Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[micstrachan]

We lost our first and favorite hen Vanille yesterday. (Sorry for the repost for those who read the fluffy butt acres thread!) She was a frequent photobomber on this thread, so I'll share a bit about her health issues as an ex-batt, which I feel has to do with the subjects this thread deals with.

Although she was only for three months in a battery, it became very quickly clear that she was suffering like many high production hybrids of reproductive disease. After her first month laying, she started having egg retention problems : she would not lay for 24 hours, then lay two eggs a few hours apart that looked like this as they came in contact in the oviduct.
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She was always in pain throughout this process, which sometimes happened only once in two weeks, sometimes for whole weeks in a row, but she was a fighter and she loved life.
After a severe illness this september and a hard molt she stopped laying for a few months. When she started laying again, her eggs were very fragile and soon enough she was passing soft shells that sometimes broke inside her.

We did what we could to support her throughout these ordeals all her life, warm baths, calcium in different forms, lubrication, trying all kind of layer feed...which we did less and less when we saw they didn't help. She always pulled out of it, until yesterday she didn't. She couldn't push the egg out, and just went unconscious after about a day of trying.
Classical fate of ex battery hens and I knew it would happen but I still feel awful about it. She was 33 months, my stupid goal was to take her to 36.
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I’m so sad for you. Rest in peace, Vanille. I’m glad she got to experience being a real chicken with you.

 

[TheFatBlueCat]

We lost our first and favorite hen Vanille yesterday. (Sorry for the repost for those who read the fluffy butt acres thread!) She was a frequent photobomber on this thread, so I'll share a bit about her health issues as an ex-batt, which I feel has to do with the subjects t

So sorry to hear that. I lost both my production red hens too not very long after I got them. They were probably about 2 years old. They weren't ex battery hens but I don't think that matters, they're just not bred for longevity. They were such lovely hens. You have my sympathies.

 

[micstrachan]

It looks like things are going to turn out just like you predicted here, and I'm really relieved!
Chipie and Théo are living a new honey moon. She roosted with Théo the second night she walked away from the chicks. He's joining her wandering around the garden, and he leaves the chicks alone-just ignores them. In the morning he escorts the ex batts out of the coop so they don't attack the chicks.
Every now and then Chipie still joins the chicks. She pecks the little cockerel pretty hard, he's grown as big as her so I guess she's making him understand he can't play rooster with her. He mounted Vanille by surprise a few days ago .

The chicks are a bit clueless though, they're not very good at staying together. The smaller one especially doesn't follow and loose the others all the time. He's about the size the other were at three weeks, and still doesn't fly, so I'm not sure he will survive. Yesterday we had a storm and I locked them in, they were very unhappy, but not sure they would have had the sense to shelter- do you people leave the chicks to decide on their own during heavy rain and thunder ?

Love is eating side by side
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we own the garden
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I forgot to grow
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I'm pretty by now sure he/she isn't a duck but still wondering if it's not a blackbird.

Fabulous! Gosh, that little cockerel is soooo cute!

 

[micstrachan]

If the ambient temperature reaches the chickens core temp they start dropping dead. Air flow in this case will help but not enough probably.

We have several days a year where ambient temperature reaches and exceeds chicken core temperature. I do my best to keep their areas cooler with misters, fans, and by wetting the ground. I think they do best if they can find cool, shaded earth to dig and lay in.

I did have to take Roxy inside the house once when she seemed to be suffering heat illness.

 

[micstrachan]

Chippy! I wish I could accurately describe just how amazingly soft her feathers are. View attachment 3192441View attachment 3192442View attachment 3192445View attachment 3192448View attachment 3192449

Adorable!

 

[micstrachan]

"Meh, the soils all damp."
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Henry doesn't seem to mind. In fact, he had a great time. He was mumbling away to himself and had at one point, two of the Ex Battery hens cleaning that spot where the comb joins the head.
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It's not that the hens didn't want to bathe.
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Of course, this rooster prefering slightly damp soil to bathe in is complete nonsense.

My chickens love slightly damp soil to bathe in.

 

[micstrachan]

I wasn't suggesting that as a name, just picking up Shad's distinction between those that just block the door from those that peck juniors wanting to come in. I like your 'bedtime bullies' name

Me, too!

 

[ManueB]

Thank you to all for expressing your sympathy.

So sorry for your loss.

She was a pretty chicken.

What breed?

She was an hybrid but I don't know what exactly. In France there are very few patented hybrids like ISAS, all others are called "poule rousse" - red hen.

This is why I won't do battery hens again. I admire those who can but the losses take a devestating emotional toll . It makes me so angry we've done this to chickens.

Exactly how I feel about it now, and I would include high production hens also. That's why we got eggs from our neighbour's farm.

While I and others find them extremely rewarding to care for, they are also very hard on the heart.

Getting those battery hens was my partner's idea. I didn't particularly want chickens and I knew nothing about them. I did know that batteries were terrible things. The chickens got to my heart, but I don't think I will be having rescues again unless I get better at coping with them dying.

I agree with you and I think people who plan to rescue hens should at least be told what their average lifespan is and that about 80% will have ovarian cancer after 24 months.

 

[Iluveggers]

Getting those battery hens was my partner's idea. I didn't particularly want chickens and I knew nothing about them. I did know that batteries were terrible things. The chickens got to my heart, but I don't think I will be having rescues again unless I get better at coping with them dying.

I am so sorry to hear about Vanille and her plight, she was lucky to have such a good life at your home. Although you could not fix her laying issues, you provided her the best care she could have and as “normal” a chicken life as possible.

Thank you for sharing your story, it reaffirms my choice of adding heritage breeds for the backyard and getting a lower amount of eggs rather than a production layer. I hope my girls can avoid laying issues and live long healthy lives.

 

[Ladies-Eight]

Ex Batts good morning one and all!

88 sunny 81 % humidity feels like 96 with thunderstorms moving through today.

Have a great day!