2009 Omlet cube and run for sale

[Stedic]

I get my ex-batts tomorrow, and have made all the preparations I can think of, including telling the posh girls to be nice to their new friends. It occurs to me that many of you have done all of this before, so I wondered - What are you top tips for a first time ex-batt owner?

[Bramble]

Hello, and well done for getting Ex-batts. I'm very new to this too, only having had my ex-batts for two months (my first ever chucks) but you will love having them! I think you just have to bear with them a bit, they don't know ANYTHING so you might need to show them where the food, water, house/nest box etc is, but mine didn't need showing any of this twice. They just looked so bewildered when I brought them home and so frightened of the birds flying over the garden, but they have settled in really well and have developed their own personalities .. just give them time!! Good luck

[dancing cloud]

Be prepared to love them utterly and make no other plans for the weekend! . My mob have all been ex-batts and it was love at first sight, even though none of them were very pretty at first.

 

Don't be shocked by the state they're in - they may be anything from fully-feathered to totally bald - and they will smell horrible, but that soon wears off. They will be confused and frightened at first, but that soon wears off as well, especially if they can see other hens going about their lives. Nosiness soon sets in! They may be thin and hungry, and may eat pellets from the off or may just eat crumb at first. They will have no concept of "bed", so will need to be put to bed for the first night or two, and will have no concept of nestbox, so will lay their eggs as they walk around. Rubber eggs in the nestbox soon gave them a hint

 

Even my first batch, with no other hens to learn from, were sun-bathing and dust-bathing on their second day out (they looked like they'd died ) and my other two batches learned about life even quicker because they had the older girls to watch and follow.

 

Expect your posh girls to take serious umbrage and do a lot of posturing and shouting at the new arrivals. My rabble always made a point of standing outside the new girls' run looking as large as they could and shouting their heads off . Having said that, on both occasions I was able to let them all merge for supervised play within a week without any bloodshed and with very little bullying.

 

Make sure you have a comfy chair, a big supply of your favourite tipple and a waterproof in case it rains - you'll spend all weekend watching them!

 

Well done you and everyone else collecting their rescued girlies and giving them the lovely lives every chicken should have . Have lots of fun and we'll expect pix very soon.

[poachedegg]

What I learnt from our first lot of ex batts, is just because you provide them with space, food and freedom, don't expect them to grateful or appreciate it at first - being a battery hen is all they know so far, not nice, however what they are familiar with, so be patient with them when they don't eat the treats you give them or when they run away scared from you, or fight with each other........they do slowly but surely become 'proper' chickens.

 

Good luck with them.

[debbie9946]

I have had mine nearly 2 months, and when mine came they were really bewildered. Now they act like they own the joint. Mine are always coming in the house to see where I am, and come running to me as soon as I enter the garden. I know they may not act grateful, so to speak, but my reward is seeing the contented look on their faces when they are sunbathing.

[dancing cloud]

So how was the first weekend of freedom for all those lucky girls and their lovely adopters?

 

Hope everything is going well and we get to see pix soon