Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Shadrach]

Sorry, I didn’t ask why, I understand that. I wanted to know in what way she was unwell as you listed a number of dimensions on which she was doing OK.

I'll try and get a picture so you can see why I think she's unwell.

 

[Shadrach]

Well that’s a bummer. Do you have any idea what her laying status is?

She's not laying.

 

[Shadrach]

Around 38 million commercial egg laying hens were kept in the UK in 2017.

In the UK the proportion of eggs produced in the different systems in 2017 was:

• 48 percent* of eggs produced in battery cages
• 1 percent* in barn systems
• 51 percent* in free-range systems (of which 2 percent were organic systems).

*figures rounded up/down.

Consumers are buying more boxes of free range and barn eggs, but a large proportion of eggs used as ingredients in products like mayonnaise, cakes and sandwiches are still from hens kept in cages.

 

[LaFleche]

Here is another study that might be of interest:

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/09/210902124929.htm

 

[LaFleche]

Merry Christmas everyone!

 

[pennyJo1960]

Here is another study that might be of interest:

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/09/210902124929.htm

Interesting to say the least .. Like that

 

[MaryJanet]

Around 38 million commercial egg laying hens were kept in the UK in 2017.

In the UK the proportion of eggs produced in the different systems in 2017 was:

• 48 percent* of eggs produced in battery cages
• 1 percent* in barn systems
• 51 percent* in free-range systems (of which 2 percent were organic systems).

*figures rounded up/down.

Consumers are buying more boxes of free range and barn eggs, but a large proportion of eggs used as ingredients in products like mayonnaise, cakes and sandwiches are still from hens kept in cages.

I thought battery cage egg production was banned in 2012 across the EU?

 

[MaryJanet]

I have a question about broody hens. I hope it's ok to ask it here Shad. Let me know if I'm to pay tax.

Is a broody hen's belly warmer than a hen who isn't broody?

 

[Windrider]

Here is another study that might be of interest:

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/09/210902124929.htm

Interesting. I wish they said what breed were the 4000 or so hens in the study. I would guess leghorns, because they are very small for the size egg they lay, as opposed to brown egg layers, which tend to be somewhat larger.

The article and research didn't address it, but I wonder if another factor in the keel bone fractures is the tremendous amount of calcium needed for that many eggs per year. While it is a matter of course to provide oyster shell and layer feed with calcium, that is still a huge amount of calcium cycling through a hen's body for 300+ eggs per year, as opposed to RJF's couple dozen. I have not seen anyone on BYC address whether this is a problem for bone health long term. Or maybe I just don't know enough about chickens and this has been addressed and is one of the reasons for production breeds' reproductive issues?

 

[LaFleche]

I have a question about broody hens. I hope it's ok to ask it here Shad. Let me know if I'm to pay tax.

Is a broody hen's belly warmer than a hen who isn't broody?

When I touch the bellies of my broodies, they feel much warmer and even develop some reddish brood patches.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brood_patch