| When you first get your ex-battery hens home you | | | | girls' have built up their strength and confidence. |
| may find that they look like they are in a pretty | | | | Whenever two flocks are mixed, whatever the |
| poorly state - most hens that survive their life in a | | | | situation, a quarantine period of at least 30 days is |
| battery farm will have up to two thirds of their | | | | always advisable. Each flock will have built up its own |
| feathers missing. Their beaks will have been trimmed | | | | immunities to their own particular environment. Couple |
| to prevent them pecking at each other. Legs will be | | | | that with the stress of a move, and/or the upset |
| lumpy and bumpy. Toe claws are usually long and | | | | new additions can bring and even seemingly healthy |
| their combs will probably be quite large and pale. | | | | flocks can 'catch' something if mixed in together |
| Happily, most issues will be aesthetic and resolved | | | | straight away. With battery hens you have the |
| relatively quickly with a few weeks of 'the good life'! | | | | additional consideration of their appearance - bare and |
| Re-homing ex battery hens is not just about putting | | | | sore patches are often an invitation for others to |
| them into a big enough space with shelter, food and | | | | peck (surprisingly this can happen even amongst |
| water and hoping they are going to be okay. They | | | | themselves). There is also a good probability that |
| will need a little supervision and guidance to become a | | | | they will already be at less than full strength and |
| 'real' chicken again. Food and water dishes may need | | | | confidence, which can sometimes prevent them |
| to be a little deeper to allow for their trimmed beaks. | | | | approaching the feeder and waterer if other more |
| It will probably take a few days (even weeks) for | | | | confident chickens are around. All in all, a separate |
| them to get used to having space to move around in | | | | safe area for them to get used to things is likely to |
| and fresh air to breathe. You may find that they | | | | be very beneficial. As can be expected with any |
| hardly move at all to begin with, and they might even | | | | flock of chickens once they have settled in a little |
| surprise you by wanting to stay inside the coop! | | | | there will probably be the usual squabbles as they |
| When you consider the life that the battery hen has | | | | sort out a pecking order between themselves. |
| become used to (in fact the only one she has ever | | | | Their new home should be a sturdy, comfortable, |
| known), it is easy to see how her new life outside of | | | | draft free place that offers good protection from |
| the cage may seem quite bewildering to her. It will be | | | | predators. These hens might not be physically very |
| the first time she has walked about, pecked for | | | | strong due to a lifetime of inactivity, so you may |
| bugs, seen the sky, felt grass (or straw or mud) | | | | wish to make sure that they have a ramp up to their |
| under her feet, dust bathed and even roosted. | | | | roosts or nest boxes, or perhaps even start them |
| Everything will be new - and probably scary. This may | | | | off with a nest box or bedding on the floor. As they |
| result in a very timid bird, or it could even cause her | | | | probably have never roosted before they are likely |
| to be a little aggressive. She could 'flop around,' as if | | | | to huddle on the floor at night initially and so it must |
| unsure how to use her limbs. She may not want to | | | | be safe for them to do so. Despite having reached |
| move about a lot, and it can take a little bit of time | | | | the end of their commercial egg laying life, you will |
| before she will be ready to explore. In fact, in many | | | | probably find that they will still continue to lay a few |
| ways, ex-battery hens may not act like 'normal' | | | | eggs. They might take a few weeks to get back |
| chickens at all, but be patient; a transformation is | | | | into the swing of things, and don't expect them to |
| taking place. | | | | always lay in the nestboxes - some hens will lay eggs |
| You will need to make sure you have some kind of | | | | as they are walking around. Do not worry though as |
| layers feed available for your new hens. They will | | | | most hens eventually do start laying in the comfort |
| most likely have been fed a layers mash at the farm | | | | of the nest box. Golf balls or other 'pretend' eggs left |
| (you can double check that with the farmer / | | | | in the nests can sometimes help give your new hens |
| rehoming organisation), so if you can continue with | | | | a nudge in the right direction. |
| the food format they are used to, at least for the | | | | The satisfaction that you will receive from watching |
| first few weeks, then that should also help them | | | | each of these hens become more like a normal |
| settle in quicker. Additionally, a poultry vitamin / | | | | healthy chicken is beyond words. They will show you |
| nutrient supplement can also help give them an extra | | | | how much they appreciate this second chance, not |
| little boost. | | | | just by the amount of eggs they lay, but in the life |
| Where there is already an existing flock it is best to | | | | that you can see being injected back in to them! |
| keep the two groups separate, at least until the 'new | | | | |