anyone got ex-battery hens ?

[desertmum]

We are picking up our ex-battery hens tomorrow to join Henny Penny - does anyone else have ex-batts ? If so, how long did they take to settle ? And do they lay any eggs - this isn't a huge deal as HP has never laid an egg ! But love to sit out on the decking and watch her scratch about. Any advice ?

Yes, we have had 5 over the years (one also called Henny Penny even!). They take a few weeks to settle, and often don't lay until their feathers grow back in, which took about a month I think.

They were great layers for 3-4 years, and lovely company, but quite skittish to start with (ended up completely fearless ).

How to battery hens become ex-battery hens??

We got ours when the factory farm local to us was selling pullets- we went along and bought a couple in the hopes of giving them a better life- great chooks and very lovely natures.

Yes! They took a little while to settle and they do lay quite reliably. Of the 4 we got, one is still going strong over 2 years later!

thanks everyone - well we've got them and they have settled in really well - we are getting four eggs a day so they are busy laying. Eat HUGE amounts, although my daughter read somewhere they stop feeding them just before they plan to slaughter them. They are really cool - pretty skittish as you say but happy, scratching around, making lots of noise to announce they have laid - I have to make them go inside at night as they don't get darkness!
Only problem is that when we got them they stank to high heaven and that seems to have attracted a fox . . not heard a fox since moving here (4 months ago) but on Saturday we heard one barking close by - made the dogs go mad. He's been back each night since - wakes the dogs up - so I let them out and he goes away - don't think he is actually in the garden just in the 'hood !

I am a chicken convert! Love 'em!

Gampy - we got ours from the hen welfare people - they buy the hens from the battery farmers when they are set for slaughter. Some are very sick and pts and some die due to stress etc. but most go on to have great free range lives. Cannot understand how people can work in those places - we had three in the car and the smell made us gag - can't imagine how awful it would be in a huge shed.

Mine started behaving like chickens on grass straight away with all the bum wiggling, scratching and bobbing. They had almost no feather though and I was worried about them getting cold so I was extra careful to avoid draughts etc. Once they had moulted and feathered up they were fabulous and laid huge lovely eggs.