Single hen

[BeckyBoo]

Just been posting some stuff on Freecycle and had a look at the offered ads and saw this:

 

Hi I have just taken on 8 ex battery hens and at the moment they are living in

my shed. if anyone has a chicken coop they no longer need and think it might be

suitable for my 8 girls I would really appreciate it.

 

Many thanks

 

Now I'm not trying to be harsh, but shouldn't she have thought of where they were going to live before she picked them up?

I'm really, really glad so many people are getting hens but I hope they're not turning into a "must have" like Staffordshire Bull Terriers were a few years back, and that we're going to see bloomin'hundreds of them in all states in the rescue centres in months to come.

 

Maybe I'm just cynical

 

BeckyBoo

[Janty]

I don't think you are being cynical.

 

Housing for pets is the first thing that should be considered.

[Guest]

hmmmm, lots of people keep chooks in sheds. All depends how well this person's shed is suited for the purpose I s'pose. Maybe it's perfectly fine but they just want to reclaim it to use as an actual shed?

 

Maybe send them a friendly hello message from a fellow chicken keeper, you might make a new chicken friend and then you could see their accomodation first hand?

 

Just an idea

 

xxx

[BeckyBoo]

I think I must have read it differently, I haven't got a problem with chooks in converted sheds, I thought she meant that she'd just put them in the shed. ie: there was no run or root or nest. The way you've put it, it doesn't sound so bad.

 

BeckyBoo

[Redwing]

You are right it conjures up pics of chickens knocking over spades and perching on the lawnmower! Hopefully its not like that!

 

Daft to take on chickens with no thought of housing though I have seen a few threads on here where people's requests for ex batts have been met sooner than they had thought and has caught them out a bit but surely a coop was going to be purchased anyway for these so why not buy it now?

 

Perhaps the lady has done someone a favour and taken them on where someone else wanted rid of them?

 

Whatever the story I hope the lady has done at least some homework and will give the girls a lovely retirement after all she is already calling them her 'girls' so maybe its just a shaky start

[Olly]

I think I would read it the same way as you did, Becky. The words 'at the moment they are living in my shed' sound as if they have just put them there for want of anything better.

 

I do hope it works out, whilst I am pleased that so many people want to keep hens, I've noticed a big increase in the number of rehoming requests on here. I know there are often genuine reasons for this but sometimes I wonder if people did their research first.

[Guest]

I didn't say how I'd read it, I was keeping an open mind and thinking what might I do if I was concerned.

 

I'm not making any judgment as I have no idea what this person's circumstances are, they could be living in a really nice shed for all we know

 

I tend to think the kind of person who takes on ex-batts is the compassionate type, I'd hope so anyway but I'd probably send a "hi" to offer any help or advice.

[Guest]

....after all she is already calling them her 'girls' so maybe its just a shaky start

 

very good point!

[BeckyBoo]

In fact you made me stop and think Poet, I'm too quick to judge (hazard of the job sometimes and I do try to pull myself up on it) Anyway, I've sent her a "well done for taking on ex-batts" message with the names of two local stockists who have reasonably priced hen houses if she doesn't get any replies on Freecycle. Hopefully the "housing crisis" will sort and to be honest, even if they spent the rest of their days in a hastily converted shed it's a hundred times better than some manky cage with a sloping floor and no room to move!

 

BeckyBoo

[Guest]

that's a lovely thing to do let us know if you get a reply xxx

[The Dogmother]

I hope that she gets sorted.

 

Believe me, some adopters turn up at rescues to collect their hens with all sorts of weird things to transport them in and despite being vetted (one turned up with a sewing box!), a few of them have given little or no thought to housing

 

Lovely people to adopt ex-batts and give them homes, but in a few cases, a little aforethought would help.

[Ana's flock]

I didn't react to the 'shed' because my hens have lived for a while in the shed (empty of all gardening implements and with adequate places for them to perch plus nesting boxes, food and drink containers etc - and my shed is inside the chicken run anyway).

 

My came when I imagined 8 hens sitting and 'decorating' all over brand new lawn mowers, spade handles, welly-boots, gardening gloves... specially if they want to use the gardening stuff again...

 

As long as they can free-range, peck at grass, scratch the ground and find the odd worm in the sun during the day and have a nice, comfy, warm and secure place to roost at night, I don't think they're too fussy about whether they sleep in an adapted shed, a cube, or Buckingham Palace... Such lovely characters, hens.

 

Let's hope this lady finds appropriate housing for her girls soon, though...

[BeckyBoo]

You see I've been made to swallow my bad judgement and eat my words, I got this reply from the lady with the ex-batts and thought I'd share it in case anyone else is passing the area....

 

 

Hi Rebecca

Thanks for your email. The Bond Girls as they are now known are very happy in our shed and have an old low chest of drawers which have been converted into very comfy nesting boxes and perches.

 

They are having a great time running around with our llamas and have lots of space for free ranging.

We are at the Merry Harriers pub in Hambledon pop in if you are ever in the area.

 

 

Take care

 

Julie

 

Too quick to judge, that's my problem!

 

BeckyBoo

[Egluntyne]

Not too quick to judge at all Becky. Lovely that this is a happy ending story, but how often have we seen the other side of it?

 

Well done for contacting her.

 

Sounds as if there might be a G&T in it for you.

[Guest]

that's great, let us know if you go and see them

[MedusA]

What a relief that this story has the loveliest possible ending.

 

You were just being "you" in being concerned, BeckyBoo and looking on the bright side, may have gained a new friend into the bargain, so don't be hard on yourself.

 

Our Allotment Chairperson has 40 ex-batts in her rural garden and they roost in a converted shed and free-range all day, lucky them.

[The Dogmother]

That's a relief Becky.

 

I met a lovely lady through freecycle; she and her family live on a narrowboat at a fixed mooring and have bought the land alongside; they have lots of ex-batts and various other livestock too.

[dancing cloud]

Do go and see them! You can tell us about the llamas as well

 

So glad to see this had a happy ending (I'd have imagined the worst too!)

 

I've just been and collected some unwanted plants that someone put on freecycle and took them a box of 4 eggs to say thank you. I thought she was going to cry she was so grateful , but I did get two big carrier bags full of plants for the garden in return, so it seemed like a very reasonable swap to me

[LisaP]

A couple of days ago someone posted on our Freecycle and asked for some chicken feed to get him started with some ex-batts he's getting and then rounded up by asking for an eglu to put them in

 

Then again people on ours frequently ask for what seems to be the entire contents of a house - they usually have a list which starts with tv, dvd....................

 

Lisa P

[little chickadee]

Thanks for sharing that with us Becky Hope you make a new friend!