How to make ex bats more relaxed?

[humblehillsfarm]

I took in five ex battery hens three days ago. The poor things won’t leave the coop unless I push them out the door and then they lay in a cuddle pile directly under the door and refuse to go anywhere until I catch the poor panicked things and put them back in the coop.

Any suggestions as to how to encourage them to explore more? Or just give them time and hope for the best?

 

[Aquira]

Good for rescuing the hens~
Do you have lots of cover and things for them to hide in the run? Most battery hens are under a roof their whole lives so they may not feel secure of you don't have a covered run and things for them to hide under. Give them time of course, but also try to make them feel less exposed. Try introducing treats a little further from the door every few days.

 

[woodworm]

We have ex batts and had to give them a little time to adjust. For the first couple of weeks we were lifting them in and out of the coop in the morning and evening but they eventually got the idea.

I think they were just a big shocked at the change of surroundings initially, but at 6 months on they are super pushy, greedy and tame.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

Good for rescuing the hens~
Do you have lots of cover and things for them to hide in the run? Most battery hens are under a roof their whole lives so they may not feel secure of you don't have a covered run and things for them to hide under. Give them time of course, but also try to make them feel less exposed. Try introducing treats a little further from the door every few days.

There is not a lot of cover. Unfortunately I don’t foresee being able to add cover any time soon. The offer came unexpectedly. I was given forty hens and rehomed all but five. I was offered them, received them, and rehomed them in a time period of 18 hours lol. It’s been a crazy week. I have to plant tomatoes this weekend though.


Cover makes sense though because the cuddle pile is under the ramp.

 

[3KillerBs]

There is not a lot of cover. Unfortunately I don’t foresee being able to add cover any time soon. The offer came unexpectedly. I was given forty hens and rehomed all but five. I was offered them, received them, and rehomed them in a time period of 18 hours lol. It’s been a crazy week. I have to plant tomatoes this weekend though.


Cover makes sense though because the cuddle pile is under the ramp.

Wow! That was quite a rush job!

Do you have a pallet and some blocks or bricks?

 

[humblehillsfarm]

Yes

Wow! That was quite a rush job!

Do you have a pallet and some blocks or bricks?

View attachment 2669178

I do have blocks! And some old plywood. I could make a setup like that. Thank you for the suggestion!

Yes it was quite the rush job. I hope they went to good homes. Initially I was going to only take the number I wanted (5) but then I knew they’d be dispatched in the next few weeks so I just put out some hasty ads and got a lot of interest!

 

[3KillerBs]

Yes
I do have blocks! And some old plywood. I could make a setup like that. Thank you for the suggestion!

Yes it was quite the rush job. I hope they went to good homes. Initially I was going to only take the number I wanted (5) but then I knew they’d be dispatched in the next few weeks so I just put out some hasty ads and got a lot of interest!

Even if some people just wanted stew hens, they'll probably have a good life up to that moment. I know that if I got stew hens I'd give them a few weeks on corn to put a little weight on them.

I've never tried it, but I'm told that it's what my great-aunt, who had an old-fashioned egg operation when I was a kid, would do with selected hens she wanted to eat instead of send to the soup plant.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

Even if some people just wanted stew hens, they'll probably have a good life up to that moment. I know that if I got stew hens I'd give them a few weeks on corn to put a little weight on them.

I've never tried it, but I'm told that it's what my great-aunt, who had an old-fashioned egg operation when I was a kid, would do with selected hens she wanted to eat instead of send to the soup plant.

Yeah I figured even if the coop and run situations were overcrowded in their new homes, that would still be better than their old life. Stew meat is fine too. They didn’t go to waste. So far the leghorns have laid each of the two days I had them. There were also four barred rocks and four New Hampshire’s and I kept two of the BRs, one NH, and the two leghorns. The other three birds have not laid. I actually wish I had kept a couple more of the leghorns. Poor things are so docile and sweet.

I did built a lean-to for them, but much to my surprise, the barred rocks and one leghorn had ventured away from the coop by 3-4’.

 

[3KillerBs]

Yeah I figured even if the coop and run situations were overcrowded in their new homes, that would still be better than their old life. Stew meat is fine too. They didn’t go to waste. So far the leghorns have laid each of the two days I had them. There were also four barred rocks and four New Hampshire’s and I kept two of the BRs, one NH, and the two leghorns. The other three birds have not laid. I actually wish I had kept a couple more of the leghorns. Poor things are so docile and sweet.

I did built a lean-to for them, but much to my surprise, the barred rocks and one leghorn had ventured away from the coop by 3-4’.

I hope they all do well for you.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

I hope they all do well for you.

Thank you. I’m hoping to give them a good life. My only worry is production related illnesses, but it is what it is