Ex-batts

[RichmondHens]

Show him who is really boss! Tell him its 3 batties or some rabbits or ferrets or summat.Either that or just do it. They have lived in such a small space you could keep them in a rabbit hutch and it would be better than what they are used to.Its certainly better than the soup factory and hardly a rescue centre. I like them to atone for all the battery eggs Ive eaten over the years. At the end of the day 3 more makes no difference to the 12 Im feeding already and its a real real nice feeling to see them free. Anyway they dont live long. Go on! If you dont want to thats fine and understandable, but if he doesnt want you to.....well, lets just say I rehomed my last husband for just such an attitude.....xxx

It's a little more complicated than that Baldrick. My husband works extremely hard, both on the smallholding and off (he has a day job too) and he quite rightly says, any extra body (whatever species it is) has to earn its keep. Ex batts would come here really as pets as they have worked hard enough already in their little lives. We already have a number of pets who need feeding and caring for (which obviously costs money) so I have to think carefully before adding more.

[baldrick]

It's a little more complicated than that Baldrick. My husband works extremely hard, both on the smallholding and off (he has a day job too) and he quite rightly says, any extra body (whatever species it is) has to earn its keep. Ex batts would come here really as pets as they have worked hard enough already in their little lives. We already have a number of pets who need feeding and caring for (which obviously costs money) so I have to think carefully before adding more.

True nuff. Have picked up the debris of animals taken without thought on many occasions. If its YOUR decision thats grand and understandable. I spent many years spouting my partners opinions and half convincing myself they were mine for a quiet life and I have a beastly tendancy to judge others on my experience. No offence meant x

[Suechooks]

Only 4 more sleeps!

[RichmondHens]

True nuff. Have picked up the debris of animals taken without thought on many occasions. If its YOUR decision thats grand and understandable. I spent many years spouting my partners opinions and half convincing myself they were mine for a quiet life and I have a beastly tendancy to judge others on my experience. No offence meant x

None taken.

[Suechooks]

Only 1 more sleep! Hang on in there girls!

[Suechooks]

Well Baldrick and I have 8 newly released girls between us! One of mine was in the "poorly crate" as she was feeling very heavy so I'm thinking she may have peritonitis. I'll see how she is after a nights rest and get her off to the vet if necessary tomorrow.
This group were battery hens and in fact were much better condition than the barn hens that I had earlier this year.
There are 235 happy hens tonight so lets hope they all cope with the stress of release.

[Suechooks]

After the horrendous wind and horizontal rain today my new girls are now living in the greenhouse for the winter! I've reconstructed my very strong dog cage that used to be in my car and set it up in one end of the greenhouse as a coop, put some carpet over the top to make it cosy and introduced them to it! Very happy to explore and scratch about in the straw, and they have the rest of the greenhouse to wander about in
They looked so unhappy and woebegone this morning that I had to do something or I don't think they'd have survived the winter.
The "poorly" girl does have egg peritonitis and our lovely vet has drained off some fluid, given her an antibiotic injection plus an anti inflammatory. We'll keep her on Baytril for a week and see how she goes. She is definitely the leader of the pack and was wandering about on the grass quite happily while I constructed the cage, showing no signs of discomfort or illness. I just hope we can give her at least a few weeks of freedom without discomfort.

[polo]

The weather today was awful wasn't it? I bet they were really upset! The greenhouse sounds lovely, they will love that set up I reckon.

I do hope the poorly girl is ok - my ex-batt with the swollen abdomen is doing fine now even though I was skeptical at first. Its still a bit swollen but not tender and she lays fine so fingers crossed for yours.

I still feel very emotional when I think back to mine desperately trying to dust bath within 2 hours of getting them in the shed. To think they were unable to do this behaviour for a whole year - awful.

Good on ya x

[baldrick]

The weather today was awful wasn't it? I bet they were really upset! The greenhouse sounds lovely, they will love that set up I reckon.

I do hope the poorly girl is ok - my ex-batt with the swollen abdomen is doing fine now even though I was skeptical at first. Its still a bit swollen but not tender and she lays fine so fingers crossed for yours.

I still feel very emotional when I think back to mine desperately trying to dust bath within 2 hours of getting them in the shed. To think they were unable to do this behaviour for a whole year - awful.

Good on ya x

watching them exploring and digging is amazing. my poorly girl is a better colour today too.

[Suechooks]

They're definitely happier in the greenhouse! The "poorly" girl is an absolute thug! No wonder she's heavy - I don't think she ever stops eating! One of the others is very thin and stands about a lot just staring at the wall. Gave her some Nutridrops this morning and have seen her eating a few times so lets hope she'll perk up in a day or 2

[Suechooks]

The new girls

As promised some picces of my new Batties!
Second from the left is the "poorly" one who has very swollen abdomen but I think (hope) it seems to be going down. She's been the first to discover the joys of a dust bath!
The picture on the right is probably the saddest little thing - she's just terrified of everything but does seem to get to the food eventually.
Tonight they have mostly been trying to roost so I'll have to rig up a perch in the dog cage tomorrow! Oh joy!!!!!

[Glutton4...]

I've had one or two that looked like the last one - bald neck, and a big pink floppy hat! I love to see them, and watch them improving day by day.

There's a rescue in my area in December...

[polo]

I've had one or two that looked like the last one - bald neck, and a big pink floppy hat! I love to see them, and watch them improving day by day.

There's a rescue in my area in December...

Go for it Glutton, you know you want too...

[Glutton4...]

Go for it Glutton, you know you want too...

Sssssssshhhhhhh!

[BUFFS]

[QUOTE=nellie-m;912860]What - eggs?
I *never* buy eggs!
I keep hens [/QUOTE
since we had to rehome our girls, we havent had any eggs of anywhere near the same taste and quality that they gave us,and we do miss their daft antics and personalities,they always left you smiling...