Ex Battery hens

[PK]

Hi Willow - yes you're right. I just came across this:-

Isa Brown (sometimes, incorrectly, referred to as a Warren)
Favoured in British battery systems, due to the large numbers of big brown eggs

[melons]

Mine all came from the same rescue but are a total hotch potch of breeds / crosses, there's one who has leghorn in her, yellow legs & huge comb, one who is Barnevelder, laced feathers & shape, & one has a bit of Rhode Island red, typical colour & a very staright back, those 3 are fairly typical of the breeds crossed with something else? The two others could be anything, ones still Au Naturelle, so hard to tell, the other is very small, so gawd knows

I popped into a guy on the way from from work on friday who breeds hens of all descriptions, I saw Lohmans there, def not mine, & ISA browns, def not mine either. They are usually bred from basic laying breeds, then bred & bred & bred, they are all so different.

[Willow]

Strange, I would have thought that battery hen 'farmers' would at least stick to a tried and tested 'egg producer' with the right temprament etc for the purpose..
Obviously they just dont care about temprament or anything besides egg production over the first year..

[morph]

As far as I know batts are bred for their docilty, and I don't know if it's true with hens, but perhaps the more they're crossed, the less highly strung they become??

An electrician who keeps hens thought mine were Warrens, so perhaps they are - god knows though!

[Willow]

I would have thought that would depend on what they were crossed with.. I was just comenting on Mels answer about her ex batts. , I truly thought they would all be of one breed, bred specificaly for that purpose.. I know it doent make it any less cruel but at least having known docile hens may make the injuries etc less likely..

[wendy]

They certainly are the sweetest and trusting of girls, whatever their breeding.
But they still come out having been pecked, sometimes beyond reconition of a live bird. Heaven knows what they would be like then if they were 'other' breeds.
They will all peck, regardless of how docile they are, as there is nothing to do, they cannot perform natural behaviours and that builds frustration in any animal.
Wendy

[Willow]

Well there's me thinking there would be loads of ex battery hens just waiting for a good home... I've been phoning around and have found that the chooks are booked up weeks / months ahead of the rescue dates! It looks as though demand has outstripped supply.. Which I think is wonderful for the poor little ladies, but is going to need some patients from any expectant new 'parents' ..
We're not going to give up - just have to wait a bit longer than expected. :(

[melons]

This is what happened when I rang round to find some girls, hence them coming from Devon to Essex, then onto me in Cambridgeshire. Essex didn't have a near rescue date, & had loads of expenctant parents waiting, so they shipped them in
We've got another rescue from where my sisters, Wendy's & b-cos-i-can'z girls came from, but this is in Bedford, it is meant to be in October, around the 19th ish, as Linda who rescues them has a family member in hospital, so i'm just waiting for an e-mail, do you want me to let you know when? I'm sure we can sort something out :wink:
It is good news that the demand is so high, but not when your broody for some, I wanted mine now, this minute, but then I'm a brat

[Willow]

Please Mel... If you could let me know it would be great. I'm going to have to get the 'others' sooner though because they also have a waiting list!.. I've decided on a Maran (French if poss). a White star and an Araucana - (Chocolate brown, White and Blue eggs.. )
I'm pretty much like you when it comes to waiting.. not the most patient - its a bit like waiting for Tigger to pop!

[melons]

No more popping for Tigger bless her, how is she after her bits were left at the vets?
When I hear I'll let you know one way or another, I keep in touch with Linda & she knows I want to be told when she's going next, I think there is also someone on Wendy's forum who might want a couple.
I think i'm going to wait till spring before I get some more, I am worried about adding to my girls, as it's a very happy household at the mo
I'll keep my ears to the ground then
Take care

[melons]

forgot to say, your new "other" hens sound fantastic, I'd love some Orpingtons, but I can't have everything, I've pushed it with my hen malarky

[Willow]

Mel its not a 'Hen Malarkey - its a 'calling', :mrgreen:
Tigger is great - op. went well and she's showing no signs of discomfort .. she's yelling for her brood even though they dont give a hoot.. got to keep them sepperate till she heals now though..