Eglu Go With 2m Run For Sale

[Guest]

We've registered to hopefully rehome 2 ex-batt girls, I think it will be at least a couple of months before they are available, by then we will have 6 girls here.

 

I'd love to get the ex-batts a chance of a nice life, the only things I am worried about are:

 

1) will the others be meaner to ex-batts than normal newbies if they sense weakness? If so, do intros have to be done differently?

2) what special care do they need?

3) do they need special food?

4) can I take them on as I dont have heating in the WIR?

5) can I take them as I would have 6 resident hens but would only be introducing 2 ex-batts - would this be cruel?

 

Any help/advice on ex-batts would be great.

[sparkysmum]

Kalico wrote :

We've registered to hopefully rehome 2 ex-batt girls, I think it will be at least a couple of months before they are available, by then we will have 6 girls here.

 

I'd love to get the ex-batts a chance of a nice life, the only things I am worried about are:

 

1) will the others be meaner to ex-batts than normal newbies if they sense weakness? If so, do intros have to be done differently?

Our Ex batts from the start were feisty characters & I can't imagine them having problems integrating with others.

2) what special care do they need?

I don't think any special care as such......they just got on with life & discovered sunbathing , scratching & dustbathing for themselves. Nature takes over really.

3) do they need special food?

 

No special food although you can buy ex batt crumb. My ladies wouldn't eat it though they have wiggly wigglers mash + bokashi. They will eat anything you provide by way of treats. Mine love Garvo but too expensive for everyday.

4) can I take them on as I dont have heating in the WIR?

Mine only get a heat lamp in the very depths of winter.

5) can I take them as I would have 6 resident hens but would only be introducing 2 ex-batts - would this be cruel?

 

My ex batts were always happy around other hens. Boris my original ex batt is kindly & placid but still top chook & is happy with her little chook family,

[Purplemaniacs]

I am hoping to get some ex-batts.

 

I think it depends on what condition they are in, some times they need more care than others.

 

I think there is special food for them and I have read that some are so weak that they have taken the roosting bars out of the eglu.

 

Chrissie

[Patricia W]

I have had 7 over the last year and still have 5. It does depend on the condition they come is as to the care they need, but you are advised to keep them separate for at least 2 weeks ( 6 if you have a cockerel like me) as their bones are generally weak.

 

I use ex-bat pellets for all mine anyway but you have to start them on crumbs or mash as that's what they are used to. Mine rejected all treats at first because they were " strange" but are now the first in line.

 

I thoroughly recommend them. My remaining 5 are now all well-feathered and just enjoying life. I think they are remarkably resilient. Some do have problems though so you need to factor in the cost of extra vet's visits - just in case. I've never needed to, as the two that I lost died peacefully after a day of free ranging, but others have found them costly.

[metallica1]

Go for it! I got 6 last may. I lost one at the end of last year, she had a growth in her abdomin. I will not lie to you they can get things wrong with them, but they will surprise you how they battle on regardless. My girls have been the vets a few times mainly for antibiotics so not overly expensive. The day i got my girls was the best day of my life ( hope my OH does'nt read this )

[scarlettohara]

I have had 7 over the last year and still have 5. It does depend on the condition they come is as to the care they need, but you are advised to keep them separate for at least 2 weeks ( 6 if you have a cockerel like me) as their bones are generally weak.

 

I use ex-bat pellets for all mine anyway but you have to start them on crumbs or mash as that's what they are used to. Mine rejected all treats at first because they were " strange" but are now the first in line.

 

I thoroughly recommend them. My remaining 5 are now all well-feathered and just enjoying life. I think they are remarkably resilient. Some do have problems though so you need to factor in the cost of extra vet's visits - just in case. I've never needed to, as the two that I lost died peacefully after a day of free ranging, but others have found them costly.

 

I have 4, 2 i integrated after 2 months, generally fine but they are the first to get picked on by the skylines who are bullies anyway My latest 2 are very bald and much weaker (one stands on one leg most of the time but this may be a habit as she can weight bear). The smaller one is very feisty and squares up to the others through the netting when they are fring I won't be putting them with any others until they are fully feathered and then they will go with the other ex-bats in the

 

Mine are fed on Garvo, ex-bats are not used to roosting so bars should be taken out until they are stronger

Edited February 3, 2011 by Guest

[Tweety]

As Patricia says, a lot depends on their condition when you get them. I got my second lot of ex batts at the beginning of December and I haven't introduced them to my other girls yet. They need time to build up some strength and feather up if they are as threadbare as mine. Having said that, they are feisty girls and I had no problems with introductions first time. I feed all my girls on ex batt crumbs but if you don't want to do that you can start off the ex batts on layers mash, which is what they are used to, and gradually wean them onto whatever you use for your other hens.

I love my ex batts and would really recommend getting some. You can always phone the BHWT and have a chat with them about it too. Good luck!

[jimnpaula]

My first girls were ex batts.

It's lovely to see them turn from (click the pics):

to

 

Have a look at the rest of the album. Prepare yourself for collection day. The sight of hundreds of scraggly chickens milling about on someones patio was a bit of a shock, and they smell. They won't be used to space or walking around and will be unfit, but not necessarily unhealthy. They'll be used to mash not pellets, and mine used the super glug straight away so I expect they had a gravity water system inside. They will be weak and not used to roosting, just sleeping on the floor, and will sleep in the nestbox if you don't take the bars out.

 

Oh, I could go on forever but most of the stuff I'll say has been said or is easy to find out. They're just so lovely to watch as they discover how to be real chickens.

 

P

[Space Chick]

 

1) will the others be meaner to ex-batts than normal newbies if they sense weakness? If so, do intros have to be done differently?

 

I would say definitely not, ex batts are feisty madams however, I would keep them completely separate for the first 2 weeks to allow them time to build up strength.

 

2) what special care do they need?

 

None, although they will take a little while to realise they are chickens

 

3) do they need special food?

 

They need layers mash when they first come out as that's all they would have had. Allen and Page do an ex batt layers mash which basically has like a poultry spice added to build them up a bit. After a couple of weeks though you can start introducing pellets. My ex batts were on all pellets by about 6 weeks after being rescued. They also take a while to work out treats too

 

4) can I take them on as I dont have heating in the WIR?

 

I haven't got heating in my run, and they have always been fine

 

5) can I take them as I would have 6 resident hens but would only be introducing 2 ex-batts - would this be cruel?

 

When I introduced ex batts, I introduced 3 to 7, although I am hoping to take on a couple more in the future, and that will be adding 2 or 3 to a big flock. It's fine

 

 

It is so rewarding having them. I cried at so many first... First dustbath, first free range, first time they realised what treats were etc etc

 

I have 2 of mine still with me and they really love life now and are cheeky and happy girls. They have both retired from laying (well we get an odd egg every couple of months) and have been out of the cage longer than they were in it.

 

Watching them transform into beautiful chickens is such a privilege

 

Although expect them to just lay where they stand to start with, as they would have only been able to lay where they stand in the cage. In time they will learn to use the nest though

 

Good luck, I guarantee you won't regret it

[Falkor]

We've registered to hopefully rehome 2 ex-batt girls, I think it will be at least a couple of months before they are available, by then we will have 6 girls here.

 

I'd love to get the ex-batts a chance of a nice life, the only things I am worried about are:

 

1) will the others be meaner to ex-batts than normal newbies if they sense weakness? If so, do intros have to be done differently?

I would say that exbatts need a longer period away from the existing flock than a normal chicken intro. I wait until they are eating and drinking well and starting to show regular chicken behaviour. As they have never had the opportunity to walk around they have very little muscle tone/strength so they may not get out of the way quick enough if existing hens take exception to them. Intros should be slow and carefully supervised but as stated before they tend to be fairly feisty madams onces they are over the initial shock of the move.

2) what special care do they need?

Love is all they really need. Maybe a water supplement like Lifeguard if you wish.

The majority of the hens that are rehomed are fine, just weak and scraggy looking. They quickly recover. Occasionally they will develop limps a few days after being rehomed but these heal in a week or two.

3) do they need special food?

When first taken home exbatts should be fed on mash as this is what they are used to at the farm. Pellets can be introduced slowly after a few weeks. Start by mixed a handful of pellets with their mash and each few days up the % to mash. The most important factor when feeding exbatts is that the feed is of good quailty. Their past lives and egg laying machine days mean that they need really good nutrition

4) can I take them on as I dont have heating in the WIR?

Unless you get very bald/naked hens the need for a heat source is pretty slim. Even when temperatures plummeted late last year and I have some bare naked ladies in one of my runs they ignored the heat lamp. A well sheltered run with wind protection but good ventilation is of utmost importance. As I said before they are mostly just scruffy looking.

5) can I take them as I would have 6 resident hens but would only be introducing 2 ex-batts - would this be cruel?

As long as they are strong enough and intros are managed carefully then they should be fine. Go at their pace and don't rush it and all should be fine

 

I used to be a pure breed gal and said I would help my friend Anna with her first BHWT Northants Rehoming. I even remember saying to her "There is absolutely NO WAY that any of those scruffy red things are coming home with me!" Famous last words eh!? I help at every rehoming, the most recent one lasting three days and now have one or two exbatts living with me.

 

and don't tell my pure breeds but the batts are my favourites!

 

Any help/advice on ex-batts would be great.

[Chickybaby]

1) will the others be meaner to ex-batts than normal newbies if they sense weakness? If so, do intros have to be done differently?

I have only ever had ex-bats, so I can't comment on other breeds of chickens, but I have never had any problem introducing new ex-bats to my older ones. I'm perhaps in the minority in that I always put my new chickens straight in with my older ones, with supervision of course. I always do it in the garden so they have plenty of space to get away from each other if need be. It takes about 2 or 3 hours of constant supervision and this method isn't everyone's way of doing it.

 

2) what special care do they need? They just need time and space to get used to living their life outside their cages. The charities do not rehome the really poorly ones so chances are yours will be fine, they could be a little weak though.

 

3) do they need special food? I have always fed mine normal layers mash from day 1. I think they get mash in the battery cages so they should be used to it. There is some special food for ex-bats on the market but I've never used it. I also give them tuna, mealworms etc to build them up, in fact they'll eat anything after a few days!

 

4) can I take them on as I dont have heating in the WIR? They will be fine if they all snuggle up together. I re-homed some last October and they weren't fully feathered when we had all that cold weather but you'll be surprised how much heat they all produce once snuggled up together.

 

5) can I take them as I would have 6 resident hens but would only be introducing 2 ex-batts - would this be cruel? Not at all.

 

Well done on doing it.....you won't regret it and you'll love them to bits!

[Space Chick]

One or two Falkor

 

Wasn't it about a dozen ex batts at the last count

[Guest]

Awwww thank you all, I would love to give them a good life and let them experience normal chicken life.

 

How awful that animals have to live like that.

[Mercedes55]

We got our girls the other way round, we started out with no knowledge of keeping hens last July by taking on 4 ex batts. I have to say, as has been said before, it was very emotional. I hadn't expected them to be in such a bad state feather wise. Ours were fine right away with the Eglu and were okay with the perches in there too. We have always given them the ex batt food, starting with the crumbs and going onto the pellets. Even when we had temperatures of minus 10 they were all fine with no extra heating.

 

We bought 4 pure breeds back in September so our introductions were the other way around and I have to say the new girls were quite intimidated by the ex batts as they do tend to be quite feisty.

 

Now all 8 girls share the same Cube and WIR and they all get along really well together

[Falkor]

One or two Falkor

 

Wasn't it about a dozen ex batts at the last count

 

OMG just had a quick mental count up and I have 19

[Snoxy]

I got my 5 ex batts on the 12th December and I ADORE them

 

All but one are now virtually fully feathered and I will be introducing them to my existing flock of 15 very soon

[Purplemaniacs]

One or two Falkor

 

Wasn't it about a dozen ex batts at the last count

 

OMG just had a quick mental count up and I have 19

How many was that Falkor?

 

Chrissie

[Space Chick]

One or two Falkor

 

Wasn't it about a dozen ex batts at the last count

 

OMG just had a quick mental count up and I have 19

 

 

I love you Falkor

 

I remember when you said you'd only ever have pure breeds

[alet_chicken]

We have rehomed 3 lots of 4 ex-batts over the last 3 years, and I can recommend it, it's really touching to see them develop from scraggy shy little things to bolshy bossy madams with lots of shiny feathers.

 

1) will the others be meaner to ex-batts than normal newbies if they sense weakness? If so, do intros have to be done differently?

I would take it slower with ex-batts, just because they have to get used to being outside, being able to move around, etc. in addition to the usual challenges of introduction. If anything, my experience is that ex-batts tend to on the aggressive side to strange hens, I guess it comes from having to fight for things all their lives.

 

2) what special care do they need?

Nothing really, mine have all been basically healthy from the start (it makes economic sense to keep battery hens as healthy as possible). They will be weak, unfit and shy to start with, but this will soon improve (I now hanker back to the days when my ex-batts couldn't jump on the garden table ).

 

3) do they need special food?

They will need mash to start with (they won't recognise anything else as food), but you can switch over to pellets if that's what your other hens eat. Just do it gradually like the others suggested above.

 

4) can I take them on as I dont have heating in the WIR?

Yes, they're tough as old boots really.

 

5) can I take them as I would have 6 resident hens but would only be introducing 2 ex-batts - would this be cruel?

I don't think this would a problem. Just be aware that very occasionally ex-batts don't last long after release because the shock is just too much for their little bodies. If this happens (and I stress this would be VERY unlikely) then you would be left with one lone ex-batt, and introducing one chicken is not really recommended. So while I think 3 would be great if you have the space ... 2 is a good if you are aware of the risks.

 

I would say, go for it! They have really enriched my life and although we'll always have purebreed girls (my OH likes funny-coloured eggs), I can't imagine life without my little ginger ninjas.

[Dappy Chick]

One or two Falkor

 

Wasn't it about a dozen ex batts at the last count

 

OMG just had a quick mental count up and I have 19

 

 

I love you Falkor

 

I remember when you said you'd only ever have pure breeds

 

 

I remember that comment too ha ha.

 

The first time I asked Emma to "Foster" some batts there was only the tiniest split second of hesitation......not. Oh and guess what Fostering became Adoption

 

Have to say I am so relieved at the change of heart I simply couldn't look after them all on my own

 

Now Em makes space for the next batch every time we have another rescue

[Falkor]

I remember that comment too ha ha.

 

The first time I asked Emma to "Foster" some batts there was only the tiniest split second of hesitation......not. Oh and guess what Fostering became Adoption

 

Have to say I am so relieved at the change of heart I simply couldn't look after them all on my own

 

Now Em makes space for the next batch every time we have another rescue

 

Well "Ooops, word censored!"ody else wanted to take the chicken with the "weird neck thing going on". Arrrh Necky, we all love you now that you have uncorkscrewed yourself!!

 

I love it!!! They are SO rewarding and fun! Eggs are a bonus too! I got 14 eggs from exbatts today Pure breeds, just the one.

 

One or two Falkor

 

Wasn't it about a dozen ex batts at the last count

 

OMG just had a quick mental count up and I have 19

 

 

I love you Falkor

 

I remember when you said you'd only ever have pure breeds

 

Love you too SC - I remember when you said you were at max capacity and were not going to get anymore chooks!

[Space Chick]

Fair comment Falkor

 

But that space at the end of my garden was just crying out for walk in run 2

[Aunty e]

Mine were vicious little monsters, and never had any trouble standing up to my other girls. I did lose two though, very early on which might have been the weather, it was snowing for the first few weeks we had them. If it had been summer, I would have chucked them straight in as they were jumping three feet in the air the day after we got them home to steal treats.

 

I still have one baldy, but the others are beautiful and they're all coming back into lay now One of them even has her own name. Well, a recycled name, but she's not just a Bonnie.

[Lavenders_Blue]

Oh, I could talk all day about how wonderful ex bats are!

I don't think there's anything more useful that I can add, but I'd echo the advice that first and foremost they need to learn to be chickens. Mine stood around looking thoroughly confused for about 3 days, laid their eggs where they were standing, didn't know what treats were, how to scratch, how to dust bath or even how to go to bed. Some of these things you'll need to help them with (putting them to bed for the first few nights, showing them where the food and water is) the rest they will work out by themselves. It only took a few weeks for mine to realise that the nest box is a much nicer place to lay an egg than the grass/mud/patio.

You can either give them ordinary layers mash and then switch to pellets or ex bats crumbs and switch to pellets if you wish.

Oh and another good idea would be to give them a thorough spray with some Johnson's anti mite spray when you get them. Mine came with lice but they can also bring other nasties such as scaley leg mite and red mite, none of which you want spreading to the rest of your flock. When they've settled in for a few weeks, worm them too as surprisingly they can also bring worms.

Most of all though, just enjoy them, mine are the sweetest, cheekiest madams and I just wouldn't be without them! (Especially Bella who likes to hop on my knee for a snooze.... awwwwww)