Well, I can't tell you much about the ladies yet as Iv'e yet to pick them up, the 8th February 2014 just can't come quick enough now, that's when I go to the rescue centre and pick up six ex batt girls. So far Iv'e had a coop arrive, in a flat pack ready to assemble, the new feeders, feed is on order and so is the wood and wire for the run. Iv'e selected a nice little spot under a shady tree (well it will be once the leaves grow back) and am having a walk in run of 12" x 9" (instead of the original 10 x 10). No I'm not agile, hefty or clever enough to build it myself haha, so a close friend who just happens to be a carpenter so handy with a bit of wood and a hammer has offered to do the deed. Good man and all in exchange for a dinner on the day and the odd cup of tea. There are a few foxes around that Iv'e seen lately so a good sturdy run using aviary wire will hopefully keep them at bay, decided to cover the top as well as Iv'e heard they can shimmy up a tree and over the top... My dog Lola is pretty good and lets me know if they are around too. Rats I don't think will be too much of a problem as my boys Harley and DeeJay (cats) have had the time of their lives seeing them off when we first moved here. The dog and the cats should be ok after all they do live with a tank of fish and two cockatiels as well and totally ignore them, a bit curious at first no doubt!
you must be very excited! don't forget foxes can dig in underneath the run too, to make it safe it really needs either pavers or a wire "skirt" around the run (you can put the turf on top of it so it cant be seen) Well you've got a week to turn your run into a palace for your chooks, be sure to post some pics on here for us to see.
"He who is cruel to animals becomes hard also in his dealings with men. We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals." --Immanuel Kant
I remember having everything ready and waiting for chickens i used to go out and keep fluffing up the sawdust even though nothing had been in it: thinking back i may have been getting broody
Cant wait to see the pics of you with your new ladies!
kitla wrote:you must be very excited! don't forget foxes can dig in underneath the run too, to make it safe it really needs either pavers or a wire "skirt" around the run (you can put the turf on top of it so it cant be seen) Well you've got a week to turn your run into a palace for your chooks, be sure to post some pics on here for us to see.
Yeah, we've been down the garden again and had another look and decided as it's fairly rural out here we're having a whole length of mesh on the bottom too under the turf that should keep the terrors at bay with some strips sunk a foot down all the way round too. I am getting a bit excited now and will be taking pics a plenty.
aishakali wrote:Good luck with your little ex batts. They are wonderful girls and you wont regret a minute of rescuing them
Oh I am, I can't wait until next week I think my family are sick of me talking about them and re-telling them the plans hee hee.
The worst bit, and I know it's silly but I keep thinking "hang on in there girls I'm coming, not long now" I'm not choosing mine, I am having what I'm given only because I will want them all ha ha and can't choose who I want to rescue and pamper.
I remember having everything ready and waiting for chickens i used to go out and keep fluffing up the sawdust even though nothing had been in it: thinking back i may have been getting broody
Cant wait to see the pics of you with your new ladies!
ha ha that sounds like me there 6 more days is just too long to wait.
You will love your ex batts so much, they are such little characters. Mine are all ex batts and it's amazing watching them blossom in quite a short space of time from these little terrified creatures into mischievous characters.
Just a few points in case it hasn't occurred - remember ex batts will not have had a great deal of room to move around in so they may not have the strongest muscles especially in their legs, so make sure there aren't too many steep ladders or slopes (ie into their coop) as they may take a while before they build up the strength to get there.
Food - they may be only used to layers mash so you may have to start them on this, then gradually wean them onto pellets as they may not recognize pellets straight off. Keep an eye out for them just in case (I've never had a problem with hens recognizing any food stuff though!)
Have multiple water and feed stations around your run to make sure that all of them can get to them, especially while the pecking order is being established. It's one of the ways hens assert dominance by patrolling food and water and they ca be horrible to the lower ranking hens.
Your cats should be fine with them in fact if anything watch the cats are okay rather than the hens. My girls terrorise my cat and he has had a fair few nips and jabs off them if he gets too close. Dogs I can't comment on as I don't have one.
Enjoy your girls and - we love pictures and diary updates here!
Karen Alpha chick to: Smudge, Matisse and Bluebell
Chief servant to Marley the cat
Remembering Weeps, Rexie, Sage, Cassie, Toffee, Captain Gabby, Commander Nugget, Ronnie, Juno, Special Poetry and Reading Casper, Tigger, Tophenanall Rembrandt, Chestnut, Tiddly, Willow, Mango, Coco, Dorian Grey and Pokey.
Also my lost furries Charlie and Jasper
You will love your ex batts so much, they are such little characters. Mine are all ex batts and it's amazing watching them blossom in quite a short space of time from these little terrified creatures into mischievous characters.
Just a few points in case it hasn't occurred - remember ex batts will not have had a great deal of room to move around in so they may not have the strongest muscles especially in their legs, so make sure there aren't too many steep ladders or slopes (ie into their coop) as they may take a while before they build up the strength to get there.
Food - they may be only used to layers mash so you may have to start them on this, then gradually wean them onto pellets as they may not recognize pellets straight off. Keep an eye out for them just in case (I've never had a problem with hens recognizing any food stuff though!)
Have multiple water and feed stations around your run to make sure that all of them can get to them, especially while the pecking order is being established. It's one of the ways hens assert dominance by patrolling food and water and they ca be horrible to the lower ranking hens.
Your cats should be fine with them in fact if anything watch the cats are okay rather than the hens. My girls terrorise my cat and he has had a fair few nips and jabs off them if he gets too close. Dogs I can't comment on as I don't have one.
Enjoy your girls and - we love pictures and diary updates here!
Hi Karen, glad to meet another ex batter Thanks for the tips, all are welcome.. They have been used to a crumb food so the next step was to order a layers crumble to start them off on, then each week I'll introduce pellets little by little, I'll let you know how that goes. Although their coop is slightly raised off the ground I'll make sure I'm there to give a hand in and out for as long as they need. The pecking order, well that's another story as I'm not so much worried but admit I'm a little concerned (maybe needlessly). I shall keep a strict eye on them until they are fully established and hope they don't get too evil haha!! I know who to ask if I encounter something I'd not thought of now, if you don't mind? And please feel free to toss snippets from your experience of ex batts my way anytime. I know I'm pretty experience with the families hens (my Dad has had hens since I was a kiddie), but also realize our ex batts are a little bit special and I really want to be the best for them so any little thing you know that I may not please feel free to share
To be honest, I don't think ex batts are all that different from other chickens - you just have to be a little bit more careful with them at first until they get their bearings and their strength up. You'll be amazed how quickly they get down to doing normal chicken things.
They can have more egg laying problems than other chooks, and of course tend not to last as long as their energies are pretty depleted by the factory system (but they make every single second count!). Get familiar with the chicken belly bath as you may need to give your girls the spa treatment (they can be more prone to softies and such) but really - they are just like all the other chooks you will have come across. Just more special
Are you nearly ready for them?
Karen Alpha chick to: Smudge, Matisse and Bluebell
Chief servant to Marley the cat
Remembering Weeps, Rexie, Sage, Cassie, Toffee, Captain Gabby, Commander Nugget, Ronnie, Juno, Special Poetry and Reading Casper, Tigger, Tophenanall Rembrandt, Chestnut, Tiddly, Willow, Mango, Coco, Dorian Grey and Pokey.
Also my lost furries Charlie and Jasper
To be honest, I don't think ex batts are all that different from other chickens - you just have to be a little bit more careful with them at first until they get their bearings and their strength up. You'll be amazed how quickly they get down to doing normal chicken things.
They can have more egg laying problems than other chooks, and of course tend not to last as long as their energies are pretty depleted by the factory system (but they make every single second count!). Get familiar with the chicken belly bath as you may need to give your girls the spa treatment (they can be more prone to softies and such) but really - they are just like all the other chooks you will have come across. Just more special
Are you nearly ready for them?
Hi Karen, am getting there at last, fighting the weather has not been easy though as you can imagine ha ha!! Well the run itself is built top and sides so am pleased about that. The coop is built thank goodness, and just the skirt to finish off on the run and the bolts to put on the run door
The mud though, blimey at least 3" of slosh throughout the run obviously all stirred up by trampling over it constantly for the build. But I have had an idea, have a few cardboard boxes and some wood chippings so will have to break up a box and shovel over some chippings to soak it up a bit.
Iv'e now got all the food, red mite dust etc, straw and containers for keeping the food clean, dry and pest free!! So I think with another day out there tomorrow I should be just about ready (fingers crossed ha ha).
well done coral for adopting ex batts they are a great little bunch of girls lots and lots of photos please
welcome to the lane
[center]HELPING THE LITTLE BROWN GIRLS OF THIS WORLD FIND FOREVER HOMES Humble chicken maid to a happy little flock Frankii Whippers leading the way with Dorey,Prila(aka Mrs Brown),Ann-a-Lou Greta, Delphine my adorable silkie,my twin girls Lana and Boudica (aka The Jedward Twins ) ,Augustine Eizabeth(aka Pippy), Rheima, Marnie and Fleur aka little miss chatterbox[/center]
Still loving and missing Skinnie Minnie and Queenie xx
Marlene you taught me how to live and laugh again xx
Isabella my darling top hen ,you stole my heart xx
Porscha my sweet little girl ,you left so suddenly xx
The weather's awful isn't it? do yourself a favour if you weren't already planning to and put a good watertight roof on.
Not sure about the cardboard - won't that just dissolve and rot? - but maybe stick a few paving slabs or pallets in there for the girls to walk on, plus the wood chippings (don't use bark though, it can harbour spores which aren't good for the chickens). I've got low branches in mine which my girls love to perch on and will keep them out of the wet (my run's not bad though, it's roofed all over)
Good luck!
Karen Alpha chick to: Smudge, Matisse and Bluebell
Chief servant to Marley the cat
Remembering Weeps, Rexie, Sage, Cassie, Toffee, Captain Gabby, Commander Nugget, Ronnie, Juno, Special Poetry and Reading Casper, Tigger, Tophenanall Rembrandt, Chestnut, Tiddly, Willow, Mango, Coco, Dorian Grey and Pokey.
Also my lost furries Charlie and Jasper
that should keep the terrors at bay with some strips sunk a foot down all the way round too. I am getting a bit excited now and will be taking pics a plenty. 
