chicken bark Posted April 12, 2010 Share Posted April 12, 2010 Well done to everyone for housing ex-batts. It's lovely to think of them enjoying a proper life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mad.hen1 Posted April 12, 2010 Share Posted April 12, 2010 Hello Just to let you know I too got 3 ex batts from Cov yesterday! So far only one has dared to venture out of the eglu onto the WIN and made a huge commotion about it - very excited (I think!). In fact so much so that when she went back into the eglu and carried on shouting, one of her sisters pecked her as if to tell her to stop making such a racket.... Have even had an egg, aw, was rather hoping they wouldn't lay for a while as I want them to rest! At the moment it all seems very new and congusing I think, but already their personalities are beginning to develop. I had 2 ex batts a year or so agao which Mr Fox put paid to (when my poor neighbour in charge) and they too developed into lovely girls, full of personality. All the best to you and your girls! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angel 0406 Posted April 12, 2010 Share Posted April 12, 2010 congrats to you all helping those special chickens reading this thread has changed my mind on hatching some more chicks and i have put my name down to home some ex-batts and use my extra space in the garden for some thing usefull i filled in the online form and will ring the co-ordinator later how exciting was just woundering i only want 2 to start with how many is the minimum they will let you adopt? amie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia W Posted April 12, 2010 Share Posted April 12, 2010 Well, I've had 3 eggs today from my 4 new ones. One was smashed but hey ho! Three of them are perfectly fine and seem to be adjusting quite quickly, but the extra one I took and told she wasn't well, is beginning to worry me. She has periods where she just stands with tail down and the one wing hanging. Eyes are half closed. I'm wondering if it's simply a softie on the way or she is taking longer to adapt or is bruised. I'll be keeping an eye on her anyway. But I'm glad we got them. Tricia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plum Posted April 12, 2010 Share Posted April 12, 2010 Congratulations all of you. What a wonderful weekend for them. Suzy they are wonderful, bless them, so bewildered. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue-DiamondChick07 Posted April 12, 2010 Share Posted April 12, 2010 Congrats on getting your girls! They're lovely still waiting for mine, hope Essex get some needing homes soon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzy Posted April 12, 2010 Share Posted April 12, 2010 Well, we have had no eggs! They must've understood when I told them yesterday not to worry. I went to the gym tonight and by the time I had got home they had managed to put themselves to bed. I did laugh at the pile of hens in the nestbox. How do they know to sleep in there? It's not like the whole thing isn't filled with straw as I am leaving the roosting bars out, maybe for a couple more nights. Hopefully they will not find tomorrow too daunting and might get up a bit earlier and come out when I open the door. I hope your poorly girl feels better soon Tricia. Let's hope it is just a softee and she can start her retirement properly. Suzy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MedusA Posted April 13, 2010 Author Share Posted April 13, 2010 Congratulations to all you other fellow adoptees. I agree that Ian and Mollie were brilliant! My girls have been very good really. They've found the food and water, taken themselves to bed on both nights and laid 2 out of 3 eggs in the nestbox. They are still spooked by everything around them, but getting braver all the time. It must be so scary for them. DD (who is a psychologist) says they are being "flooded" with stimuli and it's not surprising they are a bit overwhelmed by it all. I finally got the pictures loaded. So.....meet "The Herbs" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seagazer Posted April 13, 2010 Share Posted April 13, 2010 Oh Medusa, it always makes me teary to see the ex-batts so downheartened and sad looking . I'm looking forward to more photos of them as they get stronger and more used to life 'outside'. It'll be great seeing them feather up and their little faces go redder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mad.hen1 Posted April 13, 2010 Share Posted April 13, 2010 HI, they like you to have a minimum of 3 in case one dies (ie if you had 2 and one died, the other would be alone.) Mine pretty timid still, disappear into the eglu when i go near, but beginning to venture into walk in run. One has a bit of a stiff looking leg but hoping she just bruised. None of them know how to scratch yet, they just peck. Am assuming they will learn. The last ones had a non battery hen to show them the ropes so got it quickly. Keep posting on how yours are! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicktastic Posted April 13, 2010 Share Posted April 13, 2010 WANT SOME!!!! We lost one of our girls at the beginning of the month, would really love some ex batts but we are going away in May and would like to be able to do intro's properly and not have to leave them so soon!!! Good luck with your girls, they look wonderful!! xxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mollie333 Posted April 13, 2010 Share Posted April 13, 2010 Brilliant. They will make a great improvement, i wish i could rescue some ex batts.. lack of room, i dont think they can live with silkie x pekins, or a turkey.. maybe when i buy a Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken Shirl Posted April 13, 2010 Share Posted April 13, 2010 They will soon get the hang of being real hens, and be into everything. Congratulations on being "Super chicken mummys* Keep us posted on their progress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
figarogir1 Posted April 13, 2010 Share Posted April 13, 2010 They look so sweet Well done giving them a happy home. It breaks your heart to think of the life they have had so far, now they can have a peaceful and enjoyable retirement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cooks Posted April 13, 2010 Share Posted April 13, 2010 bless them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzy Posted April 13, 2010 Share Posted April 13, 2010 We have had an egg! It's a beautiful egg and I am a very proud chicken mummy.... well done Flo. They're all eating and drinking, but Mimi is still standing round and looking a bit miserable. Will keep an eye on her. Jo Jo is a noisy little madam too! She's putting Lottie to shame (who announces everyone else's egg as she hasn't laid in months) Brilliant.They will make a great improvement, i wish i could rescue some ex batts.. lack of room, i dont think they can live with silkie x pekins, or a turkey.. maybe when i buy a whilst we queued at the pick up point at the BHWT Coventry... to the left there was about 20 exbatts in a pen and standing in charge of his flock was a turkey - my mum and I laughed as he strutted round with his ladies running around after him. Not sure about silkies but turkeys look as though it's a match! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angel 0406 Posted April 14, 2010 Share Posted April 14, 2010 hi how are all your lovely ladies settling in i rang my co-ordinator and left a message she returns call for the hens on a sunday so im waiting to hear from her. i hope there are some hens that need a home soon but i dont mind waiting just as long as i get to help some in the end im soooooo excied . amie x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MedusA Posted April 14, 2010 Author Share Posted April 14, 2010 whilst we queued at the pick up point at the BHWT Coventry... to the left there was about 20 exbatts in a pen and standing in charge of his flock was a turkey - my mum and I laughed as he strutted round with his ladies running around after him. Not sure about silkies but turkeys look as though it's a match! We saw the turkey too, Suzy. He was so funny, strutting, displaying and gobbling away. I'm sure he was competing with the Araucana cockerel in the pen next door for superiority. It was a lovely way to spend the time whilst queing to get our girls, wasn't it? DD would love to have a turkey, but I'm afraid we just don't have the room. I had to laugh at the batties last night. We had a light rain shower and they were panicking and clucking loudly. It's poignant really, in that they didn't know what rain was, but it did make me laugh, nevertheless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MedusA Posted April 15, 2010 Author Share Posted April 15, 2010 I'm sure you can't possibly tell how excited I am about my new ex-batt girls. Here they are 3 days after rescue, getting all settled in. I'm planning on keeping the one of Parsley for a before/after post in about 3 months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sage Posted April 15, 2010 Share Posted April 15, 2010 Congrats to you all . I'm due 6 ex bats on the 22nd May from hen rehomers Goole. Cannot wait. as they will be my first ever chucks. Why do you take the roosting bars out and for how long do you leave them out. Sage Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seagazer Posted April 15, 2010 Share Posted April 15, 2010 Medusa - please keep posting photos - I love seeing how happy they look and how the settle down to normal life. One day when I have more room in the garden ie another house with a bigger garden I will get some ex-batts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzy Posted April 16, 2010 Share Posted April 16, 2010 Congrats to you all . I'm due 6 ex bats on the 22nd May from hen rehomers Goole. Cannot wait. as they will be my first ever chucks.Why do you take the roosting bars out and for how long do you leave them out. Sage Hi Sage, Mine are now back in. It was suggested when I first got ex-batts by the BHWT that their legs might not cope with roosting bars and to give them a few days with just straw. I did it last time and so did it this time more out of habit. I think their first night they needed it as they all crashed out in various parts of the eglu. Since then, Flo is perching on the side of the nest, Jo Jo is in the nest (!) and Mimi slept on the bars so I think I have trained another nest box sleeper! I am sure they would be fine if you left them in. Had a scare this morning. Cleaned the 2 eglus out last night and I usually save all the hemcore and straw and chicken droppings in a heavy duty plastic sack for dad's allotment compost. As I walked to the eglus I was aware the straw was all over the place. A fox got the bag and had ripped it to bits. He must have been inches from the girls who thank god were locked away in the eglus. First real evidence of a fox (except my neighbour saw one on the run at Christmas) and it made me feel sick! Only reassurance is round here, foxes probably wouldn't know what to do if they saw a chicken, was probably scavenging as bin bags usually mean food. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sage Posted April 16, 2010 Share Posted April 16, 2010 Thanks Suzy I will leave the bars out for a few days and let they have straw to sleep on. Glad to hear Mr Fox didn't get your girls. Sage Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MedusA Posted April 19, 2010 Author Share Posted April 19, 2010 You can never get complacent about foxes, Suzy. Believe me, even urban foxes, more used to raiding bins, will kill chickens instinctively. Sadly, I speak with the voice of experience. On a happier note, yesterday was the first time I saw one of the ex-batts attempting to dust bathe (in the aubiose) . Bless her. I've now put a shallow trug of soil and diatom in the run, which of course was another thing for them to be scared of. I can see lots of quills emerging so hopefully that means lovely new feathers on the way. However I am finding lots of feathers in the poo tray. Does that just mean they are moulting, or have I got a feather plucker, I wonder? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
captaincollins Posted April 19, 2010 Share Posted April 19, 2010 I Love the names for your 4 ex batts, only wish I could come up with such coolness Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
