Is an ex- battery hen worth the trouble?

[embkm]

I had 4 ex battery leghorn hens that I got through 4H. We used them for the poultry judging competition. When I picked them up, they were the stinkiest, most pitiful looking birds I'd ever seen! Debeaked, in molt, dirty, and nails that were over an inch long! When I took them out of the travel cage and put them in the isolation pen, they wouldn't move. I had to put them on the roost because they froze when their feet touched the grass. It took them a few days to get used to the pen. They never had a problem eating. After 2 weeks, they were looking better and smelled a lot better. That is about when they started laying too. After 2 months, they looked like completely different hens! They looked great, nice and clean. I just rehomed them last week because I was getting too many eggs. And since they were still leghorns, their psycho flighty personality put them on the "rehome" list.

That being said, for this coming year, my father in law bought my girls Leghorn chicks. We'll be using my hand raised chickens for the Poultry judging practice. I don't want to deal with ex battery hens again.

 

[PlumTuckered]

Quote:
Yes I do know exactly what they were used for. They were Layers, no they were not in cages, each house had approx. 3000 birds in it. They are used for hatching egg production for one year then are trucked out for meat use in soups etc. The Chickens walk and run, just not as fast as our other girls and guys. These ones are almost 2 years old now.

Michelle

 

[Peeper]

No matter what your opinion is on the chicken industry, every animal deserves a chance to be treated well and feel what love and kindness is. If anyone has a chance to give this I would hope they would do so. I don't understand the constant back and forth over this issue. If you are at all caring you would agree that everyone and everything should be treated well.

 

[Emzyyy]

Does anyone know where I can get some in Kansas? I googled it and looked at the sites you guys posted but I don't see any chickens for adoption.

 

[allmypeeps]

I emailed a few sources and they recommended asking your state's Animla Welfare / ASPCA if they ever get any poultry rescues in.

Best wishes....I think alot of us just happen to cross paths at the right moment with these needy birds.

like I said- I found one in shock on the side of the road on a known chicken truck route.

As long as proper preacutions are taken, saving a life can be a wonderful experience- mainly for the birds.

I am glad someone from the UK jumped in here...as I was mentioning they have GREAT rescue programs for chickens there.
Wish we did.

 

[vanderlander]

I just had some ex-bats drop in my lap. I'm still in week one but they are eating just fine with cut beaks. Some of the beaks have oddly grown back with age and that is really not a problem in my case. The fear I have is that they won't lay. The good news is within the first week, they have learned to roost, learned to forage, and learned to dust bathe. They reeeeeally smelled bad when I got them and my goal is to detox them while they are in quarantine. As Joel Salatin would say, "The chickens are learning to express their chicken-ness." I would not eat them if you paid me, stewed or otherwise. Its an experience, I tell you that. I will never buy chicken eggs or meat in a store again.

 

[vanderlander]

Does anyone know where I can get some in Kansas? I googled it and looked at the sites you guys posted but I don't see any chickens for adoption.

Emzyyy.
I found my exbats on CL. Look for "Laying Hens" for a very low price. I'd give you mine if you can pick them up in Denver.