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[Jemima13]

Hello all,

 

I am desperate to get some chickens and after much persistence, my husband has finally agreed! The plan is to get an Eglu Go and build a WIR, getting 3 girls this Spring.

 

I have been reading posts on this forum for a while to try and learn all I can before we take the big step into chicken keeping. I have to say this forum has been so helpful, and I love all the stories and photos, I'm just so jealous that I don't have any of my own yet!

 

My first dilemma is whether to get 3 pullet hens from a local breeder or get 3 ex battery hens.

 

I love the idea of providing ex batts a better life but am worried about a few things:

- That they will get ill or die quite soon (after I've got very attached to them)

 

- I've never had chickens before are they better for more experienced chicken people?

 

- Will they become tame and like human company like younger birds would?

 

Did anyone else have this dilemma, and how did they decide? And what have their experiences been? Any pros/cons?

 

Many Thanks

Jemima

[chick wiggle]

Hi Jemima and welcome to the forum congratulations on getting your Go and WIR

I think the choice is a personal one, one chicken been much the same to look after as another. The pros for getting ex bats is seeing them come into full health, seeing them feather up and enjoy the rest of their lifes, however long or short that may be. Some can live very long and full lifes and some unfortunately cant. But the joy of seeing them be free for the first time is priceless

 

The pros of getting POL hens from a breeder is you can choose which breed you want, what colour eggs you want maybe? and it may live longer.

 

It is purely a personal choice, but one thing you can be sure of, what ever you decide to get, they will certainly, very quickly worm their little ways into your heart

 

Let us know what you decide to get and good luck!

[sandyhas3chucks]

My first dilemma is whether to get 3 pullet hens from a local breeder or get 3 ex battery hens.

 

I love the idea of providing ex batts a better life but am worried about a few things:

- That they will get ill or die quite soon (after I've got very attached to them)

that is always a possibility I am afraid, but they could live for 2 years

 

- I've never had chickens before are they better for more experienced chicken people?

some people hink that, and exp sure does help, I had none, but youare giving 3 the chance of freedom which is soo important

 

 

- Will they become tame and like human company like younger birds would?

oh they get so tame it is not true and thy are real real personalities and funny character +

 

Did anyone else have this dilemma, and how did they decide? And what have their experiences been? Any pros/cons?

It was never a decision for me I wanted to give ex bats a home, the pros and cons are pretty much relating to the questions you have already asked. It is a personal thing, try checking out the dedicated exbat forum for pros and cons what ever you decide enjoy your new life

 

Many Thanks

Jemima

[PhilipCaldwell]

Chicken keeping is addictive, i started with 2 (however 1 died last week), now i plan to get 3 more to take my flock to 4.I fancy a mix of 2 ex bats and 2 others

[Space Chick]

My first dilemma is whether to get 3 pullet hens from a local breeder or get 3 ex battery hens.

 

Controversial idea but if you are having a WIR with the Go, why don't you get 2 of each

 

I love the idea of providing ex batts a better life but am worried about a few things:

- That they will get ill or die quite soon (after I've got very attached to them)

Mine have been out of the cage since August, some only survive a short time, others maybe with have longer out of than in the cage

 

- I've never had chickens before are they better for more experienced chicken people?

I was advised against having ex batts as a first time Hen Keeper, so I went for hybrids first. In fairness I think I could have gone for ex batts straight off

 

- Will they become tame and like human company like younger birds would?

Oh yes

 

Did anyone else have this dilemma, and how did they decide? And what have their experiences been? Any pros/cons?

I love all my girls, the pure breeds, the hybrids and the ex batts. The one con I would say of ex batts is that their egg quality is not as great as the hybrids and pure breeds. I wouldn't poach an ex batt egg but they are great for cooking. I hope this helps

 

[Chook n Boo Mum]

Hi Jemima,

 

Welcome to the forum, and the mad and magical world of chooks !!

 

I was in your situation in the summer of 2008 before I got my first girls..........do I get the batties or the bomb-proofs.........I went for the bomb-proofs as I also had to factor in 3 labradors and 2 resident children with any number of other small children and dogs who move through my house and garden & could potentially be a problem with/for the chooks

 

I felt that having 3 possibly weak & wobbly batties with possible health problems (many of them are not sick, just need lots of TLC which is repaid in a very short space of time ) was not a wise move in our situation as I had no idea how my dogs would react to them........with hindsight I was absolutely right with my decision as Jess my eldest lab was a neurotic idiot for the first few months with the chooks until we trained it out of her

 

Since then I have adopted 4 batties & 4 Orpingtons over the same weekend at the end of January last year, and a whole gang of others since as well..........as you can see, they are addictive and they all live and free range happily with the labs and children.

 

I do not regret choosing the chooks first and batties next, although the timing for the batties arrival could have been better (just as the snow arrived last February ), but I would not be without any of them now without a very good reason. Other people have started off with batties, then moved on to healthy birds, others have stayed with the batties, others have never had batties....we have all made the decisions based on our own circumstances

 

Occasionally you will find that a batty simply can't cope with the shock of leaving the cage for the great outdoors & passes on quite soon after her release..........most of them are still going & loving their retirement many months on..........in 3 weeks time my 3 batties (I lost one to a neighbour's dog attack ) will have been here a year and are no more unhealthy or problematic than any of the others.

 

Good luck with your choices.......if you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask them on here, the other members are amazingly warm & helpful...and we were all beginners once

 

Sha x

[Jemima13]

Thank you all for your advice, its very helpful, such a hard decision! I think my heart is saying ex batts though! I have no dogs or children (yet!) but 2 fairly docile cats.

 

I never thought of getting 2 of each! If I timed it right and managed to get 2 POL hens and 2 battery hens at about the same time would it be more straightforward than separately?

I'm not sure I'm experienced enough to manage difficult introductions and I don't want any hens to be stressed out when they first arrive to my garden!

 

x J x

[Tutti Frutti]

The plan is to get an Eglu Go and build a WIR, getting 3 girls this Spring.

Yay, congratulations!!! Welcome to the forum

 

My first dilemma is whether to get 3 pullet hens from a local breeder or get 3 ex battery hens.

 

Good question. We had the same dilemma. We looked for rescues but bought POL (Point of Lay) hybrids instead. Various reasons, similar to you I'd imagine - including worrying about lack of experience, my aging cats, the chooks' hardiness in our weather (but couldn't have forecast this snow!), sadly their possible short lifespan and egg-laying reliability - but ultimately we went for POLs as we had to wait 2 months to get ex-batts. Little did we know then that we'd be getting them as well anyway! My head said, "We're getting chooks for eggs, not pets" but my heart wanted to give some girls a happy retirement as my pets!! So I ended up with a happy mix Although the introductions were a little fraught (not an easy thing to do, you need separate accommodation...).

 

Oh, some breeders phrase it that, if you buy a Warren/Goldine/ISA Brown (diff names for the Battery Hen), you're saving them from becoming a battery hen!

 

- That they will get ill or die quite soon (after I've got very attached to them)

Yes they could... or they could live a few of years but oh boy, they'll have such fun with you and you'll get so much enjoyment out of them! As for if they'll die or be fragile... well you just don't know. One of our POL hybrids died just 2 months after we got her and I was absolutely cut up (that's when I found this forum). Yes, you do very quickly get attached to them!

 

- I've never had chickens before are they better for more experienced chicken people?

Personally, looking back, I'm glad we'd cut our chicken teeth on POLs first but I'm sure it doesn't matter. It gave us a little experience to be able to tell a healthy from unhealthy hen, recognise their funny little ways, what's normal and what needs vet attention. But I still have moments of panic and come diving on here! And I'm sure we got things wrong with the POLs - rather get it wrong with tough birds than fragile ex-batts.

 

- Will they become tame and like human company like younger birds would?

OH DEFINITELY! Ursula sat on my lap the same afternoon as we got her (none of the others did) but Tallulah took about 3 weeks to STOP running away from me! Ursula still likes her cuddles and is a very funny little old lady

 

Did anyone else have this dilemma, and how did they decide? And what have their experiences been? Any pros/cons?

 

Daily eggs from the POLS once they kick in whereas the ex-barns take a well earned rest a couple of days a week ANd the ex-barnies eggs are large, sometimes wrinkly, sometimes thin shelled (sometimes soft!), and can have blood spots in them.

 

POLS are feisty and bossy whereas my ex-barns are daft as brushes and get pushed around, although others' experiences are completely the opposite!

 

I worry much more about my ex-Barns in this cold weather (their feathers are a bit thin on the ground and they love to free-frange in the cold, despite me trying to keep them in their run ). In fact, I've worried about the barnies since the day I got them - will they settle in OK, will the POLs pick on them, will they feel the cold, will they know where to sleep, will they know what the nest box is for (one of them does, the other uses the floor )... getting a softie was a shock (a soft-shelled egg, as much a shock for me as it was for Ursula I think!!!!), etc etc!

 

And I don't know about vaccinations - my POLS were vaccinated thoroughly, the ex-barnies would have been when they were chicks but did those vaccinations only last a year??? Don't know!

 

And I'll sign off by saying, I wouldn't be without ANY of them In fact, I'd like MORE!

[chick wiggle]

I think 2 of each is an excellent idea. Ideally, if you can get them both on the same day then you shouldnt have any trouble at all introducing them as they will all be 'new' together.

[Space Chick]

I think 2 of each is an excellent idea. Ideally, if you can get them both on the same day then you shouldnt have any trouble at all introducing them as they will all be 'new' together.

 

I agree get them on the same day, but make sure that the hybrids are at least 20 weeks old, so they can stand up for themselves

[Tutti Frutti]

2 and 2 is a great idea!

 

Ooh I forgot to say that, out of my mix of 2 and 2, it's Ursula (my smallest, baldest ex-barnie) who comes up to me for a chat. She never stops talking that girl.

 

The others just wander off, do their own thing and mutter to each other about the hoomin being in their run again, but Ursula comes right up, looks me in the eye and will have a full blown conversation with me I found it a bit off-putting at first, as I thought she just wanted to peck me in the eye But she actually wants to know what I'm doing and can she help and do I need anything digging up and can she eat the poo I've just picked up off the floor

[chickenNutter]

Jemima13,

 

Welcome to the forum. I am a first time chicken keeper and started in July. I had the same dilemma as you, but decided as a novice to go for pure breds from a friend, to start off with, and initially felt guilty as my heart felt I should be giving batties a home.

 

Whatever you decide will be right for you and your family. If you go for hybrids, you can always get batties in the future as I intend to do.

 

Whatever you decide, just enjoy it, I have kept all sort of animal over the years, but nothing has been as interesting and rewarding as my last 6 months keeping chickens.

 

There are no wrong decisions in life, just alternative ones.

 

Welcome to Omletsville!

[Raina]

Have sent you a PM

[Jemima13]

Thank you everybody!

All I can say is - I can't wait! It seems all of you adore your chooks and have great experiences with them.

Tutti-Frutti -Ursula sounds great, you've got a real personality there and you must be very proud of giving her such a happy life.

 

The Eglu is my birthday present so I can't get it until April so until then I will be learning lots and getting the WIR up (with hubby's help!) and collecting supplies etc.

 

I'm definately going to look into the 2 + 2 idea, even if I have to wait a bit for the ex-batts. Will start enquiring now as I hear there is often a waiting list. Might be tricky with the timing on the same day but sounds like a great idea to me! Will also have to inform OH that perhaps 4 chickens are better than 3 anyway

 

xJx

[chick wiggle]

! Will also have to inform OH that perhaps 4 chickens are better than 3 anyway

 

xJx

 

That is what we in omletsville like to call 'chicken maths' (you'll learn)

Better make that WIR bigger

[Redwing]

Will also have to inform OH that perhaps 4 chickens are better than 3 anyway

 

xJx

 

Yes, standard stuff - I had three chickens a year ago

 

I cant add a lot to the good advice, I asked the exact same question and the responses were pretty even, I ended up getting the hybrids but there is no real 'right or wrong' answer the forum is there to support you should you get ex batts and need extra advice

[sparkysmum]

Hello Jemima, just a quick word in favour of ex batts. We adopted 2 ex batts 18mths ago & it was love at first cluck. We loved our batties & their feisty independent characters. Independent but ever so friendly. Sadly one died last summer but Boris looks like she'll go on forever. Just before Penny died we got our 2 posh birds and yes we do love them too but they just don't have the character, the "in your face" bolshyness of the batts. I would agree with others go for 2+2 . Axx

[sandyhas3chucks]

Hello Jemima, just a quick word in favour of ex batts. We adopted 2 ex batts 18mths ago & it was love at first cluck. We loved our batties & their feisty independent characters. Independent but ever so friendly. Sadly one died last summer but Boris looks like she'll go on forever. Just before Penny died we got our 2 posh birds and yes we do love them too but they just don't have the character, the "in your face" bolshyness of the batts. I would agree with others go for 2+2 . Axx

I had read this on this forum, but having only had ex bats had no comparrissons until we had 2 posh birds come for holidays!

The difference is quite amazing.

[alet_chicken]

Hi Jemima13, welcome to the forum!

 

We started off with ex-batts, and have since then alternated between adding pure-bred and ex-batt girls. I think getting 2 POL's and 2 ex-batts would be a great idea, the best of both worlds really.

 

- That they will get ill or die quite soon (after I've got very attached to them)

I'm afraid this is a risk that is present with all small animals (including chickens). It is true that their lifespan is not predictable - but even if they only live for a year after you got them, that means that they had twice as much time as what they were originally down for, with the second half rather happier than the first.

 

- I've never had chickens before are they better for more experienced chicken people?

Our first chickens were ex-batts, and we coped very well (I think!) with the help of the friendly Omlet forums. I think any newbie should be fine with ex-batts, provided that they know what they are getting themselves into, and are prepared to ask when they get stuck. Nowadays the Battery Hen Welfare Trust has a lot of info on their website, for example, and there is also the ex-batt careline for when you get stuck.

 

- Will they become tame and like human company like younger birds would?

Oh yes, definitely, our ex-batts are by far the tamest of our girls. In my experience they do relate to people in a different way than younger "free" birds - for example they will follow me around and call after me, something that none of the younger ones do. (To be fair, most of our other girls are from stroppy/flighty breeds. And I'm still working on Alice the young sweet light Sussex and the two marans, who are enjoying prolonged teenagerdom this winter.)

 

Did anyone else have this dilemma, and how did they decide? And what have their experiences been? Any pros/cons?

OH originally chose our ex-batts (we started with 4), but since then I have taken over as head chicken wrangler. We now have a mix of ex-batt and pure-breed girls (OH is into funky egg colours now). Next time we have some vacancies (we are limited by the capacity of our Cube), we will get some more ex-batts. The only difference between adding ex-batts and POL girls to the flock is that ex-batts typically need more time to gain condition and get used to being outside before being introduced to the others.

 

We originally got our chickens as pets, but nowadays (under pressure from friends and family ) there is also egg production to consider. We have been fortunate in that some of our ex-bats are still laying very well, but you should bear in mind that some hybrids (e.g. Isa Warrens, ex-batts) are genetically selected to lay very well for the first year or so of their lives. If you are keen on eggs, then it is a good idea to keep a mix of girls of different ages (the ex-batts would be around 14 months, I think).

[dancing cloud]

Can't resist sticking my oar in!

 

All of my little monsters are ex-batts and I had never had hens or even known anyone with hens before.

I still have five of my original six (Clover died after 18 months of freedom) and two of my next three (Moon enjoyed nine months out of a cage, but was never as healthy as the others). I did consider the health and "needs" issues, but being able to adopt ex-batts was what finally persuaded me to give chicken-keeping a try and I've never looked back

 

I have no means of comparing with other girls but can honestly say my lot are very friendly, very cheeky and great little characters, who have lots of visitors because everyone loves them. (They even received their own xmas cards )

 

In as far as there are cons, they are standard red hens and not as glamorous as some of the pure-breeds, and they are hybrids so will not live as long as other breeds. They will also probably not be pretty when they arrive and may take a few days to get to grips with the big wide world and unlimited food and water. Their eggs are a bit icky for the first few weeks and then become lovely as the good living kicks in.

 

The pros - you can watch them grow and develop into "proper" chickens, they never fail to surprise and amuse you, and they really do seem to find a special place in your heart. I don't recall ever seeing a post where anyone didn't fall in love with their ex-batt girls.

 

Whatever you decide, I'm sure it will be right for you, I just couldn't resist recommending ex-batts to what sounds like it's going to be a very lovely home

[Lavenders_Blue]

Hi Jemima,

 

I can't really add anything different to what others have said, but I'll add my experience below anyway.

 

My first dilemma is whether to get 3 pullet hens from a local breeder or get 3 ex battery hens.

 

I got my batties straight off as I would have felt absolutely terrible about keeping 'posh girls' when there are so many batties looking for good homes. However this was a completely personal decision and, like others have said, there are no right or wrong decisions as to whether to get batties or POL hens.

 

I love the idea of providing ex batts a better life but am worried about a few things:

- That they will get ill or die quite soon (after I've got very attached to them)

 

This is a possibility, but even if they only have a few weeks with you, at least they will have been able to breathe fresh air, stretch their wings and just be normal chickens.

 

- I've never had chickens before are they better for more experienced chicken people?

 

I felt okay about just diving in with batties, also there is tonnes of info out there on the internet (BHWT and Little Hen Rescue websites are good) as well as the super people on this forum.

 

- Will they become tame and like human company like younger birds would?

 

Oh yes, they will soon learn to come dashing out when they hear you open the back door, follow you round the garden, 'help' with digging and other garden activities, peck on the window/door when they want attention, clamber all over you when you're trying to have a relaxing sit down... they are certainly not short on personality! Good luck whatever you decide!

[Jemima13]

Thanks for sharing all your experiences, you have definately sold me on ex batts!

 

I had no idea they would take to humans so well after being kept in a cage for so long. They seem to love human company, I am getting so excited about getting some. Its nice to know that other people new to chickens have managed well with batties first off, makes me a bit less nervous.

 

I'm still thinking that I may get 2 batties and 2 hybrids on the same day, has anyone done this before? Is it a matter of picking up both sets of birds, bringing them home and letting them out into the WIR at the same time? And then fingers crossed they will get on?

 

x J x

[Redwing]

Like I said before there is no right or wrong answer here but..

 

Do be aware that ex batts may be weaker than the other two and would probably appreciate separate quarters to recover as its quite a shock coming out of the cages so mixing them with healthy chickens from the get go may not be wise

 

Ex batts will also have bald patches and new feathers are filled with blood as they come through which may make the other chickens peck

 

Ex batts can be quite aggressive towards each other as they have always had to fight for space/food etc...

 

I dont want you to be put off and ex batts are surely a delight to watch as they recover and learn normal chicken things but by no means expect them to be grateful and gentle because as a rule they are not to start with at least

[Tweety]

Hi Jemima and welcome to the forum! You won't regret your decision to get chickens - they are simply wonderful. Like many others, I have a mixture of hybrids, rare breeds and ex-batts and I love them all - the ex batts are very special though. A mix of 2 hybrids and 2 ex batts sounds great - the only thing I would say is that it may not be quite as simple as getting them all at the same time and putting them in a run together.

I found that my ex batts needed quite a while to build up some strength after their time in the cages, and I didn't introduce them to my other girls until I felt they were strong enough to stand up for themselves. I also found that they were quite aggressive, both amongst themselves and with my other girls, until they settled down.

I hope the above doesn't sound too negative - I don't intend it that way - and you could easily divide your WIR to separate them if necessary, which I hope it won't be! There is lots of information about introductions on the forum and it has worked very well for me, so it might be worth having a look at before the big day.

Good luck with whatever you decide!

[sandyhas3chucks]

Oh yes I forgot you are planning a WIR, great....

plan idea from me... design it in such a way that you can have a separate area, pref detachable, doesn't have to be fancy or costly, just it will be handy for ALL sorts of possible reasons. Intoductions being one of them, there is a photo of a clever idea, someone bought a cheap small run & put it inside, then put a flat top on it and got extra playing room for the girls in with the idea.

It might be quite late on in the "run inspiration" section, or some kind person may know exactly who I am talking about and put in the lik or photo