There's an actual chicken board???????

[AllRoadsLeadBackToRadley]

Hiiiiiiiiiiii guys!

Where has this section been hiding???

First time chicken keeper here! Well...nearly! We are going to pick up four girls from the BHWT on Sunday!

So...a heads up, please? What sort of state will they be in? Apparantly they've been rescued from a caged environment, so I'm expecting baldness...I just want to prepare the kids, who are about as sensitive as me!

[AllRoadsLeadBackToRadley]

Ohyes I'll try...I'm no expert, and can I apologize in advance, please? I never want toforce my views down anyone's throat, and this thread was not about that, I promise. If everyone on this thread is eating big macs for lunch, cool! Save me a gherkin 😂😂

Battery cages have been replaced by "enriched" cages since (I think) 2012. The new cages give each hen about a postcard-sized more space than before. They're still crammed in IMO.
But it really IS just MO.

How many times can you excuse yourself on one post? 😂😂😂

[Aprilshouldhavebeenmyname]

You are now officially a crazy chicken lady and are excused anything!!. Except your love of gherkins.
not envy.

[Ihaventgottimeforthis]

Hens in 'enriched' cages are still battery hens, to all intents and purposes, I agree with you OP.
The fact people will still buy those eggs really disappoints me, but then people disappoint me all the time!
Well done for rescuing these, we've done it too and it's fab x

[AllRoadsLeadBackToRadley]

HA!!!

Something I can't stand is people who try to force their views on people? Like I'm vegan (I have an egg/dairy alergy, and I don't like the taste of meat- so its a piece of pisd! The animal welfare stuff came afterwards iyswim) but I would never bang on about it! That's why I was so paranoid about answering the questions! 😂

They're getting their oen blog...they've inspired me to build a bloody site and get writing again! 😂😂😂😂

[AllRoadsLeadBackToRadley]

Time did you see the article a few years ago on so called "Free Range" eggs?

[Ihaventgottimeforthis]

I have various thoughts on 'free range eggs' too - would be interested in seeing any articles. Hen behaviour and building design (and weather) can all conspire to ensure that some 'free range' hens may venture outside only on an occasional basis!
To be honest the whole industrial poultry sector leaves me a bit

[AlakazamAlakazoom]

Ooh how exciting, how are they getting on now? We have 3 from BHWT, and after laying initially on arrival, they all then had a few weeks where they stopped, which we guess was during the intense feather re-growing period, plus when they were most bullied by our existing flock, who were most put out at the new arrivals. Once they were back to their glossy feathered selves & became more established they’ve been great layers, 3 a day. And a variety of personalities. Lovely to see them learning to scratch & run after scraps - when they first arrived they didn’t respond at all & now they fight over them with the most dominant hens. Will only ever have rescues from now on - they’re great!

[TheFillijonk]

Congratulations on your new girls. Chickens are the best.

Are you feeding them on layers mash? That's what they will have been fed on the farm. Please don't feed any scraps from your kitchen unless your kitchen is and has always been vegan - it is against the law. Chickens really don't need any extras anyway.

[AllRoadsLeadBackToRadley]

Is it against MN rules to share my blog post on here? I've started writing their story...?