Willowfield
In the Brooder
I got 2 rescue hens from Barbara at the 'Nuthouse Hen Rescue' also known as 'Northern Ireland Battery Hen Rescue' in Moira. They were to keep my other hen company after losing her companions. They were rescued from a free range egg farm and were saved from slaughter at only 18 months!
Barbara had many poor souls needing homes and although many had terrible feather loss, I had to choose 2 in the best condition as I was worried about my own healthy and dominant Bluebell hen bullying them. I named them Chocolate & Brownie and they settled in well with Bluebell tho she sadly died not long after as a result of an infection.
They had to be taught to scratch for food scattered on the lawn and forage free range, as although they were 'free range' they were used to eating from metal feeders, but it didn't take long, especially when they got a taste for sweetcorn and breadcrumbs!
Their recovery was slow but rewarding. They weren't bald as most factory birds are, but each had bare patches, thinning feathers, and really droopy pale combs. Frankly I've seen rescue hens in much worse conditions and almost bald make miraculous recoveries in loving homes, but I'm very pleasantly surprised with my birds progress. Just look at the colour of the combs in the before & after, not to mention their weight gain! Talk about stuffed chickens lol !
Chocolate was in the better condition with her comb not so droopy and she was feisty enough to send our dog Tara off with a peck when she got too close! Brownie was really droopy and pale and had a huge bald patch on her chest but she is just a wee dote.
I have found them to be great companions, they love human company (much more than my previous hens from a breeder) and come running to be picked up and cuddled. I would highly recommend rescue hens, and they usually continue to lay if you're interested in eggs (I'm not so I just feed them back to them with the shells ground up) and mine have continued to lay, though at a reduced number, right through winter this year!
I love them
Barbara had many poor souls needing homes and although many had terrible feather loss, I had to choose 2 in the best condition as I was worried about my own healthy and dominant Bluebell hen bullying them. I named them Chocolate & Brownie and they settled in well with Bluebell tho she sadly died not long after as a result of an infection.
They had to be taught to scratch for food scattered on the lawn and forage free range, as although they were 'free range' they were used to eating from metal feeders, but it didn't take long, especially when they got a taste for sweetcorn and breadcrumbs!
Their recovery was slow but rewarding. They weren't bald as most factory birds are, but each had bare patches, thinning feathers, and really droopy pale combs. Frankly I've seen rescue hens in much worse conditions and almost bald make miraculous recoveries in loving homes, but I'm very pleasantly surprised with my birds progress. Just look at the colour of the combs in the before & after, not to mention their weight gain! Talk about stuffed chickens lol !
Chocolate was in the better condition with her comb not so droopy and she was feisty enough to send our dog Tara off with a peck when she got too close! Brownie was really droopy and pale and had a huge bald patch on her chest but she is just a wee dote.
I have found them to be great companions, they love human company (much more than my previous hens from a breeder) and come running to be picked up and cuddled. I would highly recommend rescue hens, and they usually continue to lay if you're interested in eggs (I'm not so I just feed them back to them with the shells ground up) and mine have continued to lay, though at a reduced number, right through winter this year!
I love them
Last edited:
