4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[lozza_9]

Hi All,

 

We presently have the two types of chickens seperate but they can see each other, this has been the case for about 2 weeks.

 

The Ex Battey have been out a few times BUT not on there own. We was thinking of having all the chickens out together this weekend.

 

can anyone offer any advice, should we wait a few more weeks?

 

Lorraine

[Egg Lou]

Sorry can't offer any advice but hope it all goes really well

[BeckyBoo]

Being a bit thick here, can't work out if your battery girls have been out at all yet. If they haven't then I'd let them out on their own first so they can find the lay of the land and find places to escape. If they've already been out then go for it, provided they're fit and healthy enough - if they're still really weak or obviously vulnerable I might leave it a little longer. And make sure you're out there to supervise - there will be beaks and feathers everywhere to start with but stick with it. Provided there's no real blood drawn they should sort themselves out. We did this with ours but then put them back to bed in their seperate houses for another couple of weeks. Within only a few days they were freeranging quite happily together and then they would sleep together, the trouble only really persisted when they were in their run together. But even that didn't last long.

 

Good luck

 

Mrs Bertie

[theherd123]

All my girls are ex-battery but some have been out of the farm for nearly 18 months and my new set only a couple of weeks.

 

Personally i would give your ex-battery girls another couple of weeks for them to build up their strength, become happier in their new home and grow some feathers back. They need to free range on their own first too so they get to know your garden and feel safe there.

 

Putting any two sets of girls together will be stressful for both sets of chooks so its best to do it when they are both as healthy as possible. I would give the ex-batts a bit more time on their own to recover from their bad start in life.

[Egluntyne]

I've just combined my ex-batts with my other girls.

 

I had them where they could see and hear each other, and share treats for about a fortnight. I took the barrier down on Saturday afternoon.

 

There was a fairly horrible half hour with some nasty fighting, and then peace broke out.

 

They still free-range in their original groups, but bunk up happily together at night.

 

I'm adding another girl tomorrow.

Edited May 22, 2008 by Guest

[Roxanne]

I didn't mix mine for about 4-6 weeks although they could see eachother all the time. The ex-batts needed to build up strength and put a bit of flesh back on their bones before I let them lose with the Omlets who are big bruisers in comparison. I would have thought the advice to let them out on their own for a while is sound, but watch them all the time if you mix them so early.

As they can't see themselves, mine don't know how scrawny they are in comparison to the established hens and two of them are quite fearless!!

The two who are still very thin have learned to run away when the Omlets come looking for trouble but mostly they stay in their own groups.

I think, because I left it for a long time to mix them, the Omlets were very toletant of the ex-batts as they had got used to them being around and I have nothad any big fights at all, just pecking order disputes lasting all of 5-10 seconds!!

[lozza_9]

thanks all, yes sorry the Ex- Battery chickens have been out on there own, about 3 times now but not for very long. They don't seem to go very far away from the house which I take is normal.

 

They are alot of feathers BUT compared to my other chikens they are bad. The feathers are not as silky but with a bit of loving care and some good food they should be ok.

 

when we collected the chickens they did have a few chickens who had no feathers at all, we where told they where named, oven ready chickens. I felt sick to the stomach.

[melly264]

hi, am sorry to barge in on your questions, but one of my own about ex-batts, where did you get yours from?! I've gone through the henhouse, but no reply. I have an eglu coming next weds and am desperate to fill it with ex-batts but am struggling to find any!

[lozza_9]

Hi Melly

 

Mu hubby done all the hard work but I belive ( and going through old emails) he went to Battery Hen Welfare Trust.

 

i have pm you the email address