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Roxanne

We're adopting! Logistics....

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Having moved my 4 girls to their spacious new 'winter palace' I decided to call the nearest 'rescuer' and put my name down to adopt 4 ex-bats. They are being rescued on the 28th December which is a problem because I am away that weekend and then go away from the 9-27 Jan, so I don't know what to do... take them and leave them with my hen sitters to deal with or wait until there is a rescue end Jan/Feb time. Advice please??

 

I plan to make a compartment in the stable to house the ex-bats, so my current girls can see them (and vice versa) but not mix. They will have their own accomodation initially but I do plan to mix them eventually. Is this a feasible plan? What does everyone else do?

 

I'd be grateful for any advice. :anxious:

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we couldn't get there on the exact day of the resue so our co-ordinator held on to them for a cple of days for us- if you think your sitters can handle ex-batts (the extra TLC etc), ask the BHWT to hang on to them for you. If not, wait till the next rescue.

 

Good luck :)

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I help out at a lot of rescues and I know that Jean (our co-ordinator) often ends up keeping hens for a night or 2 after a rescue, but that generally the co-ordinators try not to look after extra hens for too long. After all we do have rescues very regularly, so no-one has to wait too long for the next lot of hens to be liberated.

 

Given that you've said that you're going away in January as well I'd actually recommend waiting for a rescue after you're back home again. Ex batts are lovely hens, great personalities and watching them recover, refeather and rediscover normal hen behaviour, growing in confidence all the time, is one of the great pleasures of adopting them. They also need a fair bit of tlc as they can be quite oven ready and need an observant and caring owner, hopefully with a bit of experience or good, knowledgeable back up. I'd suggest that maybe that could be asking a bit much of your chicken sitters :? .

 

I think you'd find it easier and more rewarding to delay now and rescue a few ex batts after your holiday when you can spend some time with them :D:D:D . There are, sadly, always lots of hens waiting to be rescued, so you wouldn't have to wait long for the next rescue.

 

Well done to you though for planning to give some lucky girls a fabulous retirement :D:D:D

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I agree with everything in Kate A's post.

 

Far better to wait until you have the time to devote to giving them a bit of attention, as they might not be in very good order when they come.

 

It wouldn't be fair to the hens to unsettle them again with another move.

 

In any case. you will only make yourself anxious when you should be enjoying your holiday.

 

Sadly it is true that there is no shortage of hens to rescue so you may as well wait for a later rescue.

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Sorry I forgot my netiquette.

 

The hens conditions may be bad, so leaving them for a period of time soon after rescue is not sensible, especially if you are leaving them in inexperienced hands.

 

Co-ordinators do not like keeping hen back, but sometimes will allow that. You have to think that these people normally have full time jobs and a family aswell.

 

Martin

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You have to think that these people normally have full time jobs and a family aswell.

 

Martin

 

and vice versa Martin, that's exactly why we couldn't get there on the exact day of the rescue, I'm so glad our co-ordinator could empathise with our situation and did us a favour.

 

Roxanne, when we got our girls I did watch over them constantly to make sure they were okay and every little blip, I was straight on here asking questions or mailing my co-ordinator. But we are first time chicken keepers, unlike yourself so I am over cautious.

 

Luckily, touch wood, we've had no major problems but would your sitters be there to watch over yours, just in case?

 

It would be less worrying (and more enjoyable) for you I think for you to be there for the girls, it's only a month to wait :)

 

Don't forget to keep us updated and post some pics when they arrive! :D

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I plan to make a compartment in the stable to house the ex-bats, so my current girls can see them (and vice versa) but not mix. They will have their own accomodation initially but I do plan to mix them eventually. Is this a feasible plan? What does everyone else do?

 

I'd be grateful for any advice. :anxious:

 

by the way, that sounds like a good plan to me but I'm sure someone with more expertise will be along shortly to advise you.

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Hi there, it's so hard isn't it, we're hoping to take some ex atts in a couple of weeks but our run isn't built yet, so really I should ring and say I'll wait for the next rescue rather than put pressure on all of us to get it done. But once I want something, specially animals, then I want them NOW and I don't want to wait. It's a head over heart thing, I think you should wait, so should I but it's so HARD! :?

 

Good luck, why no enjoy your time away looking forward to getting your girls when you get back and can devote more time to them?

 

Mrs Bertie

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But once I want something, specially animals, then I want them NOW

 

we're the same, DH built our original outside run in a day! The poor man was working flat out and exhausted beyond belief but he got it done. We already had the girls but they had to stay in the small run while he was doing it so it was a labour of love. Some blokes will do anything for a pretty girl! ;)

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Wow - so much advice, but everyone seems to be singing from the same hymn sheet so I think I'll wait. I have to admit my 4 girls at present are really easy and quite well behaved. Three are still laying one a day (every day without fail for the last 3 weeks...!) with poor Henrietta moulting and feeling really sorry for herself, but she has gone from being the top hen to the one who holds back on the treats and comes to me for a handful of corn which she never used to do.

I have some super pictures of our new hen house (we have called it the Winter Palace - full of princesses!!) - I will try and insert pictures but am not too sure what to do. Hope they are below...

 

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wow, it looks great and how clever of you to slope the roof! We have a corrugated plastic roof on ours and the water pools in the ridges and then drips down the fence.

 

What is that white box with the hole in for?

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How observant of you to notice Poet!

We had a very old oil boiler replaced recently and this box sat in front of the engine - the hole was so the boiler could draw in air I think... or so you could see that the boiler had ignited! I just didn't have the heart to throw it away as it was made about 40 years ago and is still very solid. I sit on it when I go into the hen house, that is if one of the ladies isn't up there first!!

They do go round the open side and stick their heads out of the hole which is quite hysterical but I have never had a camera there at the time.

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