rehoming some exbatts

[petal]

I am taking the plunge and rehoming some exbatts this weekend. Going to make cosy area ready in barn and think of 10 names! Any suggestions for some names on here? My daughter usually calls things fluffy, wuffy, ....

[Glutton4...]

I asked the same question when I was waiting for my first Batties. I was told that they'll name themselves, and I found this was the case. If they're short on feathers, it's harder. Although 'Oven Ready' was an obvious choice for one! Once they've feathered-up, you'll have a browny one, a goldy one, a yellowy one and a reddish one, so mine usually end up with appropriate names. I also leg-ring them, for future identification purposes - it's amazing how quickly they change.

[Bramble-Poultry]

our first ex-batts were given names that could be prefixed with the word "chicken"

so we had

- paella
- burger
- nugget
- fillet
- tikka
- masala
- korma

and so on. as we got more and more, they were themed, so we could have a load named after herbs, then wild flowers etc. this also helps when working out the age they are by knowing what theme was with what year.

a note on rehoming, we are currently under another 3" of snow. depending on what system you ex-batts have come from they could be very very naked. if we have a cold spell you could lose them due to the cold. make sure there is somewhere warm like a garage or similar you can put them if the weather gets very cold again.

we give ours fleece jumpers if they are oven ready until they pin feather out, however, in the last very cold spell (-18 up here on the side of the mountain) we lost 12 ex-batts despite the coats and heat lamps running in the barn...........

[petal]

Oh no! i will get knitting now! Tomorrow I will be doing out area in barn, bedding it down all snug, fitting up heat lamp. Do I need exbatt crumb too? what extra minerals can they have, cod liver oil?

[Glutton4...]

I just gave mine ad-lib Layers' Pellets, and took them a tray of warm mash twice a day, as this is what they are used to. I left the pellets there so they could wean themselves on to them. That is because I don't want to be faffing about with mash twice a day for any longer than I have to! I added Poultry Spice to the morning mash, and veg/scraps to the evening one. Good luck with them, and remember, we neeeeeed piccies!

[motherhen]

These birds are fed ad lib in their previous life, did the place that you got them from give you any idea what they were on previously. I would not feed this type of bird any scraps at all particularly if they are trying to regrow feathers, they need a high level of protein, but take care what form this takes, a protein rush can be as dangerous, we usually recommend Ex Batt crumb from Allen and Page purely because the composition of the feed will aid a healthy transition, I sometimes even recommend this if birds are moulting heavily, it offers the correct requirement per peck of crumb.
I wouldn't give hens HOT food either (OH I can hear you all cry but they love it!) but would you give a cat a hot roast dinner??

[Suechooks]

would you give a cat a hot roast dinner??

Errrrrrrr ..........................................yes! - well warm anyway! And the dog! What's good for me is good for my pets!

[Glutton4...]

... but would you give a cat a hot roast dinner??

Yup! Curry, Chinese... she has a way of letting you know what she wants!

[Snadger]

Ex bats have been kept in attrociuosly cramped conditions, but usually they have been well fed and kept draft free.

Cold,damp and drafts will be what will do them no good.

[motherhen]

It's personal preference! I do spend a considerable amount of my day speaking to people with birds and animals with dietary and behavioural problems.
Not always but usually caused by incorrect feeding. I know we all want to feel that we want to give our animals a treat and some animals are fine but in my experience many do not respone in a favourable way.

[petal]

We will be collecting the girls on sunday. Excited!! i just want to get it right after they have been so abused. I think i will get the exbatt layer crumb then slowly wean them onto pellets as the sack runs out - like you would growers moving from chick crumb to growers pellets. I will make sure their new accomodation in barn is as draft free as possible.

[Glutton4...]

My last lot came when there was snow and frost. The temperatures were very low, so I put plenty of bedding on the concrete floor, and blocked any draughts. I even put a draught-excluder along the bottom of the doorway! There were 25 of them in a 12' x 12' stable, and they were fine. Mind you, it is a timber stable, and the walls are lagged with loft lagging!

[Bramble-Poultry]

Since moving to wales we have become the joint regional co-ordinator for the BHWT in Powys, as well as being their regional centre for injured or non-rehomable birds.

we personally recommend that you DO NOT knit hen jumpers, but use the fleece ones instead. The knitted ones were very welcomed at first, even we advocated their use, but we have recieved reports from rehomers that the hens get their claws trapped in the stitches of the knit and can be lying on their sides on the floor until they are discovered. This doesnt seem to be happening with the fleece ones.

as for feed, a lot depends on where your hens have come from, and by that i mean what system they have been on. the birds we rehome around here tend to have been given layers mash in the systems, so we tend to suggest that you use layers mash initially and then wean them onto whatever you preferred choice of feed will be.

As for added vitamins, the one thing the farmers have done is cater very well for the birds feed requirements as a poorly fed bird will not produce for the farmer and is a strain on his profit margins. therefore they will have had the feed formulated especially to ensure the correct balance of minerals and trace elements.

once they come out of the system, they will start to grow plenty of feathers (if seriously depleted) and will require additional protein - however - if you are allowing them to scratch and dig about in your garden, they will be able to find a good proprtion of what additional bits they need as long as you are giving them their rations correctly.

at the end of teh day, a bird naturally diverts its energies into growing feathers at moulting time. to do this they require an uptake in protein OR divert protein from other functions - such as egg laying. the very worst you will get is a bird that doesnt lay for 3 weeks if you give layers mash ad lib.

as for maintenance - by all means ensure that house is draught free and damp proof, as they are major problems otherwise, likewise put up a heat lamp by all means but only if the temperature drops significantly below around 4 degrees, otherwise you will be softening the birdds up rather than toughening them up.

Special formulated feeds such as the allen and page are very good, and yes, they do have other bits in that will help the feathers regrow quickly, however, my personal priority has always been the health of the bird, in preference to egg laying ability. It is my job to rescue these birds from the intensive systems, and rehabilitate them. if that takes 3 months or three weeks i dont care, as long as they live a good life once out.

[motherhen]

Thank heavens for people like Bramble Poultry!
Well done you.

[petal]

and now i am jumping on the bandwagon!!!!!! I am currently taking a break from clearing out their area in the barn. My daughter has a box of fleece teddie t shirts so I might get sewing machine out later! Good advice bp thanks!