Gallina Posted October 31, 2006 Share Posted October 31, 2006 River Cottage has an interesting programme on Thursday about chickens: I'll paste the blurb below. More info (including film of a factory farm) on www.cluckingdisgusting.co.uk EDIT PLEASE BE WARNED THIS IS STRONG VIEWING We would like to let you know that Hugh is back with a brand new series on Channel 4 starting on Thursday at 8pm. Each week he is inviting a different group of fast food loving, urban dwellers to spend a week at our River Cottage HQ. Hugh's mission, of course, is to change their ways forever. The first show takes a group of chicken-lovers living off takeaways and cheap supermarket chicken. Unafraid to use shock tactics Hugh exposes the gang to the full horrors of factory poultry farms in the hope that they will embrace the free range alternative. So he asks them to care for the River Cottage poultry flock, bond with the birds and at the end of the week, make them dinner. But will he succeed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted October 31, 2006 Share Posted October 31, 2006 Years ago I visited one of these truly awful places.......in connection with a course I was on. The previous week we had visited an abbattoir. I became a vegetarian with immediate effect. One thing you will never forget about a chicken shed such as this , apart from the unspeakable cruelty...... is the throatgrabbing, eyewatering, stomach churning stench. The whole experience was utterly horrendous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel (& Paul) Posted October 31, 2006 Share Posted October 31, 2006 It was bad enough when we picked up our four girls from the BHWT in July - they really had a smell about them Now gone with the help of lots of fresh air and free ranging Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen & co. Posted October 31, 2006 Share Posted October 31, 2006 It was bad enough when we picked up our four girls from the BHWT in July - they really had a smell about them Now gone with the help of lots of fresh air and free ranging Ours did too Mel Poor souls really did wiff a bit, especially when opening the egg port to check on them at night karen x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theherd123 Posted October 31, 2006 Share Posted October 31, 2006 Is it ok to bath newly rescued chickens or should you dust them with diatom or just leave them well alone for a few days? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gallina Posted November 1, 2006 Author Share Posted November 1, 2006 I haven't got any rescue hens, but my instinct would be to leave the poor things alone for a bit, except for a bit of discreet dusting. Otherwise they will think that they are in hell instead of heaven. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel (& Paul) Posted November 1, 2006 Share Posted November 1, 2006 I agree. Even though it was the height of the summer we didnt wash the girls - the smell went quite quickly once they had fresh air and some dust bathing. Our four were in shock for a few days so we let them be to recover and get into the swing of things Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theherd123 Posted November 1, 2006 Share Posted November 1, 2006 Thanks for that guys, will give them time to settle! Mel as you got your rescue girls in the summer did they go outside straight away or did you keep them in the house for a couple of days?? Our Eglu has a temp. home in the dining room (thank heavens we are renovating & there is nothing precious in there!) We are planning to keep them in there til at least Monday or Tuesday evening to give them time to settle and calm down after the move. Also as they will have come from a very warm battery farm putting them outside right away in this cold snap does concern me - esp for them during the day!! Am i doing the right thing??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel (& Paul) Posted November 2, 2006 Share Posted November 2, 2006 I think so Emma Because it was mid July and lovely weather we put our girls outside straight away, but I think at this time of year, and now it seems to be colder you could keep them inside for a short while. Could you then move them into a conservatory / garage so they get acclimatised before finally going outside? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted November 2, 2006 Share Posted November 2, 2006 Years ago I visited one of these truly awful places.......in connection with a course I was on. The previous week we had visited an abbattoir. I became a vegetarian with immediate effect. One thing you will never forget about a chicken shed such as this , apart from the unspeakable cruelty...... is the throatgrabbing, eyewatering, stomach churning stench. The whole experience was utterly horrendous. my husband works in poultry farms catching chicken (night work). feel sorry for me as I do his washing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
feemcg Posted November 2, 2006 Share Posted November 2, 2006 I saw a video clip recently - the Pamela Anderson one where she is campaigning for the chickens of a well-known chicken fast-food chain. The conditions were disgusting, lame chickens lying around getting pecked, chicks being de-beaked..... and the factory workers using chickens as footballs and kicking them into a goal! Shocking! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted November 2, 2006 Share Posted November 2, 2006 I remember the bernard matthews incident with workers playing baseball with turkeys i e mailed the company in disgust saying i would never buy their products (not that i do anyway) but it was just to make a point Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted November 2, 2006 Share Posted November 2, 2006 OMG the organic , freerange and normal poultry farms featured on river cottage tonight were all farms my husband works at! (not the one featured on the video they were watching). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin B Posted November 2, 2006 Share Posted November 2, 2006 OMG the organic , freerange and normal poultry farms featured on river cottage tonight were all farms my husband works at! (not the one featured on the video they were watching). What do you mean? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted November 2, 2006 Share Posted November 2, 2006 OMG the organic , freerange and normal poultry farms featured on river cottage tonight were all farms my husband works at! (not the one featured on the video they were watching). What do you mean? my husband works nights catching chicken. they catch over 30,000 in one shift between 4 people. my own eglu girls are rescue chickens from a farm (he brought them home) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin B Posted November 2, 2006 Share Posted November 2, 2006 Were they rescued from his farm or another farm? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted November 2, 2006 Share Posted November 2, 2006 Were they rescued from his farm or another farm? he works in 3 teams of 4 people. split shifts. travel all over Devon and cornwall to maybe 3 or 4 farms a night. they do standard chicken, (like in the really big house where they interviewed the farmer), they do free range and organic too. the factory they supply slaughters 100,000 chicken a day who then supply all the major supermarkets. our chickens at home didnt meet the required eating weight, normally they are just killed on the farm, hubby brought ours home. they are happy and healthy now, i dont know exactly what farm they came from but mine are organic girls and had access to the outside etc. I know its not a nice job and not one out of choice hubby would chose to do but we are in rural Devon and it puts money on the table. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel (& Paul) Posted November 3, 2006 Share Posted November 3, 2006 And someone has to do those "horrible" jobs that no one else will x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theherd123 Posted November 3, 2006 Share Posted November 3, 2006 I think so EmmaBecause it was mid July and lovely weather we put our girls outside straight away, but I think at this time of year, and now it seems to be colder you could keep them inside for a short while. Could you then move them into a conservatory / garage so they get acclimatised before finally going outside? New chicken plan!! Dining room for a few days, garage for a few days then out to the hen hotel with a few blankets over the eglu. Thanks for the idea Mel! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel (& Paul) Posted November 3, 2006 Share Posted November 3, 2006 I think so EmmaBecause it was mid July and lovely weather we put our girls outside straight away, but I think at this time of year, and now it seems to be colder you could keep them inside for a short while. Could you then move them into a conservatory / garage so they get acclimatised before finally going outside? New chicken plan!! Dining room for a few days, garage for a few days then out to the hen hotel with a few blankets over the eglu. Thanks for the idea Mel! You are entirely welcome They sound like they are going to be VERY spoilt chooks Of course we dont spoil our chooks like that. well, not much well perhaps a little ok rather a lot OK! yes, My name is Mel and I spoil my chickens rotton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted November 3, 2006 Share Posted November 3, 2006 Bu**er it!! I forgot to watch. I daresay it will be repeated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theherd123 Posted November 3, 2006 Share Posted November 3, 2006 OK! yes, My name is Mel and I spoil my chickens rotton :clap: Well done Mel you have taken the first step!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
