Recovery on battery hens?

[Diveks]

Someone was selling off their battery hens (still in lay), and I was looking for some dark egg layers so I picked them up, they don’t really look 100%. They are bald in some places and their combs look pretty wrinkled and pale. But they are not in terrible shape as they haven’t been battery hens for too long (they are under a year old)

Tiny cage is only for a few days. They are now temporarily in a dog crate as quarantine and close monitoring, once they are in the clear they will be moved out of the garage. I have treated them for mites and given them vitamins, they are being fed grower + oyster shell access (I have a mixed flock). Anything I can do to help them recover faster? Also, do their beaks look a bit blunt or is it just me? Anyways they are very friendly hens and I think im already falling for them.

 

[mydaisy]

Red sexlinks are the sweetest hens! Great layers, too. I don't have any advice that you don't already have covered.
ETA: sometimes they clip the ends of their beaks to prevent pecking.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Beaks look fine, one might have chipped hers on something. Happens with mine occasionally when they're being an idiot.

They won't lay dark eggs though, unless you just want anything darker than a white or possibly cream.

 

[Diveks]

Beaks look fine, one might have chipped hers on something. Happens with mine occasionally when they're being an idiot.

They won't lay dark eggs though, unless you just want anything darker than a white or possibly cream.

Oh yes don’t worry i am aware of the egg colour. was not looking for maran dark just the usual sexlink brownish eggs. Wanted to complete my rainbow egg basket since i only have white and blue eggs at the moment.

Red sexlinks are the sweetest hens! Great layers, too. I don't have any advice that you don't already have covered.
ETA: sometimes they clip the ends of their beaks to prevent pecking.

I agree! Had a sexlink hen a few years ago, she was such a sweetheart unfortunately she got egg bound. At that point I was willing to shell out money for surgery although the infection had spread too far.

Didn’t think adult battery hens that barely have any human interaction would be such a fan of people though, my last sexlink I’ve had since she was a day old. So im pleasantly surprised!

 

[mydaisy]

I agree! Had a sexlink hen a few years ago, she was such a sweetheart unfortunately she got egg bound. At that point I was willing to shell out money for surgery although the infection had spread too far.

Didn’t think adult battery hens that barely have any human interaction would be such a fan of people though, my last sexlink I’ve had since she was a day old. So im pleasantly surprised!

That is the downside to having a production hen is they are prone to reproductive issues and they usually (not always) have a shorter life span because of this.

When I had mine, I had picked them up from a place that you can tell was just not very good conditions at all - it was all about making a buck to these folks (nothing wrong with making a business of it, just think it's wrong when they are not taken care of properly) you could tell there was overcrowding and pecking issues. Anyway, long story short, they also did not have much human interaction but they loved to hang around me and my hubby from day one. Got along great with my other girls, too

 

[Diveks]

They are doing great, although I think it is taking them awhile to lay in the box. Only one of them seem to lay in the box. The rest of the hens lay wherever, I even find them under their roosts. Hoping they learn soon