This is my experience too. Very rarely a chicken will choose to stand on me.
As a team we are gradually improving our night time handling capabilities.
Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.
- Thread starter Shadrach
- Start date
As a team we are gradually improving our night time handling capabilities.
Iluveggers
Enabler
Mine must be unusually friendly. About half will jump on my lap although most don’t like petting while up there. One jumps up & will snuggle next to me almost asking me to pet her!
The other half will stand around near me or under me but have never jumped up and when I’ve had to handle them visibly don’t like it.
But we are all learning right now surely?
Or does this relate only to physical skills? For example, I accept that I will never be a tightrope walker.
I think it's physical skills. Like the girl understood what people were saying, I think, but she couldn't say the words. Just like when humans are born, physically they can 'speak' any language, but as they grow up hearing certain languages, some of those features fade away
- Thread starter
- #995
I bought the hen care guide from Pear Tree Animal Sancturary.
It comes as PDF and looks a bit prettier than the text copy I've posted below.
HEN CARE – THE BASICS
We’ve learned a lot since our first chicken rescue back in 2018, and we
would like to help you settle your new hens as smoothly as possible. Please
know that we are here every step of the way to offer advice and support - just
reach out! They will be disorientated, anxious and likely a little poorly when you
pick them up but with plenty of love and care, chickens make really rewarding
companions.
YOU WILL NEED:
(the essentials for feeding, housing and nurturing your hens)
Food and water
o Pellets are a complete food source
o Treat food: corn, green leafy veg or grass clods and fruit (not citrus)
o Grit – to help them digest food easily
o Garlic is good for hens – mix it in with their food
o Provide fresh water daily to avoid dehydration
o Sealed air-tight container to keep food fresh and dry
o Optional: food and water dispensers, dash of apple cider vinegar in water
Secure house and run
o Purpose made coop (hen house) with ramps, nest (roost) boxes and secure wire
run
o Hardwood chips or similar material for the coop floor
o Optional: electric fencing or stone walls to protect from predators
Bedding
o Dust-extracted wood shavings or cut and dried hemp are best
o Straw or shredded paper are cheaper, but need changing more often
o Shovel, stiff brush or scraper and a bucket for cleaning
o Optional: anti-parasite cleaning fluids
Cleaning
o Be prepared to spend 5 to 10 minutes every day looking after your hens – doing
quick spot cleans to scrape away any fresh poo, top up bedding and feed, and
providing fresh water.
o Put time aside once a week (or every fortnight at a push), to clean out the coop.
Healthcare
o Get your hens vet-checked and vaccinated as soon as possible.
o Worm them regularly – a simple treatment but consult your vet for guidance
o Look out for signs of common illness such as prolapse (further info in our guide)
Noise
o There’s no need to be concerned about the noise your new pets may make. Hens
make a lot of sounds, but most of them are soft and gentle clucking noises, and cute
purring when they’re sleepy or very relaxed.
o The only time they get louder is to announce proudly that they’ve laid an egg.
They will scream if they’re being attacked – if you hear this in the night, please
check on them.
Enrichment
o Dust baths
o Toys – hang CDs on strings as chickens love pecking on anything shiny
o Cuddles – once they trust you, chickens will let you stoke and pet them
o Eggs – chickens enjoy eating their own eggs to top up on nutrients (calcium,
protein and vitamins). You can scramble them up or just feed them raw!
HEN CARE – THE COMPLETE GUIDE
“A commercial egg farm in Derby was about to cull its entire flock of 11,000 ‘free
range’ hens when we stepped in with other sanctuaries and managed to save them
all in June 2020.
The farm was closing down to switch to vertical veg’ growing, which is amazing, but
we just couldn’t stand by and let innocent birds be sent to slaughter.
After taking just over 2,350 hens ourselves, we posted an appeal for support on
social media. The response was staggering – over 1 million views and a waiting list
of caring people wanting to offer loving homes to all chickens.
Since that first, hugely successful rescue earlier this year, we’ve re-homed
thousands of chickens and met many lovely, caring people who want to help along
the way. We believe that saving animals from slaughter and rehoming them shows
that you can have eggs without supporting a brutal, commercial industry.
If we didn’t have your support, we – and other sanctuaries like us – simply couldn’t
help so many. Thank you for offering a new life to these wonderful, deserving
animals."
Katherine, Pear Tree Farm Sanctuary
WHY RESCUE?
You might think that the first thing every bird does is spread its wings, but chickens in the
commercial egg industry don’t get the chance, unless they’re rescued. The sad truth is that
when chickens are born on commercial farms, they’re lucky if there’s room to ruffle their
feathers.
Fortunately for your chickens however, you are doing something truly amazing by
choosing to give them a safe new home. We’ve learned a lot since our first chicken rescue
and want to share it all to help you set up a safe and spacious home for your chickens.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Keeping chickens is simple and rewarding. You don’t need a big country garden either, a
reasonable-sized space in any back garden can work just as well. As with any other pet
you’ll need to care for them every day and arrange cover if you’re going on holiday. You
can keep chickens if you have other pets too – just keep them separate until they get used
to each other. Chickens like to live in groups too, so never keep less than a pair.
Regardless of whether they’ve been caged, barn or free range, rescued hens will need
extra TLC. They’ve spent their entire lives in barns surrounded by thousands of other hens
with not much space and will be exhausted, as well as stressed out by the sudden
upheaval. Some might be extra timid, others may lash out, hide or be aggressive. These
behaviours are coping mechanisms and are best treated with love, kindness, compassion
and time.
How to help a timid hen – Charlotte’s story
Our hen Charlotte likes small spaces as they make her feel safe. She wants to sleep
under something and hide, so we’ve set up a few extra boxes in the stable for her to use.
To make her feel secure, we’ve also set up more boxes then there are hens, so that she
doesn’t have to fight to get one.
Coming from lives with no love, socialisation, entertainment, outside space means they will
need to learn how to relax and just be a chicken, for the first time. Chickens have strict
hierarchies and integration can be tricky, so you’ll just watch them to see how they act. If
one bird is picking on the others, remove them for a day to find out what difference it
makes. If one is being bullied, take her out, or create a separate sleeping area to give
them peace overnight.
Give them time to find their pecking orders and establish who's boss. Be ready to break up
disagreements, see what they like and don’t like, and slowly tailor their environment to suit.
YOU WILL NEED:
FOOD
Put food out and fill their water dispensers with fresh, clean water every morning. Pellets
or ‘meal’ is a staple food (usually contains around 15-20% protein) and the average hen
will eat up to 150g a day. Having a ‘treat bag’ of mixed corn is a must. It’s high in fat, which
is why it’s fed to chickens reared for their meat, so add a bit extra to their diet in colder
months to help them stay a bit fatter and warmer!
Chickens love green veg’, especially if they don’t have access to much grass. Cauliflower
leaves, cabbage, spinach, grass clods (with the soil for extra nutrients) and clippings from
the garden are all good food for chickens. You’ll find out what they like most by watching
them over time. Chickens are natural foragers and love being out and about, scratching
around for food all day.
Adding grit to food is important for their digestion. If your chickens don't have access to
natural grit such as small stones on the ground, you need to provide some. Keep a small
container next to their feeder or mix the grit straight in with the feed. Garlic is also very
good for chickens and can be added to their feed.
Make sure you use a sealed container to store their feed and keep it rat-proof and dry.
Feed dispensers are worth investing in as they keep feed dry and prevent waste
TIP: To make things interesting for your hens, hang fruit and veg up on a string for
them to peck at! It’s fun and good exercise too.
TIP: Leftover cooked rice and pasta, veggies and fruit can all be given to your hens
as treats.
TIP: Don’t feed them grain and chicken feed mixed together. Like kids with a cookie
jar, the chickens will simply pick out the tasty grain, reducing their nutrition intake.
TIP: Grit with added oyster shell (available from pet suppliers) has a higher calcium
content and helps to create stronger eggshells.
TIP: Apple cider vinegar is good for chickens and can be added to
their water. TIP: Chickens won’t drink their water when it’s dirty, so
try raising the water dish or feeder above ground level by placing
them on top of a prop such as a large pot or bucket.
FOODS TO AVOID
Don’t feed chickens raw potatoes, rancid or mouldy food, avocado or rhubarb leaves
(poisonous), and generally anything salty, sugary or fatty. Be sure not to feed them too
much fruit, especially citrus, as they can get upset stomachs. Basically, no more than 20%
of their diet should be fresh fruit or veg’ and scraps.
WATER
Eggs are made up of 65% water, so make sure your chickens have access to a clean,
fresh supply every day, whatever the weather – rainwater will not suffice! If you want to
invest in purpose-made ‘drinkers’ you can, but it’s not strictly necessary.
HOUSING
Hens need as much space as you are feasibly able to offer them. They are social animals,
and the more space they have, the easier they can conduct normal happy hen behaviours
and socialisation. Small spaces breed boredom, stress and poor hygiene. Please bear this
in mind when considering how many hens you can adopt, and your plans for the future.
The current MINIMUM recommendations are: one hen per square metre in their outside
run (with some time to free range outside each day), 25cm of perch space each and 30cm
of floor space inside the hen house each.
Set your chickens up in a secure, spacious coop and run. The coop will give them a safe
place to lay their eggs and roost at night. Hens also like different levels of perch to clamber
on to. There are many purpose-built hen houses available – look out for one that’s a good
size, easy to assemble and weather-proof.
The coop needs to have good ventilation for hot weather, and enough insulation for the
colder months, especially if you only have a small number of hens. Lock up every night at
dusk and let them out first thing in the morning. Chickens will typically lay eggs in the
morning, so if you see them come out to eat and then disappear back into the housing
area that’s usually what they’re up to!
Chickens need space to spread their wings and if free range, they need access to roam in
the garden or outside space when you can supervise. We strongly recommend free range
every day, as chickens love exploring different vegetation, sunbathing and taking dust
baths (to keep their feathers free of excess oil and parasites).
splitting your chickens into two groups then rotating them between
TIP: To keep the ground fresh, try using a moveable run and
the coop and run if it’s big enough. TIP: Create your own dust
bath by filling a deep cat litter tray or a large pot with soil and
sand.
If you’re planning on keeping them in a coop or run a lot, it’s important to keep the ground
fresh. Use hardwood chips or another hard material for the floor, and clean regularly.
Remember, always provide enough space for them to spread their wings and don’t
overcrowd as it leads to stressed hens.
PREDATORS
Foxes and other predators such as badgers, can prowl in the daytime too if they’re
desperate, so it’s best to have a safe, secure coop. Make sure it’s strong enough to protect
against big predators like badgers, as well as smaller hunters such as weasels and foxes
who could break in through tiny gaps.
This will allow the hens to be outside safely, even when you’re not there to watch. Some
people also use electric fencing or stone walls.
TIP: Entrench your coop’s sides deep into the
ground, to stop predators from digging under it.
BEDDING
Wood shavings, chopped straw and shredded paper, can all be used as chicken bedding.
Dust-extracted shavings absorb moisture, droppings and smells, add insulation and make
regular cleaning easier. Spread it on the floor of the chicken coop and in the nesting boxes
to protect the eggs and make the hens more comfortable when roosting at night or laying
in the morning.
Find out what sort of supplies are easily available in your area – check out local stores and
online suppliers for cheaper options, and if you have space consider buying bedding in
bulk (make sure it’s kept really dry so that it doesn’t go mouldy). It’s handy to have a clean
supply of bedding ready and change it weekly (fortnightly at a push), but this really
depends on the size of your coop and how much time your hens spend in it.
Check the bedding daily and change it as needed – basically, treat your hen house as if
you were sleeping there! You can always do spot cleans too – taking out most of the poo
and topping up with fresh straw or bedding, especially in the ‘roost boxes’ where hens like
to sleep. Have a little peek overnight to see where they are!
Bedding pros and cons:
· Hemp – you’ll find this 100% natural material in everything from oil to milk and hen
houses! When cut and dried, hemp is super-absorbent, low maintenance, and
composts easily.
· Wood shavings – most popular as helps to reduce smells and insulates well.
· Straw – soft, but not as absorbent as wood shavings and needs changing more
often.
· Shredded paper – DIY with a shredder and old newspapers/magazines/paper.
Cheapest option, but high maintenance as it needs changing most often.
CLEANING
A shovel, stiff brush or scraper and a bucket are all essentials. You can also get special
cleaning fluids to protect against parasites. Put time aside each week ideally to clean out
the coop. Have a look around for easy-to-clean hen houses to make life easier too.
COMPOST
As chickens love scratching around for grubs, insects and worms, as well as eating weeds,
they can be brilliant at helping to maintain your garden. Just be sure to fence off any
veggies, seeds or seedlings if you don’t want them scratched up by foraging little beaks.
Astoundingly, they’re also as good as any dog at digging holes!
Egg shell and poo make great compost as they’re very high in nitrogen, potassium and
phosphorous.
Make your own compost Take two-parts bedding (straw, wood
chips) one-part poo and add to your compost pile! You can also add
veg scraps, leaves, twigs, paper etc and stir regularly to air. In six
months to a year, it should be nutrient rich and ready.
HEALTHCARE
It’s important to understand that chickens from commercial farms have been pushed to the
very limit for profit. They’re genetically modified to develop and lay over ten times faster
than free birds - in the wild they used to lay around 30 eggs a year, now its over 300 a
year!
Living long and happy lives is not high on the list of commercial requirements for these
chickens, so they need regular health checks. Get them vet-checked, vaccinated and
worm them regularly. You should also treat them for mites and other parasites – ask your
vet for best practice on this.
Above all else though, love and patience are the best thing you can offer to nurse them
back to health.
COMMON ILLNESSES
These are some of the common health problems we've seen in rescue hens:
· Prolapse vent – when the hen’s vent (the opening where she expels waste and
lays eggs) pushes outside the body. This looks like red tissue hanging out of the
hen's posterior. This can be treated easily – a vet can bathe, clean and push it back
inside.
· Impacted crop (chest) – not digesting properly. This can be a problem if your hen
eats too much long or woody grass. Give her daily massages to loosen the chest
and ensure there’s grit in all food as it helps with digestion. Also cut your grass
regularly to prevent the problem from occurring.
· Hernia/egg peritonitis – a swollen rear end below the vent – likely to be caused by
an egg that is stuck or broken inside. Bathe your bird in Epsom salts, keep her calm
and in the dark as light causes chickens to lay. The egg could potentially pass if she
relaxes but take her to the vet if you see no improvement.
· Bumble foot or scaly leg – always check your chickens’ feet regularly for any signs
of illness such as swelling, redness, scaliness or cuts.
If any of your hens begin to breathe differently – raising their head into the air, stretching
their neck, wheezing, coughing, sneezing, gasping – get them checked by a vet. If you
have any concerns at all about one of your hen’s health, please do feel free to reach out to
us. We are by no means experts, but we are more than willing to offer advice. You should
also have a local, trusted vet on hand to deal with any serious concerns.
MOLTING
When the weather changes and the days get shorter in spring and autumn, your chickens
may molt. During this time, they’ll stop laying eggs until their feathers are renewed. While
this is happening, make sure your hens are getting highly nutritious feed. Protein is
needed to grow feathers as well as to make eggs. All chickens are different and for some
this process may take longer or be a bit painful, so be extra gentle when handling them.
LONG-TERM CARE
Chickens are great companions and once settled into their new home you’ll find them
friendly, chatty, relaxing and therapeutic to watch. They love cuddles and can even purr
like cats when being stroked.
Watch them ambling around, having dust baths and foraging as they’re meant to, and
you’ll see their little characters really start to come out. Some are very brave, some need
time to trust you, while others can be slightly aggressive and bolshy with other birds – this
is usually because they’re unsettled though, and they will calm down.
Remember, we are always here to answer any questions!!
From everyone here at PTF Animal Sanctuary,
Thank you
x
HELPFUL RESOURCES
Use these brilliant websites for some more information and more varied advice
freshstartforhens.co.uk
yourchickens.co.uk
cluckin.net
thehappychickencoop.com
chickencoopsdirect.com
keeping-chickens.me.uk
Facebook groups - great for asking questions from fellow hen-carers
facebook.com/exbatteryhens
facebook.com/raisingbackyardchickens
facebook.com/mypetchicken
https://www.facebook.com/groups/FREEATLAST
It comes as PDF and looks a bit prettier than the text copy I've posted below.
HEN CARE – THE BASICS
We’ve learned a lot since our first chicken rescue back in 2018, and we
would like to help you settle your new hens as smoothly as possible. Please
know that we are here every step of the way to offer advice and support - just
reach out! They will be disorientated, anxious and likely a little poorly when you
pick them up but with plenty of love and care, chickens make really rewarding
companions.
YOU WILL NEED:
(the essentials for feeding, housing and nurturing your hens)
Food and water
o Pellets are a complete food source
o Treat food: corn, green leafy veg or grass clods and fruit (not citrus)
o Grit – to help them digest food easily
o Garlic is good for hens – mix it in with their food
o Provide fresh water daily to avoid dehydration
o Sealed air-tight container to keep food fresh and dry
o Optional: food and water dispensers, dash of apple cider vinegar in water
Secure house and run
o Purpose made coop (hen house) with ramps, nest (roost) boxes and secure wire
run
o Hardwood chips or similar material for the coop floor
o Optional: electric fencing or stone walls to protect from predators
Bedding
o Dust-extracted wood shavings or cut and dried hemp are best
o Straw or shredded paper are cheaper, but need changing more often
o Shovel, stiff brush or scraper and a bucket for cleaning
o Optional: anti-parasite cleaning fluids
Cleaning
o Be prepared to spend 5 to 10 minutes every day looking after your hens – doing
quick spot cleans to scrape away any fresh poo, top up bedding and feed, and
providing fresh water.
o Put time aside once a week (or every fortnight at a push), to clean out the coop.
Healthcare
o Get your hens vet-checked and vaccinated as soon as possible.
o Worm them regularly – a simple treatment but consult your vet for guidance
o Look out for signs of common illness such as prolapse (further info in our guide)
Noise
o There’s no need to be concerned about the noise your new pets may make. Hens
make a lot of sounds, but most of them are soft and gentle clucking noises, and cute
purring when they’re sleepy or very relaxed.
o The only time they get louder is to announce proudly that they’ve laid an egg.
They will scream if they’re being attacked – if you hear this in the night, please
check on them.
Enrichment
o Dust baths
o Toys – hang CDs on strings as chickens love pecking on anything shiny
o Cuddles – once they trust you, chickens will let you stoke and pet them
o Eggs – chickens enjoy eating their own eggs to top up on nutrients (calcium,
protein and vitamins). You can scramble them up or just feed them raw!
HEN CARE – THE COMPLETE GUIDE
“A commercial egg farm in Derby was about to cull its entire flock of 11,000 ‘free
range’ hens when we stepped in with other sanctuaries and managed to save them
all in June 2020.
The farm was closing down to switch to vertical veg’ growing, which is amazing, but
we just couldn’t stand by and let innocent birds be sent to slaughter.
After taking just over 2,350 hens ourselves, we posted an appeal for support on
social media. The response was staggering – over 1 million views and a waiting list
of caring people wanting to offer loving homes to all chickens.
Since that first, hugely successful rescue earlier this year, we’ve re-homed
thousands of chickens and met many lovely, caring people who want to help along
the way. We believe that saving animals from slaughter and rehoming them shows
that you can have eggs without supporting a brutal, commercial industry.
If we didn’t have your support, we – and other sanctuaries like us – simply couldn’t
help so many. Thank you for offering a new life to these wonderful, deserving
animals."
Katherine, Pear Tree Farm Sanctuary
WHY RESCUE?
You might think that the first thing every bird does is spread its wings, but chickens in the
commercial egg industry don’t get the chance, unless they’re rescued. The sad truth is that
when chickens are born on commercial farms, they’re lucky if there’s room to ruffle their
feathers.
Fortunately for your chickens however, you are doing something truly amazing by
choosing to give them a safe new home. We’ve learned a lot since our first chicken rescue
and want to share it all to help you set up a safe and spacious home for your chickens.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Keeping chickens is simple and rewarding. You don’t need a big country garden either, a
reasonable-sized space in any back garden can work just as well. As with any other pet
you’ll need to care for them every day and arrange cover if you’re going on holiday. You
can keep chickens if you have other pets too – just keep them separate until they get used
to each other. Chickens like to live in groups too, so never keep less than a pair.
Regardless of whether they’ve been caged, barn or free range, rescued hens will need
extra TLC. They’ve spent their entire lives in barns surrounded by thousands of other hens
with not much space and will be exhausted, as well as stressed out by the sudden
upheaval. Some might be extra timid, others may lash out, hide or be aggressive. These
behaviours are coping mechanisms and are best treated with love, kindness, compassion
and time.
How to help a timid hen – Charlotte’s story
Our hen Charlotte likes small spaces as they make her feel safe. She wants to sleep
under something and hide, so we’ve set up a few extra boxes in the stable for her to use.
To make her feel secure, we’ve also set up more boxes then there are hens, so that she
doesn’t have to fight to get one.
Coming from lives with no love, socialisation, entertainment, outside space means they will
need to learn how to relax and just be a chicken, for the first time. Chickens have strict
hierarchies and integration can be tricky, so you’ll just watch them to see how they act. If
one bird is picking on the others, remove them for a day to find out what difference it
makes. If one is being bullied, take her out, or create a separate sleeping area to give
them peace overnight.
Give them time to find their pecking orders and establish who's boss. Be ready to break up
disagreements, see what they like and don’t like, and slowly tailor their environment to suit.
YOU WILL NEED:
FOOD
Put food out and fill their water dispensers with fresh, clean water every morning. Pellets
or ‘meal’ is a staple food (usually contains around 15-20% protein) and the average hen
will eat up to 150g a day. Having a ‘treat bag’ of mixed corn is a must. It’s high in fat, which
is why it’s fed to chickens reared for their meat, so add a bit extra to their diet in colder
months to help them stay a bit fatter and warmer!
Chickens love green veg’, especially if they don’t have access to much grass. Cauliflower
leaves, cabbage, spinach, grass clods (with the soil for extra nutrients) and clippings from
the garden are all good food for chickens. You’ll find out what they like most by watching
them over time. Chickens are natural foragers and love being out and about, scratching
around for food all day.
Adding grit to food is important for their digestion. If your chickens don't have access to
natural grit such as small stones on the ground, you need to provide some. Keep a small
container next to their feeder or mix the grit straight in with the feed. Garlic is also very
good for chickens and can be added to their feed.
Make sure you use a sealed container to store their feed and keep it rat-proof and dry.
Feed dispensers are worth investing in as they keep feed dry and prevent waste
TIP: To make things interesting for your hens, hang fruit and veg up on a string for
them to peck at! It’s fun and good exercise too.
TIP: Leftover cooked rice and pasta, veggies and fruit can all be given to your hens
as treats.
TIP: Don’t feed them grain and chicken feed mixed together. Like kids with a cookie
jar, the chickens will simply pick out the tasty grain, reducing their nutrition intake.
TIP: Grit with added oyster shell (available from pet suppliers) has a higher calcium
content and helps to create stronger eggshells.
TIP: Apple cider vinegar is good for chickens and can be added to
their water. TIP: Chickens won’t drink their water when it’s dirty, so
try raising the water dish or feeder above ground level by placing
them on top of a prop such as a large pot or bucket.
FOODS TO AVOID
Don’t feed chickens raw potatoes, rancid or mouldy food, avocado or rhubarb leaves
(poisonous), and generally anything salty, sugary or fatty. Be sure not to feed them too
much fruit, especially citrus, as they can get upset stomachs. Basically, no more than 20%
of their diet should be fresh fruit or veg’ and scraps.
WATER
Eggs are made up of 65% water, so make sure your chickens have access to a clean,
fresh supply every day, whatever the weather – rainwater will not suffice! If you want to
invest in purpose-made ‘drinkers’ you can, but it’s not strictly necessary.
HOUSING
Hens need as much space as you are feasibly able to offer them. They are social animals,
and the more space they have, the easier they can conduct normal happy hen behaviours
and socialisation. Small spaces breed boredom, stress and poor hygiene. Please bear this
in mind when considering how many hens you can adopt, and your plans for the future.
The current MINIMUM recommendations are: one hen per square metre in their outside
run (with some time to free range outside each day), 25cm of perch space each and 30cm
of floor space inside the hen house each.
Set your chickens up in a secure, spacious coop and run. The coop will give them a safe
place to lay their eggs and roost at night. Hens also like different levels of perch to clamber
on to. There are many purpose-built hen houses available – look out for one that’s a good
size, easy to assemble and weather-proof.
The coop needs to have good ventilation for hot weather, and enough insulation for the
colder months, especially if you only have a small number of hens. Lock up every night at
dusk and let them out first thing in the morning. Chickens will typically lay eggs in the
morning, so if you see them come out to eat and then disappear back into the housing
area that’s usually what they’re up to!
Chickens need space to spread their wings and if free range, they need access to roam in
the garden or outside space when you can supervise. We strongly recommend free range
every day, as chickens love exploring different vegetation, sunbathing and taking dust
baths (to keep their feathers free of excess oil and parasites).
splitting your chickens into two groups then rotating them between
TIP: To keep the ground fresh, try using a moveable run and
the coop and run if it’s big enough. TIP: Create your own dust
bath by filling a deep cat litter tray or a large pot with soil and
sand.
If you’re planning on keeping them in a coop or run a lot, it’s important to keep the ground
fresh. Use hardwood chips or another hard material for the floor, and clean regularly.
Remember, always provide enough space for them to spread their wings and don’t
overcrowd as it leads to stressed hens.
PREDATORS
Foxes and other predators such as badgers, can prowl in the daytime too if they’re
desperate, so it’s best to have a safe, secure coop. Make sure it’s strong enough to protect
against big predators like badgers, as well as smaller hunters such as weasels and foxes
who could break in through tiny gaps.
This will allow the hens to be outside safely, even when you’re not there to watch. Some
people also use electric fencing or stone walls.
TIP: Entrench your coop’s sides deep into the
ground, to stop predators from digging under it.
BEDDING
Wood shavings, chopped straw and shredded paper, can all be used as chicken bedding.
Dust-extracted shavings absorb moisture, droppings and smells, add insulation and make
regular cleaning easier. Spread it on the floor of the chicken coop and in the nesting boxes
to protect the eggs and make the hens more comfortable when roosting at night or laying
in the morning.
Find out what sort of supplies are easily available in your area – check out local stores and
online suppliers for cheaper options, and if you have space consider buying bedding in
bulk (make sure it’s kept really dry so that it doesn’t go mouldy). It’s handy to have a clean
supply of bedding ready and change it weekly (fortnightly at a push), but this really
depends on the size of your coop and how much time your hens spend in it.
Check the bedding daily and change it as needed – basically, treat your hen house as if
you were sleeping there! You can always do spot cleans too – taking out most of the poo
and topping up with fresh straw or bedding, especially in the ‘roost boxes’ where hens like
to sleep. Have a little peek overnight to see where they are!
Bedding pros and cons:
· Hemp – you’ll find this 100% natural material in everything from oil to milk and hen
houses! When cut and dried, hemp is super-absorbent, low maintenance, and
composts easily.
· Wood shavings – most popular as helps to reduce smells and insulates well.
· Straw – soft, but not as absorbent as wood shavings and needs changing more
often.
· Shredded paper – DIY with a shredder and old newspapers/magazines/paper.
Cheapest option, but high maintenance as it needs changing most often.
CLEANING
A shovel, stiff brush or scraper and a bucket are all essentials. You can also get special
cleaning fluids to protect against parasites. Put time aside each week ideally to clean out
the coop. Have a look around for easy-to-clean hen houses to make life easier too.
COMPOST
As chickens love scratching around for grubs, insects and worms, as well as eating weeds,
they can be brilliant at helping to maintain your garden. Just be sure to fence off any
veggies, seeds or seedlings if you don’t want them scratched up by foraging little beaks.
Astoundingly, they’re also as good as any dog at digging holes!
Egg shell and poo make great compost as they’re very high in nitrogen, potassium and
phosphorous.
Make your own compost Take two-parts bedding (straw, wood
chips) one-part poo and add to your compost pile! You can also add
veg scraps, leaves, twigs, paper etc and stir regularly to air. In six
months to a year, it should be nutrient rich and ready.
HEALTHCARE
It’s important to understand that chickens from commercial farms have been pushed to the
very limit for profit. They’re genetically modified to develop and lay over ten times faster
than free birds - in the wild they used to lay around 30 eggs a year, now its over 300 a
year!
Living long and happy lives is not high on the list of commercial requirements for these
chickens, so they need regular health checks. Get them vet-checked, vaccinated and
worm them regularly. You should also treat them for mites and other parasites – ask your
vet for best practice on this.
Above all else though, love and patience are the best thing you can offer to nurse them
back to health.
COMMON ILLNESSES
These are some of the common health problems we've seen in rescue hens:
· Prolapse vent – when the hen’s vent (the opening where she expels waste and
lays eggs) pushes outside the body. This looks like red tissue hanging out of the
hen's posterior. This can be treated easily – a vet can bathe, clean and push it back
inside.
· Impacted crop (chest) – not digesting properly. This can be a problem if your hen
eats too much long or woody grass. Give her daily massages to loosen the chest
and ensure there’s grit in all food as it helps with digestion. Also cut your grass
regularly to prevent the problem from occurring.
· Hernia/egg peritonitis – a swollen rear end below the vent – likely to be caused by
an egg that is stuck or broken inside. Bathe your bird in Epsom salts, keep her calm
and in the dark as light causes chickens to lay. The egg could potentially pass if she
relaxes but take her to the vet if you see no improvement.
· Bumble foot or scaly leg – always check your chickens’ feet regularly for any signs
of illness such as swelling, redness, scaliness or cuts.
If any of your hens begin to breathe differently – raising their head into the air, stretching
their neck, wheezing, coughing, sneezing, gasping – get them checked by a vet. If you
have any concerns at all about one of your hen’s health, please do feel free to reach out to
us. We are by no means experts, but we are more than willing to offer advice. You should
also have a local, trusted vet on hand to deal with any serious concerns.
MOLTING
When the weather changes and the days get shorter in spring and autumn, your chickens
may molt. During this time, they’ll stop laying eggs until their feathers are renewed. While
this is happening, make sure your hens are getting highly nutritious feed. Protein is
needed to grow feathers as well as to make eggs. All chickens are different and for some
this process may take longer or be a bit painful, so be extra gentle when handling them.
LONG-TERM CARE
Chickens are great companions and once settled into their new home you’ll find them
friendly, chatty, relaxing and therapeutic to watch. They love cuddles and can even purr
like cats when being stroked.
Watch them ambling around, having dust baths and foraging as they’re meant to, and
you’ll see their little characters really start to come out. Some are very brave, some need
time to trust you, while others can be slightly aggressive and bolshy with other birds – this
is usually because they’re unsettled though, and they will calm down.
Remember, we are always here to answer any questions!!
From everyone here at PTF Animal Sanctuary,
Thank you
x
HELPFUL RESOURCES
Use these brilliant websites for some more information and more varied advice
freshstartforhens.co.uk
yourchickens.co.uk
cluckin.net
thehappychickencoop.com
chickencoopsdirect.com
keeping-chickens.me.uk
Facebook groups - great for asking questions from fellow hen-carers
facebook.com/exbatteryhens
facebook.com/raisingbackyardchickens
facebook.com/mypetchicken
https://www.facebook.com/groups/FREEATLAST
Seems a mix of common knowledge and nonsense.
The biggest "Phooie"s I see are to mix garlic in their feed and ACC in their water. Occasionally I can see that, but it almost seems like they mean period.
Sorry, I shouldn’t laugh. Did you ever aspire to being a tightrope walker?
Sort of? I think I aspired to elegant cartwheels and somehow intuited that to be the first step on the road to the ultimate expression of physical accomplishment: TIGHTROPE WALKING!!
I'll just mention I was about six at the time
but I still think it should be an Olympic sport
I pulled at face at finding hemp in milk.
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