- Mar 13, 2007
- 58
- 7
- 29
I picked up my factory hens a couple days ago and a busy couple days it's been. I called the egg company on Tuesday to verify that they would be selling their "old" layers on the 21st of June, only to be told they were getting rid of them THIS week. I quickly made the 1 hour-1 1/2 hour trip to go get them.
My 12 year old daughter and I arrived at the farm at 2pm. Went into the office and told the woman we wanted to buy some hens. I paid her the money (50 cents for each hen) and she says, "Go back to building number 5 but DO NOT go inside. Just wait outside the door and (whatever his name was) will bring your hens out to you."
As my daughter and I drove up, I could already see problems. There were piles of dead chickens outside of each hen house. It was sickening.
The man came out of layer house number 5 carrying my new chickens upside down by their feet. They weren't making any noise, so I asked him, "Are you sure their alive?" He shook them up and down, they started squawking and he says, "Yup, their alive." I was really getting angry. My daughter tapped me and had me look toward the building. While he was throwing (literally throwing) my chickens into a box, we were able to see inside the layer house. It's just like you see on the internet. The chickens were in cages stacked up quite high, with their heads outside the cages and carrying on something fierce. My daughter whispered to me that she felt like throwing up. The whole thing was so sad.
We got as many hens as we had room for, wishing I could have gotten them all. It's been 2 days since they arrived. I have not allowed them to have grass yet as they are getting used to everything else. Teaching them to drink has been quite a chore. The eating thing is better but not for all of them. A couple were so weak the first day, I thought they would die. They could hardly even hold their head up. Even with as bad of shape they are in, they ARE laying eggs. I wish they would stop. They need to heal. I'm certainly not eating the eggs. I've been cracking them open to look inside and then throwing them away.
Here are photo's of our new hens. As you look at the photo's you'll see their combs are HUGE! Can anyone here explain why they are like this? We have leghorns that I raised from chicks and their combs don't look anything like this. These poor hens are almost blinded by them. Another thing, their toenails are SO long. Can I clip them?
My 12 year old daughter and I arrived at the farm at 2pm. Went into the office and told the woman we wanted to buy some hens. I paid her the money (50 cents for each hen) and she says, "Go back to building number 5 but DO NOT go inside. Just wait outside the door and (whatever his name was) will bring your hens out to you."
As my daughter and I drove up, I could already see problems. There were piles of dead chickens outside of each hen house. It was sickening.
The man came out of layer house number 5 carrying my new chickens upside down by their feet. They weren't making any noise, so I asked him, "Are you sure their alive?" He shook them up and down, they started squawking and he says, "Yup, their alive." I was really getting angry. My daughter tapped me and had me look toward the building. While he was throwing (literally throwing) my chickens into a box, we were able to see inside the layer house. It's just like you see on the internet. The chickens were in cages stacked up quite high, with their heads outside the cages and carrying on something fierce. My daughter whispered to me that she felt like throwing up. The whole thing was so sad.
We got as many hens as we had room for, wishing I could have gotten them all. It's been 2 days since they arrived. I have not allowed them to have grass yet as they are getting used to everything else. Teaching them to drink has been quite a chore. The eating thing is better but not for all of them. A couple were so weak the first day, I thought they would die. They could hardly even hold their head up. Even with as bad of shape they are in, they ARE laying eggs. I wish they would stop. They need to heal. I'm certainly not eating the eggs. I've been cracking them open to look inside and then throwing them away.
Here are photo's of our new hens. As you look at the photo's you'll see their combs are HUGE! Can anyone here explain why they are like this? We have leghorns that I raised from chicks and their combs don't look anything like this. These poor hens are almost blinded by them. Another thing, their toenails are SO long. Can I clip them?
