them in the end (looked like a shanty town!)

[lynda66]

does that mean your brood's expanding?

Will look in the local rags then....

it will be if most of them turn out to be boys ..... then i may have to steal the incubator back off auntie mo

[vicky]

You can use any wendy house, dog kennel, rabbit hutch, shed etc that comes up on freecycle plus a bit of imagination re perches, nest boxes etc! I will keep my eyes open for you as I'm only 20 mins from Stortford (beware!)

[Noodle]

Thanks Maureen - I you're absolutely right. I just heard from someone who's taken hens from the same farm (there was a batch to go in Dec and another in Jan). He says they're good quality birds, just older. He said it is the shell thing, the supermarkets have a rule on it because of the amount of transportation and handling they have to go through.

They can also start to lay funny shaped ones! Which you never see inteh supermarkets! Another factor is that they will stop laying first thing inthe morning which is when the supermarkets want the eggs, poor old girls!

[Birdie Wife]

Hi RedThorn,

Congrats on taking the plunge and finally getting your chooks! Hen houses don't need to be fancy at all, and if you're handy with a hammer and nails you can easily knock one up yourself. The simplest design is just a box with a sloping roof, or an ark-style one (but they don't make best use of space and you can't fit as many birds inside). THere are plans somewhere if you do a google search for how to make a house using recycled pallets. The roof needs to be covered with felt or something similar, and it's helpful to have a nestbox with a flap to the outside so you can collect eggs easily.

PS - try Freecycle! I've never been able to get anything useful from there because I live in the middle of nowhere but lots of people have found fanstastic stuff going free.