cordelia Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 Our neighbours having seen our eglu and chooks, have built a coop, with the intention of getting some ex-batts, which they felt was the correct thing to do..(and I agree it is a great thing to do..).. however I tried to suggest they try standard chickens first, as they wanted a quick and steady supply of eggs.....was I right?? I suggested the BHWT for them to try and source some ex-battery chooks,(because they had no idea where to get them) but suggested that because the chickens could be in any type of depleted state and need time for recovery, they might be better getting a few POL chooks first, with the aim of getting ex-batts later....( with slow intros') I know they want to rescue chickens, being fans of river cottage....but they havent had chickens before... was I right to suggest this...?? Obviously I would help support them if asked, with any chickens, just I felt they might be expecting too much for their ex batts to lay straight away, and provide lots of eggs, when really they might want a recovery and retirement... is this right..?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alfred Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 My exbatts are laying approx 1 egg per day between 3 of them. Whereas presumably normal hens would lay 1 egg per day each. But they are easy to look after, docile, quiet, easy to catch - plus the bonus of watching them enjoying the great outdoors and growing feathers at an alarming rate. The only thing is I feel it would be better to only adopt ex batts in spring/summer, unless you have a large indoor shed to put them in during the first winter. Mine were virtually bald, plus the shock of coming from a warm shed to cold and wind, felt a bit mean as they were shivering and hiding away a lot at first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cordelia Posted November 17, 2008 Author Share Posted November 17, 2008 oh thanks Alfred..I forgot about the temperature being something to bear in mind ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweety Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 I would say patience and care AND instant eggs, if my experience is anything to go by! My 4 ex batts have produced a regular supply of eggs - usually 3 or 4 per day - since I got them, but they were in reasonably good physical shape too. As regards the issue of adopting ex batts in winter, I can see the point that Alfred is making, but it is better than the alternative and I'm sure that the BHWT would be able to advise on this point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cordelia Posted November 17, 2008 Author Share Posted November 17, 2008 perhaps I underestimated both the chickens and neighbours...(yikes) I'm sure they could care for the chooks...and they may well get eggs too.. thank goodness I did get them details of BHWT... well I did my bit, by suggesting they might not get eggs instantly (and if they do...its a great bonus ) LOL ...wish they'd hurry up and get them now..any type of chook.....as I'd love to see them... their coop is big enough for 10...but I think they want 3... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alfred Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 a big coop is good - they fight like mad!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cordelia Posted November 17, 2008 Author Share Posted November 17, 2008 thanks Alfred..another thing I didnt think of...i guess its as a result of being togther and loose, having been more seperate in battery units... I'll have to bear all this in mind...in case we get some one day... (course I'll have to have a cube by then) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livvyshens Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 I got my ex-bats in October from http://www.henrehomers.net who might be able to help if BHWT can't. I wanted to get them in August as I was worrying about them getting cold but in the end the coop wasn't ready. I did get the choice of feathered or (from the top cages) or non-feathered. My daughter wanted 'proper' hens so we took the feathered and, apart from the first 36 hours when they refused to come out of the coop, now they party outside in all weathers. Eggs: I get about ten a week between the three of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 From what I've heard, (someone correct me if I'm wrong!) ex batts will sometimes have a break from laying as they adapt to their new lifestyle and start to refeather. With a POL there would be wait for them to come into lay in the first place. So either way, they will not be guarenteed eggs straight away! Obviously with ex batts, they will only get another 1 or 2 years laying, whereas with POL they will get 2 or 3 years. I think it mainly depends upon their confidence in handling chickens and coping with potential problems. If they are the confident type then ex batts shouldn't be a problem Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 It is very much the luck of the draw with ex-batts. One of mine laid on the way home in the carrier and they have all laid pretty much every day ever since. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandyhas3chucks Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 yep, mine laid from day 1 bless em & they really need not to. I know some peopkeput jumpers on them, if they are bald to help them throughthe cold. & I guess a fully covered run sides an all in the winter would help. vOr as you say a big shed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HENthusiastic Posted November 18, 2008 Share Posted November 18, 2008 My exbatts started to lay straight away and while fit and well have laid better between them than my other 3 (one of whom hardly bothers, and another of whom is broody most of the time ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..lay a little egg for me Posted November 18, 2008 Share Posted November 18, 2008 Getting hybrids usually means POL birds who are often quite a long way off laying...read some of the posts from people who have been waiting 14 weeks for eggs! Also, young birds purchased now may not lay until spring, whereas ex-bats may well lay immediately. Just another thing to think about! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abwsco Posted November 18, 2008 Share Posted November 18, 2008 Our first chickens were exbatts and we knew that we might not get lots of eggs from them. I think that if your neighbours realise this they'll find exbatts really rewarding. As for fighting we had only a few scuffles from Edna when we first got them home and in the coop. I actually ended up shutting her out of the coop and in the run on her own for 10 minutes! Fighting when we introduced new chickens was another matter though! Exbatts are sooooo rewarding and even though it was horrible when three died over the summer we don't regret getting them at all and are glad we got exbatts first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buffie Posted November 18, 2008 Share Posted November 18, 2008 There's no guarantee with any hens as to when they lay. I have point of lays and don't expect them to come into lay until spring at least. Our BHWT ex batts laid from the moment they arrived in January this year. Our little Mollie laid up to the day she died, last week. Some POL's we got last August didn't come into lay until this spring Ex batts are used to laying an egg a day and you can often find this is still the case, a winter rest or a rest for moult is ideal for them to get their strength up, winter is the natural slow down season. Last year we had less hens and no eggs over winter Buffie x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
