kazmac Posted March 5, 2013 Share Posted March 5, 2013 We're rescuing some ex-batts in just under three weeks, as I mentioned on another thread. We're very excited and are very much looking forward to it. We've been waiting for over 18 months, so it's been a long time coming! However, although we have many other animals, we're new to keeping chickens. So we'd appreciate some advice about how best to look after them when we first get them home. We've had plenty time to read lots about it, and have navigated this forum extensively, and we have a few things organised already. We have our and run and we have feed (ex-batt crumbs, pellets, mixed corn, grit, some treats, etc) and are in the process of establishing a chooky first aid kit (have some stuff already for other pets such as purple spray, Avipro and such) but although there are lots of things recommended, we're trying to make sure we have all the 'essentials' in place before we collect our girls. Are there any 'essentials' which those of you much more experienced than us would recommend that we get? Plus what do we need to do for them when we get them home? I mean in terms of supplements or things like worming etc. All advice will be gratefully received! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kinsk Posted March 5, 2013 Share Posted March 5, 2013 Lucky you. I adored my ex-bats, they really are the most rewarding things. I was a complete beginner too when I got my first 3. You've got your and run, and presumably the grub and glug or something similar for food and water. Something to put grit in, a plant pot on it's side is good, although they probably wont bother with it for a few weeks as they wont know what it is Depending where you have sited your run you may need some wood chips as once they've found their feet they will start scratching it up. Mine really didn't know what treats were so we left them out for a few weeks. What I did do was give them a warm mash with some meal worms in to up the protein level, just ex batt crumbs with hot water mixed in and meal worms. Most of all enjoy seeing them come to life and flourish. It a learning curve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kazmac Posted March 5, 2013 Author Share Posted March 5, 2013 Ah yes, we have a grub & glug too! Plus a grit station, but it was given to us and it's plastic and looks like it will be easily tipped over. So I like the plant pot idea! Should we have more than one grub & glug? We're getting 4 girls. The is going behind the garage where we have a bit of 'waste' ground which we don't use for anything (once we find it having chopped down all the weeds - no weedkiller though! ) so it will be on rough soil. Was thinking of getting some bark just to put down inside the run?? And yes, we thought they might not know what treats are, so have only got a couple of pecking things from Natures Grub for now. We do have plenty mealworms though, as I have rats and hedgehogs. So a mash with those will be no problem. We will of course spoil them, but healthily, and we just want to make sure we have everything we'll need to begin with and not be left wishing we had something or needing something important in a hurry. Is there anything in particular we should watch out for when they're new? Particularly related to stress, for example? Should we give them a supplement to combat this? If so, which should we use? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted March 5, 2013 Share Posted March 5, 2013 Congrats on choosing ex batts! They are such super little birds and it's very rewarding to watch them develop from baldy chooks to fully feathered cheeky chooks! I would say that you need more than one food and drink station, at least in the early days. It doesn't have to be a grub and glug - anything will do. They can sometimes be quite nasty to each other to begin with until the pecking order is established and there can be a bully hen who will guard the food and drink from the others. Not always the case, but be aware in case it happens. Don't worry about jumping in with loads of treats, supplements and worming. Just leave them be with their ex batt crumb and water for a week or so until they settle. The ex batt crumb has everything they need in terms of nutrition and supplements that they need. After a week or so you can start to introduce treats if you wish, but sparingly. Maybe wait a month or so to worm them when they've built themselves up a bit. It might also be a good idea to check them for lice and mites when they arrive, as they can sometimes bring 'visitors' with them. You may have to put them to bed for a few nights until they learn where to go and you might find eggs in odd places until they work out what the nest box is for! Enjoy your new chooks and remember to post some photos on here when they arrive! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandmashazzie Posted March 5, 2013 Share Posted March 5, 2013 Good for you.We got ours in Sept and they have been grand.Rescue people had deloused so it was a matter of letting them settle .We put lifeguard tonic in water and put food in plastic bowls at first,they didn't bother with green veg and still don't but love sweet corn and mealworms.The only problem we had was getting them to go to coop first night,OH and I were chasing them around WIR,poor chickens.We had to give up then I googled it answer was to put torch in coop and up the ladder they trotted.We had to do that for 2 nights now they go to bed when it's dark.We also got a snugglesafe heat pad from amazon as thought it probably was very warm in battery land and temperature change might be too steep especially if they're bald.Lots of luck and enjoy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kazmac Posted March 5, 2013 Author Share Posted March 5, 2013 Thanks muchly. We're not doing too badly then, because we've considered a lot of the points you folks have raised. That's reassuring. My husband's away with work for a couple of days, so my daughter and I had a henny night tonight and have ordered a few bits & pieces - including another grub & glug as I'd read about having more than one to try to avoid guarding & bullying. We'll make sure we check for 'visitors' too and treat if necessary. Or would you say we should do that anyway? That is, if they're not already done. And we'll definitely introduce them here with photos once they've settled! Thanks for all the advice. I feel a bit less anxious now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted March 6, 2013 Share Posted March 6, 2013 I would check them if they've not already been done, and treat only if you see parasites. Lice are fairly obvious to spot - they tend to hang out in the fluffy feathers under the vent and sometimes under the wings too. Where it's nice and warm basically. Johnson's Anti Mite spray is best to clear the parasites. Barrier Louse powder is useless, although it does smell nice. Spray them all over (making sure you spray the skin, not the feathers as the spray needs to make contact with the beasties), then treat them again 7 days later to make sure any eggs that have hatched are zapped. Then check them again a week after that and treat if necessary, although they should be okay. There is a 48 hour egg withdrawal period with Johnson's Anti Mite spray, so be aware of that if you choose to use it. Spraying is best done as a two person job - one to hold the chook and one to spray. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandyhas3chucks Posted March 6, 2013 Share Posted March 6, 2013 Mostest essential Mealworms. they will quickly love them, and learn they come from you.. Also they are no longer battery, but from so called enhanced cages, and many are stronger than the ex batty girls, but some ARE worse.... There are three or so forums dedicated to Ex caged girls, google , ex bats forums, you will find a wealth of specific help from people dedicated to them, this really compliments the help on here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsunset Posted March 6, 2013 Share Posted March 6, 2013 I am so happy to see people do this and if I was closer would take HUGE pleasure in watching them come to life. Am quite envious of all those who do. Would quite happily take ten of them if I was near Edinburgh, but unfortunately am not. Good luck, and may you enjoy them to those who do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LottyJ1 Posted March 7, 2013 Share Posted March 7, 2013 Excellent some more very deserving girls going to a lovely home You sound like you have done everything you can to prepare. The little pots you hang on the run are good for grit etc and they don't take up much room - I have several hung around my WIR. The rescue team will tell you if the farm had any problems with mites and lice etc but I always give a quick dusting with barrier powder on arrival. The ex-batt crumb will contain everything they need and I would try to mix in the ex-batt pellet asap to get them used to it as the crumb tends to be quite messy. You will have to put them to bed the first night but it won't take long at all for them to get the idea - a day or so. Its amazing how they adapt. The enriched cage hens are a bit stronger than the battery caged hens but not much and their condition seems to be just as bad but they wont take long to look amazing and have fun watching them peck at grass for the first time, have a dust bath, scratch the ground and relax out in the sun I use life guard in their water and it wont take them long to realise the joys of a bit of corn in the evenings and meal worms. Have fun with them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimnpaula Posted March 7, 2013 Share Posted March 7, 2013 (edited) When we got ours we needed: (along with what's already mentioned above) a comfortable chair to sit in and watch them, a camera with charged batteries, some method of retrieving eggs laid at the farthest end of the run, and coloured pairs of leg-rings. When we got our batts we had seven tatty ginger birds in various states of featherlessness, I found the legring a useful identifier.... until they lifted up that leg. Then I realised you need a matching pair! I still remember the bewildered, threadbare, staggering birds I took home (via Tara's temporary accomodation - I haven't forgotten how helpful you were!). Their first realisation that they could stand up straight, and stretch out their wings. That there's something above them that's not a roof, that they can scratch the floor. It took them a few days to work out how to go to bed, and a few weeks to learn what the nestbox was for, and later the introduction of non-caged girls to teach them that hanging cabbages are there to be eaten, and not scared of. Well done for taking in these birds Just a thought, does your run have a cover yet? They'll probably appreciate protection from wind and rain until they get used to living outdoors. Edited March 7, 2013 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandyhas3chucks Posted March 7, 2013 Share Posted March 7, 2013 Oh that reminds me bless it was a good few weeks before my girls stopped looking at the sky in awe every morning.like /they said to each other look it's still there!!also when they first first got out of the box they were terrified and I remembered reading that some are of the space above! I quickly covered the run. And they were immediately. Relaxed, mine first were a hot summer release so shade was more important than wind and rain and frost protection.!!. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kazmac Posted March 8, 2013 Author Share Posted March 8, 2013 Thanks again to all. Yep, we know we'll probably have to put them to bed for the first wee while, bless them. Plus put them in out the rain etc. We have ordered a full length clear cover for the run so they don't get wet if it rains when we're not here. But, as mentioned by someone else, so that they can see the sky and learn there's actually a bigger world than that they've seen so far. It breaks my heart but am so looking forward to seeing them blossom and enjoy hopefully a long retirement with perhaps the gift of an egg or two as a bonus! Apologies for referring to them as ex-batts. Seem to have ruffled a couple of feathers in doing so! It was just a turn of phrase, really. But at this stage we don't actually know if they're coming from enriched cages or indeed batteries. There are certainly a couple of dodgy looking places not far from where we live! Very much appreciate all your help and how many people are offering advice. It's lovely. Thank you. Our Omlet order is apparently on its way too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted March 8, 2013 Share Posted March 8, 2013 Don't worry, I still call them ex batts! I think we are all so used to calling them ex batts that ex-caged doesn't seem to trip off the tongue quite so easily! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LottyJ1 Posted March 8, 2013 Share Posted March 8, 2013 I still call the ex-batts too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheeky Chooky Posted March 8, 2013 Share Posted March 8, 2013 Everyone calls them Ex-Batts Ex-Enriched Caged Hens doesn't quite have the same ring to it We brought our 3 home in December and they are the most wonderful girls They didn't eat for 3 days which was a worry and I soon realised that they didn't like Ex-Batt Crumb...the minute I changed it for Ex-Batt Pellets, they ate for England The Ex-Battery Hens Forum is fabulous and they're such a lovely bunch Well done for rescuing some Batties! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandyhas3chucks Posted March 8, 2013 Share Posted March 8, 2013 me too, but their condition "might" be a good surprise opening on the farm too... but many people think that since battery's were banned in the uk that they are kept nicely Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kazmac Posted March 8, 2013 Author Share Posted March 8, 2013 Ah glad to hear lots of people still call them ex-batts! Well, our Omlet delivery came today, as did our feed, as did our lovely new carriers. It's like Christmas morning in here! I had to stop myself pushing my daughter out the way to open all the boxes myself!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
counturchickens Posted March 8, 2013 Share Posted March 8, 2013 Good for you. We started hen keeping with ex batts, and only got a couple of p.o.l last year. Once they've had a few days settling they will be the friendliest and cheeky hens you have. So far, ex Batt cages hens were in ok condition, but very pale. Ex barn much better, but still pale. Has some ex commercial free range girls this year, who were in a state! Most of ours have started laying again after a short while and been not bad layers. The heartbreaker is they might not live too long, although we had Dora for 2and a bit years before she died peacefully. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
