Topic: Laying Hens (Read 18683 times)

madkittyrescue · « **Reply #26 on:** February 04, 2009, 10:58:11 AM »

oooo this has got me thinking.... mmmm.. not sure if OH would go for it though but we do have a huge garden....

will look into it more and broach the subject with OH, would love to be able to save some ex battery hens

Beth · « **Reply #25 on:** February 02, 2009, 08:37:47 AM »

Quote from: Pinkbear (Julie) on February 01, 2009, 10:51:23 AM

Quote from: fluffybunny on January 31, 2009, 16:35:46 PM
Quote from: Pinkbear (Julie) on January 11, 2009, 16:42:54 PM
from what I read, the average town garden is easily big enough for the suggested minimum of 2-3 hens and they are as easy to care for as rabbits.

Don't believe everything you read then, because rabbits are not at all easy to care for...properly. As my boss once said - rabbits are an easy animal to look after badly!

I can't imagine chickens needing less care than rabbits, or rabbits less care than chickens. But correct housing, food, exercise and health care aren't complicated for these species, are they? Not unless you are a total pleb!

Rabbits are much more complicated than chooks

they have very specific dietary needs and can be tricky to keep in good health.

Pinkbear (Julie) · « **Reply #24 on:** February 01, 2009, 10:51:23 AM »

Quote from: fluffybunny on January 31, 2009, 16:35:46 PM

Quote from: Pinkbear (Julie) on January 11, 2009, 16:42:54 PM
from what I read, the average town garden is easily big enough for the suggested minimum of 2-3 hens and they are as easy to care for as rabbits.

Don't believe everything you read then, because rabbits are not at all easy to care for...properly. As my boss once said - rabbits are an easy animal to look after badly!

I can't imagine chickens needing less care than rabbits, or rabbits less care than chickens. But correct housing, food, exercise and health care aren't complicated for these species, are they?

Not unless you are a total pleb!

I spoke to Gillian and got a report about chookie's progress. Gillian says the chook was a bit knocked about when she first got home, but soon started to explore the garden and fresh air. She seems very pleased at her sudden good fortune, is able to walk and roost okay, and is still laying an egg a day.

MrsR · « **Reply #23 on:** January 31, 2009, 17:54:01 PM »

I have always wanted to rescue some and was so excited when we bought our first house and thought great we can get some until hubby showed me the deeds or whatever the damn things were - it actually states that no chickens, ducks, etc are allowed to be kept on our land! Gutted!

fluffybunny · « **Reply #22 on:** January 31, 2009, 16:35:46 PM »

Quote from: Pinkbear (Julie) on January 11, 2009, 16:42:54 PM

from what I read, the average town garden is easily big enough for the suggested minimum of 2-3 hens and they are as easy to care for as rabbits.

Don't believe everything you read then, because rabbits are not at all easy to care for...properly. As my boss once said - rabbits are an easy animal to look after badly!

Millys Mum · « **Reply #21 on:** January 30, 2009, 19:30:26 PM »

Fantastic, i hope they live long happy lives

I managed to plug ex battery hens to a guy asking me about feral cats, he wanted to know how you get them to come back, i explained how they roost and he will hopefully get some, has quite a few acres so sounds ideal chooky land

Canterbury_cats (Sharon) · « **Reply #20 on:** January 30, 2009, 15:11:42 PM »

Gillian Julie! A friend for the other chicken she has.

Pinkbear (Julie) · « **Reply #19 on:** January 30, 2009, 09:14:39 AM »

Oh, wow!

That must have been Gillian? Or was it Isobel?

I'd love to see them once they are settled.

Canterbury_cats (Sharon) · « **Reply #18 on:** January 30, 2009, 08:18:52 AM »

just thought i would post here that one of our welfare officers adopted a few of these hens and they are all doing fine.. If abit worse for wear but enjoying some sunshine and outside life... which is 100 per cent better then a life of a battery hen..

Wibblechick · « **Reply #17 on:** January 12, 2009, 17:04:34 PM »

Go for it!!

dabs · « **Reply #16 on:** January 12, 2009, 16:58:50 PM »

Quote from: Wibblechick on January 12, 2009, 16:57:15 PM

Quote from: dabs on January 12, 2009, 16:56:06 PM
*Sigh* I would lurve to have a couple of hens, but the deeds state that we can't and we have a nosey and vindicative neighbour that would be on the phone to the council within minutes of hearing a cluck.

That'd make me think about getting couple of pigs and a goat as well .....

Well, there is nothing in the deeds that says I can't have those! I am seriously thinking of a honey bee hive though, now that would pee her off and she could not do a thing about it!

Wibblechick · « **Reply #15 on:** January 12, 2009, 16:57:15 PM »

Quote from: dabs on January 12, 2009, 16:56:06 PM

*Sigh* I would lurve to have a couple of hens, but the deeds state that we can't and we have a nosey and vindicative neighbour that would be on the phone to the council within minutes of hearing a cluck.

That'd make me think about getting couple of pigs and a goat as well .....

dabs · « **Reply #14 on:** January 12, 2009, 16:56:06 PM »

*Sigh* I would lurve to have a couple of hens, but the deeds state that we can't and we have a nosey and vindicative neighbour that would be on the phone to the council within minutes of hearing a cluck.

Wibblechick · « **Reply #13 on:** January 12, 2009, 12:26:01 PM »

Does anyone know why hens are called "chooks" ? - its always puzzled me ......

Is it the noise they make?

PS Just had a thought Irish for "Come here" is tuic - sounds like "chook" What do you think?

JackSpratt · « **Reply #12 on:** January 12, 2009, 12:20:15 PM »

Love it Wibblechick! I'd love to take on a couple of "chooks" but I don't think our garden's bg enough.

Wibblechick · « **Reply #11 on:** January 12, 2009, 09:38:08 AM »

This seemed a good time to post the attached

Canterbury_cats (Sharon) · « **Reply #10 on:** January 11, 2009, 22:20:16 PM »

I have passed this onto one of my friends who lives in teh New Forest and just started a free holding of animals... I was given an invite to visit in teh spring!

Millys Mum · « **Reply #9 on:** January 11, 2009, 19:14:15 PM »

I love chickens, intelligent and have great little personalities. It was a toss up between a cat pen or chickens and the cat pen won but i often wonder about how different things would be if had got into poultry instead of cats. Id be less tired for sure

Pinkbear (Julie) · « **Reply #8 on:** January 11, 2009, 17:17:21 PM »

Fantastic, Zeffer!

Beth, when the time comes don't forget, we need pictures!

I only have a small, mostly concrete back yard and it's barely acceptable for the dog, let alone hens.

I have always wanted them, though, and am so delighted groups exist to save them from the Oxo factory and give battery hens the long and happy retirement they deserve.

Zeffer · « **Reply #7 on:** January 11, 2009, 17:02:34 PM »

We have 8 hens and in the summer that is 8 eggs a day! Selling them to the neighbours for a pound for six pays for the feed!

They are lovely birds and very friendly. Great with kids (most breeds) and a lot of fun.

The neighbours have just taken in four rescue hens and they started laying immediately. Four weeks on and they looked really healthy - very rewarding.

Wibblechick · « **Reply #6 on:** January 11, 2009, 17:01:26 PM »

Quote from: Beth on January 11, 2009, 16:58:04 PM

Ex-batt hens are hopefully going to be my next addition, the garden is perfect for them, split across two levels and fairly wild, unfortunately one side is only fenced to 3foot, so i just need to raise the fence and get a chicken coop ready for them. Can't wait, i love chooks

Im going to be very envious ! Happy hens make a sort of purring noise like cats and they will even sit on your lap and cuddle!

Beth · « **Reply #5 on:** January 11, 2009, 16:58:04 PM »

Ex-batt hens are hopefully going to be my next addition, the garden is perfect for them, split across two levels and fairly wild, unfortunately one side is only fenced to 3foot,

so i just need to raise the fence and get a chicken coop ready for them. Can't wait, i love chooks

Wibblechick · « **Reply #4 on:** January 11, 2009, 16:46:46 PM »

Quote from: Pinkbear (Julie) on January 11, 2009, 16:42:54 PM

make excellent and engaging pets and can continue to lay eggs for many years.

Eggcellent, you mean!!

Pinkbear (Julie) · « **Reply #3 on:** January 11, 2009, 16:42:54 PM »

I would love some of these hens too, but like you Wibblechick, have nowhere to keep them.

But from what I read, the average town garden is easily big enough for the suggested minimum of 2-3 hens and they are as easy to care for as rabbits.

There are companies that have sprung up and specialise in making coops for small numbers of hens and indeed city hen keeping is the latest 'in' thing.

But we do need to raise awareness that rather than go buy expensive and 'ponsy' specially bred hens, spent battery hens, once recovered and adjusted to their new good fortunes, make excellent and engaging pets and can continue to lay eggs for many years.

Wibblechick · « **Reply #2 on:** January 11, 2009, 16:32:42 PM »

What a wonderful idea!

In the 1990s we had a holiday in Norfolk - the home of the Battery hen

By the roadside we saw two hens, obviously the so called "spent hens". We were terribly worried that they might end up in the road so we decided to stop and help them. Both were nearly bald and had burns on their legs from being kept penned up in their own waste ...

My daughter is brilliant with animals and birds and managed to catch both. We then had the problem of what to do with them .... For a start we had nothing in the car to contain them. Both chickens ended up sitting on my daughters lap! They were amazingly well behaved. By the time we were back where we were staying, they (the hens) were "Henrietta" and "Libby"

By chance, we were staying where the owner of the property actually kept hens. She had a spare pen, and they went into that. Later, they were moved to a better location, after a vet visit.

Both hens regrew their feathers and began laying again ..... If only we could hve helped their poor beaks

I wish we had room for some here, but I think the neighbours might complain about hens on the balcony

..... (its a shared garden as we are in a block of flats)

Pinkbear (Julie) · « **Reply #1 on:** January 11, 2009, 16:22:00 PM »

Just to say I've seen some advertising from the Hen Rehomers, who rehome all over the country, announcing the next rescue of spent battery hens will be on 24th January. You have until 18th January to put in requests for hens. Hens will cost £1 each and you must collect them from area co ordinators on the day.

More informations about homing and keeping spent battery hens can be found on their website.

http://www.henrehomers.net/

Author Topic: Laying Hens (Read 18683 times)