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

[Rhapsody]

I thought it would be nice to share how everyones ex-batts develop grow and flourish.....

Since last Saturday, mine have coloured up and grown stronger and more inquisitive. They were reluctant to leave the Eglu run when I first let them out, but now cant wait for freedom. They have learnt to perch a bit and have discovered the joy of sweetcorn and cooked rice.If I could just get them to stop ganging up on Edgie all would be perfect! When I look back at the pics from 2 weeks ago they look so different, so much more alive and happy

Today when I did the 'Treats Coming' call, the ex-batts came running alongside the Bohemians! (Except Edgie who was cowering behind the Bay Tree) Brought a real smile to my face.

 

Over to you.............

[chucknette]

Hi Rhapsody

 

I think thats a really good idea!

 

I dont have ex batts myself but I will get some in the future when I have space for them.

 

I must admit I do love to see the photos that other forum members put on here.

 

I was really touched by a photo of a bald hen sunbathing recently put on here by a forum member and I would love to know how she is doing.

 

Also one that was peaking out of the eglu that I thought was really sweet.

 

So hopefully this thread will take off!

[Egg Lou]

What a lovely update.. except poor The Edge.. hope she gets accepted very soon as looks such a poppet

[Snowy]

Good idea Rhapsody - so where are the pics? I also love to see the before and after pics.

 

Chucknette - I think that was Rhapsody's hen, The Edge, sunbathing in the nude. It was a lovely pic.

[abwsco]

I think for me it was the first time mine had dustbaths and purred. Made me feel all emotional

[HnM]

Glad to see this thread. We got our 2 a few weeks ago and they have come on leaps and bounds. Apart from their feathers looking a bit weird and one's wing being draggly (we think it got broken and then set badly), you'd think they had always been free range!

 

On the territory stuff, we used an old trick that had worked before of separating the dominant hen and giving the other one the territory. Also, we made sure that our new girls were separated so they didn't bond and bash up our existing one. The irony is that the existing one is now top-chicken and she's the tiniest bantam!

 

Are yours laying yet? We rejected ours for the first 2 weeks in case they had been fed hormones and toxic stuff but now they're laying again and the eggs are great!

[jos]

Hi,

 

I've had my ex batts nearly 6 weeks and they are gorgeous! The two who were most bald are finally getting feathers... a little like mini paintbrushes.. and they are now all freeranging with the speckledies although the speckledies will still give chase as if to say " we're still top chickens" !

 

Although I'd already had the speckledies for a while I needed loads of advice re the ex batts so thank heavens for this forum!

 

it has been just lovely to watch the ex batts grow in confidence, get feathered up, enjoy treats and generally enjoy life!

[Rhapsody]

Oh dear it was going so well for the hens today but I just rushed out cos one was yelling her head off by the gate. Edgie- telling me she has a huge bleeding peck wound on her back, so she's back in the cat box again.

Such a shame they are all doing so well except her

 

@Chucknette that was indeed as Snowy says my little nudist in the pic.

[AMO]

The three I picked up on Saturday have settled really well. They have taken to sweetcorn, tuna and grapes - they have a bowl in the morning and they don't gobble it up like the gannets in the Eglu - they make it last all day.

 

They have explored the garden and Betty ( a nudist like The Edge) makes her way to the sunniest spot on the decking everytime

 

We are going to let them all have a supervised free range on Sunday to see how the two groups take to each other. The awful cackling has now stopped so they must be getting used to each other.

[shaun]

Ours are doing great!

 

Recently discovered delights include:

 

- jumping on and off the hay bale!

- foraging under the big laurel bush - they love it!

 

They are brilliant

[Rhapsody]

Integrated my two flocks! Proof was last night- 6 hens trying to sleep in the Purple Eglu Now just Edgie to sort out and everyone's happy...

How are everyone elses' doing?

[Egluntyne]

Mine are doing well. Feathering up nicely and very cheeky and inquisitive.

 

Still rather thin, although they eat well. They have been wormed.

[Baggins]

Great thread!

 

I rescued Koru and Tiki 2 weeks ago and they are just fabulous.

 

They have gone from merely standing when initially released from their transport crate to ....

 

• enjoying the grass between their toes
  sunbathing
  not knowing what the dark was
  learning to lay in the nesting box
  getting used to a few pellets in with their mash
  integrating with Pepper and Matilda
  free ranging all day every day
  chasing wood pigeons from the garden
  knowing what treats are ... and loving them
  eating from my hand
  learning to go to bed at dusk
  pecking my toes and ....
  only today, they had their first dust bath and it brought tears to my eyes
  

 

My God, I love them so much ... even when they crow to be let out at 5.10 am, I am smiling at their confidence and how quickly they have developed their own little personalities.

 

I hope everyone enjoys theirs as much as I do mine. I already can't imagine life without them.

[AMO]

Our new ex-bats are now homed up in their purple cube and seem quite content. They sussed the super glug straight away and are now happy using the grub - they were very wary of putting their heads in at first.

 

Only Betty made it into the roosting area on Saturday - Wilma and Goldie snuggled up on the perch in the run so had to be lifted in. Betty and Goldie decided the nexting box was good for sleeping in last night, but, Wilma chose the outdoor perch so had to be put inside again.

 

The trial free range didn't go too badly - only Toyah took a few swipes, but, as she is bottom of the original pecking order I am guessing she is just asserting her authority

 

Also, one of them laid an egg in the run this morning

Edited June 23, 2008 by Guest

[Jeanne]

I am very proud of my ex bats. The most bald one is the most outgoing. She runs to me to be stroked everytime I go into the garden. The other 2 have been ill, but one has started laying again (at the top end of thne eglu run) My 3 original chickens go into the ex bats arc to nick the mash, and the ex bats go into the eglu to nick the pellets I wormed the lot of them so I think they should be ok.

[dancing cloud]

Four weeks on and I have listed a few choice moments. My smallest baldest one was also the most immediately cuddly and they now all like a stroke except Dandelion, but even she will come running and will eat out of my hand. Three of them will happily sit with me and snuggle up - aaww!

 

Favourite moments so far:-

 

Chance taking herself to bed on day 4 - all the others made it by day 2, but she didn't know she had wings or what to do with them, until she watched the others and then there was a revelation

 

Dandelion's first grape - she waddled off with it so pleased with herself, while the rest were still viewing them with suspicion

 

Loki the cat trying to get them to play with him - he really loves them and they fully accept him, but they don't understand the whole play thing. Puddy-cat just ignores them.

 

Daisy scrounging snack-a-jacks last night - I was sat on a bench eating them and she just wanted one so much, her feet were going up and down on mine, her wings flapping, and her neck extended to about two feet to see over my knees. She even liked the one she got and demanded more!

 

Ultimate highlight has to be their first ever free range in the garden - a real lump in the throat/smile on the face moment.

 

Like everyone else with ex-batts, I am hugely proud of them and how much progress they have made in such a short time. Also fascinated by the fact they are six very different little characters.

 

Does anyone else remember what they did with their time before they had hens? I'm thinking of cancelling my Blockbuster subscription as I never have time to watch anything!

[Rustyangel]

We rescued our girls at Easter. The place we got them from was calling itself a 'Free Range Organic Farm' which conjures up pictures of chickens roaming in wide open spaces. In reality, it was 10,000 chickens housed in two vast sheds who are allowed out for a couple of hours a day but still kept in shocking conditions and not medicated when they are ill. OK they get a better deal than their battery hen sisters but even so.....

 

We have seven chickens and they all have issues. Some of them are so damaged that they will never be physically perfect despite consultations with an excellent avian vet, but they have really thrived away from the farm. One has stumps for wings, one has a leg it won't use (she's called Eileen!), another has a limp, one has a weird neck and can do the 'psycho' head turning thing!. Since living with us their combs have gove bright red, their eyes are brighter and they are more confident. We adore them all and they are now giving us lots of eggs every day

 

Favourite moments include watching them scrabble over live mealworms for the first time, giving them porridge for breakfast and watching them have their first dust-bath (they have a purpose-made one but prefer to do it under my azaleas!). Also the most timid of the lot now jumps on my lap if I am sitting in the garden on a chair!

 

Great idea for a thread and so lovely to read about all those happy chickens.

 

Debs x