We just picked up 4 new flock members adopted from Animal Place sanctuary's July 29 rescue of 3000 hens from a california egg laying farmer. They are currently under quarantine in my Avairy. All 4 have been debeaked and they are all different so there clearly is no art to this practice. We gave the a much needed bath and they enjoyed the 80 degree Fahrenheit sunny California October weather as they dried off. I'm assuming their poor grooming is a combination of beak mutilation and the filthy over crowed conditions they have live in prior to rescue. In the time they spent at Animal Place they learned to roost well and forage and dust bath like normal chickens. I'm feeding homemade rations and meal worms which they have really taken too well. They don't recognize fresh veggies and fruit as food yet but might follow the example once merged in with the rest of my flock. I'm am very impressed with the level of rehab that they received prior to our adopting them. How they managed to trim nails on 3000+ chickens defys me but all 4 have trimmed nails which were clearly horribly overgrown from living in wire bottom cages. We are looking forward to integrating them with our hand raised flock in the coming weeks. I'll post photos soon and you will all be quite surprised how great they look considering what life was like prior to July 29th. This will be our first experience with white leghorns. Today was their first full day here and they have already laid two jumbos even with the trauma of a bath.
Here is more information one where our new girls came from.
http://animalplace.org/helping-hens-rescue
Here is more information one where our new girls came from.
http://animalplace.org/helping-hens-rescue