Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

Hello and good day to all.
I am a late eager follower to this thread and still have a dozen page to catch up.
I have learned much, and am really interested to learn more. I have been sharing my six ex-batts life for two years now and still feel very ignorant and sometimes helpless.

Through unusual circumstances in January 2020 we got six pullets directly from a battery when they were only about ten weeks old. They had grown up in the most artificial conditions but were not yet physically damaged. We knew absolutely nothing about chickens when we got them, so it is difficult for me to say how much their behavior differed from that of a "proper" chicken. I must specify that they are not free ranging but they are kept in 300m2 outside all day, in very steep land with a few trees and bushes, and a lot of flying predators.
What I can say is that they took about two weeks getting out of the coop and they were both very curious and afraid (just like my kittens were). They took to dustbathing and scratching very quickly after coming out, maybe a week or ten days after. In the coop, it took them about a week to figure out how to roost, the first night they just huddled in the straw, then just above the floor, then one hen got the idea of sleeping on the perch and the others followed.
I remember we were surprised how quick they figured out the predator from the sky situation, although they had never seen anything like it from their cages. Not only did they immediately sought to seek shelter but they also made the special cooing sound "predator in the sky alert" : we thought this was instinct as there vas no way they could have learned this. On the other side they took a very long time to start eating things they were not used to, apart from grass. I think it took them almost a month to start eating corn we gave them. 5 to 6 months onwards they eat very different kind of things dead or alive, they happily chase mice and snakes. They do seem to have individual preferences and also seasonal (they only eat kale and cabbage in winter when greens are sparse).

I'm ashamed to say we knew nothing about what we were getting into when we got them and ran into the usual health problems, and unfortunately also made mistakes. I'm afraid we still do even though we try our best. There is much information to be found online but it is often conflicting and we have no vet anywhere near. I dread the day we will have to put one of our girls down.

Latest development was that we were "gifted" at the end of November a cockerel and a pullet of a mongrel farm specie by a very old-school farmer from our village. They were raised the traditional way and let's just say cohabitation with our ex-batts has been complicated.

We will not be getting ex batts again because even though I do think they lead a happy life here, I am now convinced that this rescue thing is part of the battery system. I don't know how it is in your countries but here in France an ex-batt is sold one euro for rescue, which is two or three times what the battery would sell them to the slaughterhouses. One unkept promise of our president was to put an end to cage poultry in 2021. Let's just say I will never buy eggs from a store again even organics.

And now tax to excuse myself
for such long rambling.
The hen as pullets in February 2020
The hens as adults dustbathing
Vanille, our alpha hen that nearly died in September, playing with food when she healed
The bantams thingies.


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There all look so happy and contented and this is all down to you. :) :clapwell done

I'm so pleased you have found this thread
 
Apparently C couldn't struggle out of bed this morning in time to feed the chickens and break the ice on their water. Fortunately the day was sunny and I imagine the water thawed reasonably quickly.
Normally they are not even remotely interested in pellets when I let them out. Today was different and it's safe to say they were hungry. The feed hopper was empty when I arrived. So here they are in the coop run eating pellets rather than foraging outside.
No, they won't fall over dead from lack of water or food. There was food in the hopper first thing this morning. I know because there was food in it last night once they had gone to roost. I know because I poured in a kilo just before I left.
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Thank heavens they have you :hugs
 
Ex Batts good morning one and all!

The temperature is 42 and sunny.

Have a great day!

Tax:

One of my Rhode Island Red Hens.

She tries to get as high as she can when I'm in the coop with them.
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In this picture one of the Barred Rock Hens decided to see what the RIR was doing.

In the background to the left are some of the ISA Browns that I rehomed.
IMG_1748.JPG
 
Do you chop it? I have hung green cabbage, and they picked at it. Today I hung purple cabbage and they ignored it. They did eat all the little bits from coring out a hole to hang it. I think I’ll bring a grater out there in the morning and see if they enjoy some cabbage shreds. I’ll be doing the same to carrot, which Cashew is crazy for.

Also, I am making a small batch of overnight oats for the birds. I used cow milk kefir for the liquid, organic oats, chia seeds and ground flax. The flax and chia may not be necessary, but that’s how I make mine and figured it might be good for them, too.
I chop everything I give chickens. I don't enjoy watching them sqabble over bits of food and by chopping everything I can spread it over a wide enough area to ensure that all of them do at least get a bit. The seniors and the more pushy hens tend to block the more junior out of the scrum otherwise.
 
Hello and good day to all.
I am a late eager follower to this thread and still have a dozen page to catch up.
I have learned much, and am really interested to learn more. I have been sharing my six ex-batts life for two years now and still feel very ignorant and sometimes helpless.

Through unusual circumstances in January 2020 we got six pullets directly from a battery when they were only about ten weeks old. They had grown up in the most artificial conditions but were not yet physically damaged. We knew absolutely nothing about chickens when we got them, so it is difficult for me to say how much their behavior differed from that of a "proper" chicken. I must specify that they are not free ranging but they are kept in 300m2 outside all day, in very steep land with a few trees and bushes, and a lot of flying predators.
What I can say is that they took about two weeks getting out of the coop and they were both very curious and afraid (just like my kittens were). They took to dustbathing and scratching very quickly after coming out, maybe a week or ten days after. In the coop, it took them about a week to figure out how to roost, the first night they just huddled in the straw, then just above the floor, then one hen got the idea of sleeping on the perch and the others followed.
I remember we were surprised how quick they figured out the predator from the sky situation, although they had never seen anything like it from their cages. Not only did they immediately sought to seek shelter but they also made the special cooing sound "predator in the sky alert" : we thought this was instinct as there vas no way they could have learned this. On the other side they took a very long time to start eating things they were not used to, apart from grass. I think it took them almost a month to start eating corn we gave them. 5 to 6 months onwards they eat very different kind of things dead or alive, they happily chase mice and snakes. They do seem to have individual preferences and also seasonal (they only eat kale and cabbage in winter when greens are sparse).

I'm ashamed to say we knew nothing about what we were getting into when we got them and ran into the usual health problems, and unfortunately also made mistakes. I'm afraid we still do even though we try our best. There is much information to be found online but it is often conflicting and we have no vet anywhere near. I dread the day we will have to put one of our girls down.

Latest development was that we were "gifted" at the end of November a cockerel and a pullet of a mongrel farm specie by a very old-school farmer from our village. They were raised the traditional way and let's just say cohabitation with our ex-batts has been complicated.

We will not be getting ex batts again because even though I do think they lead a happy life here, I am now convinced that this rescue thing is part of the battery system. I don't know how it is in your countries but here in France an ex-batt is sold one euro for rescue, which is two or three times what the battery would sell them to the slaughterhouses. One unkept promise of our president was to put an end to cage poultry in 2021. Let's just say I will never buy eggs from a store again even organics.

And now tax to excuse myself
for such long rambling.
The hen as pullets in February 2020
The hens as adults dustbathing
Vanille, our alpha hen that nearly died in September, playing with food when she healed
The bantams thingies.


View attachment 2964413



View attachment 2964433

View attachment 2964438

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Lovely pictures and a lovely place by the look of it.
If you don't mind me asking, what sort of care instructions, if any, did you get from the people you got your Ex Battery hens from?
 

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