Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[RoyalChick]

have a wonderful break @ManueB - you deserve it, and it will do you good.

Agree with that.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Good morning X Batts We have like 65 degrees outside this morning.

 

[BDutch]

They would prefer to sleep in a tree, but they're not allowed to because I need them contained in the far back corner overnight/early morning for crowing management. They ultimately can choose to keep sleeping in the kennel coop but it's now much too small for all of them, and I can't imagine any more comfortable than the shed (it's closer to the ground to perch, and while it is wooden, it's a thin prefab used only for chicks/broodies).
They will integrate with the adult flock once they're old enough to be accepted. Squeaky may or may not get to stay.

While I like wooden coops the most, and have one big one for the main flock (plus another even larger when we move), they're extremely expensive for something only needed for a handful of months each year for my juveniles. This time around I just happen to be growing on 5 instead of my usual 3. If I had a tree out back where I need them to be, I'd let them sleep there. The shed isn't particularly good but it didn't cost me anything. It won't be a worse climate than being directly outside, which is where they most wish to sleep. It's not really possible to be more damp and disgusting inside the shed with the door open than the climate already is here in winter. We run a dehumidifier where we sleep (people sleeping) for about 12 hours a day, every day, and I'm lucky if that keeps the humidity in the 70s.

Yes. it's most important to provide you’re broody and chicks a safe place to sleep.
I didn’t mean to criticise, just gave a personal reflection to improve the setup if possible /worth it. But sure you don’t want to spend a lot of money if its only temporarily.

 

[Shadrach]

Chickens and new coop are looking great @Shadrach - shame about the sick girls

I've done some DIY today, turning an old tin garden shed into a temporary coop for Squeaky and the pullets. They've outgrown their little kennel coop. And before anyone yells about ventilation, the door is hooked open with no intention of closing it, and it is fully half the size of the front shed wall.
The hardest bit was moving the thing into place!
They will of course not sleep in it right now, I've got it right beside their kennel coop, and after a few days I'll take the kennel coop away and that will force them to sleep in the shed. In theory. I have a lot of theories about what my flock should do. They generally don't agree.

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Thanks. It's a shame that by the time I've finished; if ever, the ones who need the changes most are unlikely to be around to benefit from them.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Have to post tax I actually got short cat nap today ..

 

[Marie2020]

Have to post tax I actually got short cat nap today ..View attachment 3206964

Good for you

 

[Shadrach]

It made me happy to see they're all in good health, and a beautiful bunch, despite or because of all your homemade concoctions !

I'm still shaken by the guilt of the unnecessary stress I put on Caramel by taking her for such a long ride and leaving her to stay alone for several days in an unknown place to die. I'm afraid in my case I can't put the blame on advice given by BYC members not knowing better, the difficulty of the transport and later of the surgery was mentioned. The method you describe is that we have used for our cats with our old wicker pet carrier that stays constantly next to where they eat, and it helped them a lot when they made the same 1h45 ride to get neutered. I just never thought I would take a chicken to the vet, and don't believe I will again, but I will get a pet carrier and leave it in their place nonetheless because one never knows what tomorrow will bring.

I'm wishing you alignment and clarity of hands, head and heart.

Everytime we go through a difficulty I feel grateful that none of this we have to do for a living. Any money we make along the way selling surplus, feels like Christmas.

We're leaving for a three day hike in a mountain. A friend is keeping our home and animals, we've been postponing for ten days now. I'm not inclined to go as the last time we did this last september we came back to find a very sick chicken, but my partner is kicking my butt.
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It's not easy; any of it.
Different breeds and different circumstances make it still more complicated.
If for example I was dealing with a senior chicken in Catalonia with my knowledge of their lives and of their state of health my decision making would be different.
One of the things I have tried hard to make clear in this thread is that Ex Battery hens are not going to live long. All the damage has been done long before some kind soul decides to take them on.
The industry calls them "spent hens". Many have cancers and reproductive problems before they even leave the batteries. Essentially what those who take such hens on are providing is palliative care. The terminal illness the keeper is dealing with is how they've been bred. There is no cure for this.

If the keeper and the hen are lucky they will seem to thrive given the right circumstances but for most it's short lived. I find this the heartbreaking part. For a while you see them as how they should be and all the Ex Battery hens I've met so far are sweet natured, trusting and life loving.
My view is I'm giving them a home rather than a berth in a ship from hell.

This is a good article to read if one is going to home Ex Battery hens.

https://mikethechickenvet.wordpress.com/2017/02/16/euthanasia-for-backyard-birds/

 

[Shadrach]

One of the hens I went to kill died early this morning.
I spent some time explaining to their keeper that they needed to make a choice now for the rest. Either put them out of their misery early, or let nature take it's course. They did consult a vet apparently and the vet wanted £75 to euthanise a hen.
Disgusting.
The keeper is going to order some Metacam. I've explained about Ibuprofen and asprin and dosages. I've urged them not to seperate the sick from the others.
I also explained that I wont be doing this again.

 

[pennyJo1960]

I read the article very well written .. I am so sorry you have been put in that situation.

 

[BDutch]

It's not easy; any of it.
Different breeds and different circumstances make it still more complicated.
If for example I was dealing with a senior chicken in Catalonia with my knowledge of their lives and of their state of health my decision making would be different.
One of the things I have tried hard to make clear in this thread is that Ex Battery hens are not going to live long. All the damage has been done long before some kind soul decides to take them on.
The industry calls them "spent hens". Many have cancers and reproductive problems before they even leave the batteries. Essentially what those who take such hens on are providing is palliative care. The terminal illness the keeper is dealing with is how they've been bred. There is no cure for this.

If the keeper and the hen are lucky they will seem to thrive given the right circumstances but for most it's short lived. I find this the heartbreaking part. For a while you see them as how they should be and all the Ex Battery hens I've met so far are sweet natured, trusting and life loving.
My view is I'm giving them a home rather than a berth in a ship from hell.

This is a good article to read if one is going to home Ex Battery hens.

https://mikethechickenvet.wordpress.com/2017/02/16/euthanasia-for-backyard-birds/

For me this short life and severe health* issues are a very important reason not wanting ex-batts. I find it hard to coop with sick animals and rather impossible to kill them if they get sick.

I started to read the article about chicken euthanasia. But it made me too sad to finish it.

I respect highly what you do to help others peoples chickens and agree that this vet asks for a horrible fee to euthanise. There are more vets who aren’t nice at all. When I was a child I hated the vet in our village too. And I wanted to become one as a young teenager. Doing it better, with respect for animals and children. But discovering that part of the work is euthanising animals. The ambition stopped completely.

If I ever need pain relief for a chicken I hope to get the right advice on how much (for 1/2 kg chicken ) and how to administer it.

Edited: * health not heath