Eglu Go With 2m Run For Sale

[Mollie333]

Hi everyone

I'm getting some ex batts when i've done my wir, im looking at about 6 birds..

 

1.are they hard to look after, like harder than any other chicken?

 

2. can you feed them on layers pellets? cause thats what my current girls have, or do you need ex batt pellets?

 

3.name some things i need to buy before i've got the girls?

 

4. how long did it take for you to get your girls, do you have to pre order them?

 

5. where do you pic them up from, the cages its self? because i'm afriad i wouldnt be able to go and get them since i'm horrible emotinall about these things! Haha .

 

Thanks everyone xxx

[Patricia W]

I got 4 in April - and they are a delight! Sadly, we lost one a week ago, but she died in her nest box after a day of free ranging so she had known how to be free for a time at least. The other 3 ( touch wood) are doing fine. To try to answer your questions.

 

- no, they aren't any harder to look after than my other chickens, but you do have to be patient as they learn " how to be chickens". You may also have to be prepared for more vets fees ( not always ) and although many still lay when you get them, they may not all lay and they may stop laying sooner rather then later. But it's a delight to see them explore the new worls and become " chickens" so well worth it.

 

- I feed ex-bat pellets to all my chickens and started to do so a year ago and swear by it. It's only slightly more than the " normal" food and 50p goes to the British Hen Welfare Trust. But you do have to start them on mash first as that is what they are used to. I bought a 4.5kg bag and gradually mixed in the layers pellets and now they are fine with the pellets;

 

- the main thing you need is somewhere for them to live ( mine are in an eglu). I use aubiose for the nest box and run. They couldn't cope with the Grub at first so I had a heavy dish for the mash till they got used to it. They don't recognise treats so you have to introduce them slowly.

 

- I think I waited about 3 weeks but I found out about the rescue fairly late on. You have to register then you have a telephone interview where everything is explained

 

- the actual rescue was very well handled. 189 hens were rescued and mine were part of this. But I picked them up from a handy " collection station" so you don't see the actual battery.

 

I waited until I'd had chickens for about 2 years so I felt ready to take on the ex-bats. But others start with them so I'd encourage you to have a go.

 

Tricia

[chickiepiggies]

Hello glad your thinking of getting some ex-bats they are really rewarding.

 

i rescued 3 last year in april through battery hen welfare trust, you have to contact them via there website and arrange to go to a collection point, once there we queued for about 2 hours, be patient its all worth it. take two big boxes 3 chucks in each with air holes. you can also contact little hen rescue they do a similar thing.

 

You dont need anything different to what you give your other chucks, but i would start them on mash as they won't know what pellets are, then slowy introduce pellets same as your other chucks. be carful with intro's some good advice on this forum should take about two weeks to mix them. maybe a little longer.

 

They are not hard to look after, not much different to your other chickies but they do need some extra TLC, they will also be very frightened. BHWT told us to put them straight into there house on arrival to settle them down.

 

please be aware that sometimes some hens dont make it due to stress, or an illness that has not been picked up when taken out of the cages for rescue. one of my hens lasted 4 months from rescue, the 2nd 1 year and i still have the 3rd only one left. i have learned that the important thing about rescuing ex-bats is to give them their freedom even if its not for that long its still all worth it.

 

i hope this help

[Mollie333]

Thanks Tricia,

i have experiance, i've had my girls since december 09, i started with four, 3 pekins and 2 silkie x pekins, then went back to get a 5th the day after . then in march 2010 i got 2 hybrids and a turkey, then i lost my turkey and my pekin bantam, then got 2 silkies, so yeah quite experianced..

thanks i think im going to go for ex batts, i dont mind if they dont lay, i want to give them a opputunity in life.

 

Thankyou chickiepiggies.

I love your username!

secondly, thankyou so much for the information on how to collect them.

do you have to like order them, and they give you a date? how long did you have to wait to collect these girs?

i understand about the death. i'd be upset, but atleast i would've gave them a decent day or two ,before they died, of freedom.

[hippy chick]

My first batch of chickens were ex-bats. I got them last September. Tbh i was only used to normal chucks and seeing the oven ready x bats was pretty daunting. But within a few weeks they were just like normal chucks. (only ever-such more grateful!!) Mine have been an absolute delight. When they saw rain for the first time it was amazing. Oh and the snow its so hard to believe that they have never experienced outdoor life. They just stood there looking up in bewilderment.

I would definitely say that they aren't any harder to look after than regular chucks just different. (its a bit like having fully grown babies at first). However they learn really quick and they seem to have more personalities than regular chucks. I reordered mine through the bhwt and I collect them from Lancashire farm on sat 19 June ( I seriously cannot wait!)

Jilly

[Egluntyne]

Hi everyone

I'm getting some ex batts when i've done my wir, im looking at about 6 birds..

 

1.are they hard to look after, like harder than any other chicken?

 

Not really, unless they are in an extremely poor physical state. They just need time to build up their strength.

 

2. can you feed them on layers pellets? cause thats what my current girls have, or do you need ex batt pellets?

Not at first. The have only ever had mash, so won't know what to do with pellets. I only ever gave mine bog standard mash, and they were fine on it. I gradually introduced pellets after a couple pf months.

 

3.name some things i need to buy before i've got the girls?

Separate accommodation from your existing hens, feders, drinkers. Layers mash. A tonic such a Lifeguard.

 

4. how long did it take for you to get your girls, do you have to pre order them?

 

Yes. Most rescues are 'sold out', so you do have to register and 'pre-order'. It can be a few months.

 

5. where do you pic them up from, the cages its self? because i'm afriad i wouldnt be able to go and get them since i'm horrible emotinall about these things! Haha .

 

No, you collect them from a co-ordinators place.

 

x

[Mollie333]

Thankyou everyone!

Im really excited :')