never mind battery hen cruelty, what about pure breed chicken seller nit wits?

[petal]

Interesting today. visited a place, far, far away from bedfordshire,(took us ages to get there) advertised on a certain nameless poultry/allotment website to buy a pure breed hen. sounded knowledgeable on the phone. Arrived there, chickens in many breeds in pens the size of a downstairs toilet. mud floors. No water. No food.
point of lay hen he says, hmm, says I , rescue the poor thing says my conscience. looked like a load of auction rejects to me. Anyrate, 'point of lay hen" - ha ha ha-3 years old minimum, poor lass,- is comfortable, loved, on antibiotics, deloused against the worst case of lice I have ever seen. She actually is a very good example of her breed, despite being ancient! and a certain nitwit, somewhere in this country, is about to be visited by the rspca.

[Glutton4...]

How many Chooks does he have? The RSPCA do not have enough power. If he has more than 50 birds, I'd call DEFRA instead.

[petal]

Well over 50, the rspca are calling tomorrow to check the animals but they did ask me if I would notify the council?

[Glutton4...]

He should be registered with DEFRA if he has 50 or more. In which case I don't think the RSPCA have any jurisdiction. I may be wrong, but that's what I've been lead to believe.

I bet you wish you could have rescued them all!

[chris]

Hope he gets a kick up the back side.

[Glutton4...]

I hope he gets more than that!

[polo]

That's awful. call everyone!!

[squibbs]

He should be registered with DEFRA if he has 50 or more. In which case I don't think the RSPCA have any jurisdiction. I may be wrong, but that's what I've been lead to believe.

I bet you wish you could have rescued them all!

The RSPCA don't have any jurisdiction anywhere. The chap can quite lawfully refuse them entry and send them away with a flea in their ear.

The council should have an animal welfare officer who will have legal powers and can serve enforcement notices etc

[petal]

Its high time the RSPCA had more power, like animal cops houston etc! animal welfare officer, next port of call....

[RichmondHens]

Well done for taking her on. At 3 she is not too old to breed from if you can nurse her back to health, but be aware she may be carrying mycoplasma or other horrors too.

I am sure this sort of thing is going on all over the country. With the craze for chicken keeping continuing, there are many unscrupulous people out there looking to make a fast buck. A lot are just churning out rubbish chicken houses, but there are many who are picking up cheap chickens (from auction or wherever) and selling them on at vastly inflated price to the unsuspecting newbie chicken keeper.

Good luck with her rehabilitation. What breed is she by the way?

[petal]

RH i have pm'd you incase the nitwit in question uses this forum and has just realised they have been found out..........lol!

[RichmondHens]

Okey dokey.

[motherhen]

Your comments have returned my somewhat battered confidence that their are some sensible people out there, regarding animal keeping, in 32 years of business, I have never know it so bad in the poultry industry.
The more responsible amongst us struggle to swim against the tide of cheap and cheerful houses that fall apart in no time and yours last 15/20 or more years, poorly kept birds that yes are the left overs from the many markets that are springing up all around the country, with poor or no regulation, just waiting for the poor unsuspecting newbie with a pocket full of cash! or faceless people on ebay, selling hatching eggs that are from the local shop!! It is so sad I spend many unpaid hours helping the victims of these purchases with their tales of woe, and because the birds welfare are our prime consideration get very involve trying to put things right.
Most of the first time keepers are so confused by the enormous amount of information out there that they find it difficult to make a rational choice.
I spend many an evening again, for nil money giving talks and trying to impart as much knowledge as I can.
I went to a Vets practice the other evening after a full day at work to speak, there were 80 people there who were desperate to get it right which is a good sign!

[squibbs]

Keeping chickens is very fashionable at the moment - some 4 years ago when I moved into my new house (which was partly chosen for its chicken housing potential) keeping chickens was seen as a bit of a weird quirk, now loads of people are at it.

With all these type of booms less than scrupulous people jump on the bandwagon and attempt to make a quick buck and with the recession we all are after a bargain. Its not surprising that these things go on - just sad.

[petal]

well, said hen is perfectly happy today, I think she was very frightened, hungry and thirsty. lice all gone but I will be dusting and spraying her weekly. No signs of myco etc. she is very cuddly and must have been somewhere where she was handled by children as she quite likes them. I wonder if she was originally stolen?she has an outstanding shape for he breed....