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

[Tombull10]

Hi, I am picking up 3 ex batts next week. I think i am just about ready for them and have asked every question under the sun on the forum but just had one more. Will i need to do anything to them health wise the day i pick them up? I am thinking of things like worming, parasite sprays, lotions potions etc.

 

Also, when it comes to this sort of thing is it something that should be done routinely or only when your chickens have an infestation or problem?

 

Thanks for all your help and advice guys. I'm sure there will be lots more questions when they arrive next week!!

[Happy chickens!]

I'm a novice too, so not much help, but can't let you go unanswered!

 

Your poor girls will have had all the usual vacinations and been wormed. If collecting from the BHWT they will have given them a quick once over and won't give out any hens that are obviously unwell.

 

Most people have a routine about worming - I bought vermex thinking it sounded more natural, but now have read more flubenvet seems far more reliable. Keeping coop clean will help keep away mites, and sprinkling diatom powder around the bedding is also a good idea.

 

Maybe a good idea to get some antiseptic spray in for any minor pecking injuries - I have a tea tree oil based one.

 

I also feed chicken spice, but when I have finished current bag of food, am going to switch to the new BHWT food, so won't need to then.

 

Hope that helps. Have a great time with your new girls!

[Groovychook]

I'm not going to me much help either- just wanted to wish you all the best with you new girls! How exciting!

[Chook n Boo Mum]

Good luck with your girls Tom, I am picking my 4 up this afternoon, so may be more help to you then!!

 

I am getting mine through BHWT & I got an email yesterday offering info about keeping them warm in the cold weather predicted for the next week or so, here's the relevant bit for your info.

 

Will the hens need heat in Winter? Ex-bats do not usually need heat to stay warm at night unless completely featherless. They will huddle together and generate warmth. If they are threadbare, the cold weather should stimulate new feather growth. However, ex-bats are not familiar with weather conditions, so may need physically picking up and putting in for the first day or two if the weather is bad. They also need protection from the wind chill factor which can be pretty unpleasant for a new ex-bat, so even a sheet of heavy duty plastic over the end of a run can offer reasonable protection until the birds have learnt the art of seeking shelter.

Occasionally a bird will have such a large comb (used as a heat diffuser in the cages), that she can be prone to frost bite or at least an extremely uncomfortable/painful comb; thick Vaseline is an effective way to help protect such birds.

Good deep bedding helps keep birds warm.

And a warm drink if it’s icy encourages birds to take on a reasonable amount of water in the colder weather and they love it!

 

The info they also added about boxes etc may be of interest & is here:-

 

Regarding your collection time, please arrive at the time you agreed as it will be a busy day and I don’t want to keep any one waiting. When you arrive please stay with your car and one of us will come over to you.

To let you know what to expect, we will park you in the field, give you a ‘care’ sheet and leaflets and take your address details required by DEFRA, and a payment of £1 per hen to cover the charity’s costs. We will then show you where to collect the hens (one of the team will catch the hens and put them in the boxes/baskets)

PLEASE ENSURE YOU BRING ENOUGH BOXES ensuring they have enough holes for ventilation (in preparation please cut long narrow slits in the cardboard boxes rather than punch holes)

All that is left is for you to take the hen’s home for a happy life! (with the windows down - even in this colder weather!) (Notes on hens and cold weather below) Thank you again and see you on the day

 

Hope this all is of some use to you,

 

Sha x

[Electricbarbarella]

My mum is knitting me little jumpers for the girls, I found the pattern on little hen rescue.

[Egluntyne]

The only thing I would suggest is that apart from layers mash, you get some Red Mite Powder.

 

They are unlikely to have worms, but often have redmite.

 

All the other things you can get as you need them.

[Barkisland]

I'm collecting my girls today too, will DE do as a red mite treatment or is it better to get the Barrier red mite powder? (I have loads of DE).

[Egluntyne]

Either will do. The Barrier Redmite Powder smells divine though, and sometimes ex-batts smell pretty grim for a while, and this can improve it. Also, it will make them all smell the same, so that they don't do the 'oi, you aren't one of us' routine.

[Chook n Boo Mum]

Ok Tom, this is my feelings about the "pickup" etc!

 

Very organised when we got there, enough staff to deal with people at a sensible rate without being too rushed or kept waiting. One chap had gone to the nursery to ask about glass and stayed to help

 

I took a large dog crate to pick up my batties in, although in hind sight I think a cardboard box or two would have been better. The sight of all those poor little girls was quite heartbreaking, most of them were semi-naked & some had been hurt quite badly (mainly bad bruising) where they had been dragged out of the cages. One of mine has a bruised crop, so tomorrow once they have calmed down a bit (hopefully ) she'll let me rub some arnica cream in to it.

 

If they are held firmly but gently they settle quite quickly in your arms, but if they feel insecure, same as a healthy bird, they create mayhem & boy do those spiky wings hurt when they make contact with your face !!

 

We put them in our extension which although furnished, isn't heated, however it was, I would say, still too warm for the chooks. They suddenly started to flap around & once one did it, bedlam broke out & they all did it, so I separated them into 2 CB boxes & peace broke out again! And the temp in the boxes when I moved them into the run was amazing!

 

We decided, following the email I posted earlier & the mayhem in the crate, to put them outside from the start rather than keep them in tonight in the dog crate which had been our plan. We've covered the eglu run with a tarpaulin & will probably insulate it a bit more tomorrow as the forecast is somewhat nippy! The ladies at the rescue recommended taking the roosting bars out for now & putting a thick layer of straw in the poo tray & nesting box to give them something to snuggle into, which we have done - had to stop off on the way home & buy some though, so grabbed some extra hemcore to give them a thicker layer in the run too, and some surgical spirit in case any of them have the scaley leg mite (?), as a quick dip in & out of a pot of s.s. is the treatment - better to be safe than sorry!! Tomorrow they'll get a thorough dusting of DE or redmite powder too, I really did not want a dose myself & they were too wired for me to attempt it with the assistance of DS, DH can help in the morning - he'll look forward to that!

 

I had given them a bowl of mash and a bowl of water with a couple of drops of Rescue Remedy in, in the crate, so they had eaten & drunk some, though not a lot. As soon as I put them in the eglu run, they all moved straight into the eglu & snuggled down, bypassing the food & drink (I had put a couple of Arnica 30 pillules in, in the hope it may help any bruises they have suffered, and a couple more drops of Rescue Remedy - I've stocked up!!) I had put in there for them, hope they've had enough !

 

I have to say that I am exhausted and not a little emotional, & I only had to collect them & deal with one panicky five minutes, what those little girls have been through would be enough to turn me to drink or finish me off. The fact that they tootled off to bed, just like my healthy girls really gladdened my heart, it's one small step in a long journey I know, but it's in the right direction. I hope tomorrow is a good day.

 

Sorry this is a bit waffly, but I thought it may give somebody a few pointers for their collection.

 

Much love to all the rescued little ones, sleep well on your first night in the real world I hope I haven't missed anything I should have done, it all passes in a blur, I didn't take any pics as the light wasn't good enough without a flash & the chooks would have gone off at that too without a doubt! That's another "tomorrow job"!

 

Right now the family need feeding, I feel grubby & need a shower ..... and a large drink! Oh yes and the crate needs cleaning - bet I get that job too!!! Good luck to everyone with their collections.

 

Sha x