Eglu Go Up (with 2m run) - South Wales

[dancing cloud]

As I've posted elsewhere, I'm adopting more ex-batts this Sunday from BHWT .

 

There are not yet enough homes available for all of the lucky hens that could be rescued, and those of us already on the list have been asked if we know of anyone in the Essex/Suffolk area who might like to adopt some of these ladies. Where better to start looking for lovely henny retirement homes than with my fellow Omleteers?

 

BHWT Hen Central contact details can be found here, and there's lots of info about adopting and caring for your ex-batts on their website too, if you want to read up:-

http://www.bhwt.org.uk/cms/contact-us/

If you would like to adopt some girls on Sunday, rules and regs mean you must register with BHWT before they can add you to their list. They cannot hand girls over to anyone who just shows up! The Essex link shows a collection at Great Totham on 5th and this is an extra adoption at Jimmy's Farm as well - lots of lucky girls coming out in to the sunshine on Sunday

 

Info and directions for this collection at Jimmy's Farm, near Ipswich, can be found here:-

http://www.jimmysfarm.com/index.cfm/fa/content.list/page/543

Actual times will be confirmed by BHWT when you contact them.

 

They may come out looking a bit sad like Chance here

 

 

and they become proper little cheeky-chooks like her in no time at all!

 

 

Please do contact BHWT if you can help.

Edited June 12, 2011 by Guest

[dancing cloud]

Quick update, if you're adopting any of these lovely ladies on Sunday, find me and say a big Omlet hello, as I'm going to be helping

 

I've been considering volunteering and thought the Essex branch might be a bit stretched with two collections on the same day, so asked if they might like an extra pair of hands. Turns out they would .

 

Amongst other things, I'll be meeting the girls when they get to Jimmy's, unloading them and making sure they're sorted into holding areas, ready and waiting to be introduced to their adopters and be packed up to go to their new homes . I know lots of other Omleteers have helped/run rescues and all their posts have been very positive, so I'm expecting a rather mucky and possibly tiring, but very rewarding day.

 

Of course, the best reward will be bringing home three(-ish) more little girls of my own

[GeorgieB]

I have put this posting on The Ex Battery Hens Forum too (http://exbatteryhens.com/index/). They were surprised one of the coordinators hadn't already.

 

Hope they manage to find homes for them all. Have fun!

[dancing cloud]

Many thanks for doing that GeorgieB - I didn't even know there was such a forum

 

A whole forum just about ex-batts is too good to miss. Off to explore, I may be gone some time ...

[Shirl]

I'd been thinking about getting 2 or 3 more ladies and just happened to go to the BHWT site to see there is a rescue on Sunday. Hopefully I'll be getting some new girls from Great Totham on Sunday. I can't wait and fortunately it is so much warmer than when I got the last lot in November.

[dancing cloud]

If you find yourself collecting from Jimmy's rather than Great Totham, do find me and say hello

 

My last batch came out the week before xmas last year and we got home only about 1/2 hr before the "big" snow fell. For the first three weeks, they thought the world only came in white . They were utterly thrilled to discover green when that was visible and, while Holly was only with me for four months , Mistletoe and Berry are now thoroughly enjoying their first summer

[GeorgieB]

Hi Dancing Cloud, hope you don't mind that I've stolen your wording but I thought I'd put a post on of all the other rescues that are happening soon. I heard a lot of farms are closing down this year, so they will need all the help they can get.

 

Georgie x

[dancing cloud]

Sorry I've not updated sooner - been too busy introducing my new littlies to the big girls

 

Everything went really well and all the hens had homes to go to - 390 of them! Here they are, on the lookout for the arrival of their new chicken mummies and daddies:-

 

 

 

Look closely at the second photo, right at the back in the middle of the right-hand fence panel, see the little naked lady? Here she is again - she came home with me

 

 

I actually brought home three new girls and that's Angel. I'd picked her up to give to an adopter, who said she didn't really want one that bald. When I put the little girl down again to pick up another, she just stood there looking all lost and forlorn , bottom beak all quivering it was, so I scooped her up. She's totally oven-ready but eats enough for three her size, so I'm sure she'll thrive.

 

The other two were walking wounded that I'd volunteered to take. This was my fifth batch, so I was reasonably confident I could deal with minor injuries This is Amber, who's equally naked and had a badly-pecked back that's healing nicely. Just look at the size of her crop too! She's the brains of the outfit and the most adventurous, always first into everything.

 

 

And last, but certainly not least, is Alice who has a damaged left wing.

 

 

A week on and the wing still droops, but she's moving it and flapping it, so I'm certain of a full recovery in time. She also struggles to see out of her left eye under her floppy comb, but that is already lifting and she seems a lot more confident now she can see better.

 

The big girls have been very good with them - a couple of days of shouting and bawling, and then they got bored. Supervised mingling went well and they can now pretty much be left together full time. The only time I really need to be there is bed-time and that's just because Amber always wants to join the big girls in the . They very much do not want her in there, so I have to rescue her and send her back to share the with Alice and Angel. I have a feeling Amber's going to persist until they accept her!

[witzend]

I'm sorry to say I'd NO IDEA ex-batts were this badly off ............it's horrible. Well done to you and everyone who have the hearts and gardens big enought to given them what they deserve

[dancing cloud]

As you can see from the photos, most of the rescued girlies were in a much more reasonable state. I did bring home three of the worst ones and they will get fat and feathered very quickly now they have unlimited food and water, and access to fresh air and sunshine (and a human to spoil them silly) .

[Sam]

Wow, she really is bald

Poor girl, hope she feathers up soon

& I hope Alices wing is okay

[migsy]

Brilliant photos! Hope your little baldies feather up soon!

[fluffy chick]

so glad they all found good homes at last

[Chicken shack]

Sorry I've not updated sooner - been too busy introducing my new littlies to the big girls

 

Everything went really well and all the hens had homes to go to - 390 of them! Here they are, on the lookout for the arrival of their new chicken mummies and daddies:-

 

 

 

Look closely at the second photo, right at the back in the middle of the right-hand fence panel, see the little naked lady? Here she is again - she came home with me

 

 

I actually brought home three new girls and that's Angel. I'd picked her up to give to an adopter, who said she didn't really want one that bald. When I put the little girl down again to pick up another, she just stood there looking all lost and forlorn , bottom beak all quivering it was, so I scooped her up. She's totally oven-ready but eats enough for three her size, so I'm sure she'll thrive.

 

The other two were walking wounded that I'd volunteered to take. This was my fifth batch, so I was reasonably confident I could deal with minor injuries This is Amber, who's equally naked and had a badly-pecked back that's healing nicely. Just look at the size of her crop too! She's the brains of the outfit and the most adventurous, always first into everything.

 

 

And last, but certainly not least, is Alice who has a damaged left wing.

 

 

A week on and the wing still droops, but she's moving it and flapping it, so I'm certain of a full recovery in time. She also struggles to see out of her left eye under her floppy comb, but that is already lifting and she seems a lot more confident now she can see better.

 

The big girls have been very good with them - a couple of days of shouting and bawling, and then they got bored. Supervised mingling went well and they can now pretty much be left together full time. The only time I really need to be there is bed-time and that's just because Amber always wants to join the big girls in the . They very much do not want her in there, so I have to rescue her and send her back to share the with Alice and Angel. I have a feeling Amber's going to persist until they accept her!

It breaks my heart to see them like this. Please update this post with thier progress. Well done.

[GeorgieB]

That's fab news that they all got homes

Great photos! Good on you for taking those poor girlies. I've never seen one quite as 'oven ready' as Angel before, but she looks like a fighter so I'm sure she'll do very well with you. Does Alice's wing not need to be held in the natural position to heal properly? I nearly took on one with a broken wing last weekend and the lady said I'd need to keep the wing taped up with vet tape for a couple of weeks. She ended up keeping her though as she got too attached to her. I did end up with 4 girls in the end though instead of 2

[Chicken Kitty]

Poor little things, bless them

I'm sure they'll thrive now!