Hello from Europe. Anyone have experience with Ex-Batts?

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ExBattChicks

ExBattChicks

In the Brooder
Jul 11, 2015
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Europe
Hi there all!

I am planning to soon adopt Ex-Batts (former battery hens).

For a long time I told myself and my husband that I didn't want to get chickens because I would be so sad if something ever happened to them. Then, one day, my husband told me about an association that finds homes for battery chickens that have saved from the slaughter house (in case you didn't know, once hens hit about 18 months, they are considered to have come to the end of their peak egg-laying stage so they are removed and turned into cat or dog food). When I saw the photos of the average battery hens and their living conditions it just broke my heart. Not only do they live their entire lives in tiny cages with several other hens, but never in their lives have their feet ever touched dirt or grass nor have they ever taken a so-enjoyed dustbath or felt the rain on their feathers, sun on their back or a fresh breeze through their (very few) feathers. To think that those girls worked so hard all their short lives and to show for it they have so few feathers and they can't usually even get up on a perch, let alone sleep on one since they just don't have the muscles to get there. It was after learning all this that I decided that we HAD to get some chickens...ex-batts...so they could, for however long, at least live the life a chicken SHOULD live...whether they lay eggs or not!!

So here I am...after making this decision, scouring the internet for more information on every aspect of having chickens. I have had a rather big metal and chain-link fence coop built so now I am working on designing the best and safest hen house to put in it. We live in the middle of forest so I want to make sure that while the foxes and flying enemies of hens will not get in the coop, that the weasels won't get into the hen house. I think I have, after LOTS of hen house research, come up with the best house design based on where the house will go and on the landscape around it.

If anyone has any experience, advice or suggestions AT ALL, I would love to hear from you!!

Thanks!

Cat

P.S. I do have 2 cats and 2 dogs...any advice on getting the dogs to be friends with the chickens????
 
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Everything loves to eat chicken, so my standard advice is dogs/cats and chickens should NEVER meet. Often it is the family pet that wipes out the flock. You may want to check out the predator section to see how best to ward off their attacks- if you have raccoons them are one of the worst predators. If they can grab any part of a bird through the fencing, they will bite it off right then and there. The gruesome damage they can inflict is the stuff of nightmares. Welcome to Backyard chickens, I know you will enjoy rehabilitating those poor hens.
 
Thanks Kelsie2290, I looked at both those threads and got some ideas that I will try. I have Russell Terriers and I am not holding out a lot of hope that they will adapt to the girls, but we will see. I think that my girl dog may learn to behave and respect them because she wants to please me. My boy dog is hard-headed and really has a mind of his own and is more of the hunter of the two despite all my energy I put into teaching him to respect all beings be they a frog, a snake, a squirrel, a bird, a deer, a cat, etc. He is just fine with our cats (which surprised the breeder a lot) and doesn't look twice at normal birds, but chickens aren't like the little cute birdies that hop around in the yard then flit away. I have come to terms with the fact that the dogs may never be able to be alone with the chickens, but I don't ever leave them alone with the cats either because I don't want to have a (very unexpected and very) sad surprise one day. Granted, my boy Siamese weighs in on the 10 to 12 pounds side and can hold his own against either of the dogs, but as all dog owners know, when dogs are in packs, another mentality takes over.

My girls have a strong caged run so I know they should be fine inside it. (So long as no one leaves the door open!! - heaven forbid!)

Thanks for your advice and suggestions. I appreciate it!!
 
Oh, @DrumstickDiva, no, raccoons don't exist here. I have heard of how they get a paw through the fence and pull at whatever they can grab and that they are able to open some locks..I think they are funny creatures, but as concerns chickens, I'm glad that we don't have them here! And I will look into protecting them against family pets. Thank you for your advice.
 

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