My new chicken rescue s (OT)

I was emailed at work last week by someone who works in the same building as
me, asking if I could take 4 ex-battery hens that she'd taken on last May
and now was unable to care for as she understood I "rescue" chickens.
I do not rescue chickens, I keep my own rare breeds, but what could I do? I
had a spare hut and run so I said yes. How can you say no to ex-batts?
There was 4 of them and I got them Monday night and put them into their hut.
As I took them out of their boxes, I was able to feel that one of them was
extremely thin, even emaciated, and one of other was very underweight.
I told their previous owner yesterday that I didn't think the very thin one
would make it, and indeed she didn't despite my best efforts to feed her
with vit b tabs crushed on seed bread with honey. She passed away this
afternoon.
The other 3 are bright enough, but I'll have to try and feed up the
underweight one, the other 2 are a satisfactory weight and one of them
blessed me with an egg yesterday.

The thing is there is a lot of emotive stuff about adopting ex-batts, I
feel sure my colleague got these with the best intentions but hadn't really
understood that hybrid hens need high octane food all the time, not just
wheat a couple of times/day. They are bred to lay themselves to extinction
and need the fuel for it.

She gave them names. Lily, Rose, Daisy & Marigold. I think it's Marigold
that is RIP.

Tweed

Christina Websell wrote:

I was emailed at work last week by someone who works in the same building as
me, asking if I could take 4 ex-battery hens that she'd taken on last May
and now was unable to care for as she understood I "rescue" chickens.
I do not rescue chickens, I keep my own rare breeds, but what could I do? I
had a spare hut and run so I said yes. How can you say no to ex-batts?
There was 4 of them and I got them Monday night and put them into their hut.
As I took them out of their boxes, I was able to feel that one of them was
extremely thin, even emaciated, and one of other was very underweight.
I told their previous owner yesterday that I didn't think the very thin one
would make it, and indeed she didn't despite my best efforts to feed her
with vit b tabs crushed on seed bread with honey. She passed away this
afternoon.
The other 3 are bright enough, but I'll have to try and feed up the
underweight one, the other 2 are a satisfactory weight and one of them
blessed me with an egg yesterday.

The thing is there is a lot of emotive stuff about adopting ex-batts, I
feel sure my colleague got these with the best intentions but hadn't really
understood that hybrid hens need high octane food all the time, not just
wheat a couple of times/day. They are bred to lay themselves to extinction
and need the fuel for it.

She gave them names. Lily, Rose, Daisy & Marigold. I think it's Marigold
that is RIP.

Sorry about Marigold! It sounds like they didn't get such a great
rescue the first time around. It's good that they are now with someone who
knows what they need.

And now you have fresh eggs! Or have you already had that from your
rare chickens - are any of them egg-laying hens?

Hmm, I wonder if, like Francis, Boyfriend will develop a fetish for
them.

Joyce

--
If At First You Don't Succeed, Skydiving Isn't For You

wrote in message
...
Christina Websell wrote:

I was emailed at work last week by someone who works in the same
building as
me, asking if I could take 4 ex-battery hens that she'd taken on last
May
and now was unable to care for as she understood I "rescue" chickens.
I do not rescue chickens, I keep my own rare breeds, but what could I
do? I
had a spare hut and run so I said yes. How can you say no to ex-batts?
There was 4 of them and I got them Monday night and put them into their
hut.
As I took them out of their boxes, I was able to feel that one of them
was
extremely thin, even emaciated, and one of other was very underweight.
I told their previous owner yesterday that I didn't think the very thin
one
would make it, and indeed she didn't despite my best efforts to feed her
with vit b tabs crushed on seed bread with honey. She passed away this
afternoon.
The other 3 are bright enough, but I'll have to try and feed up the
underweight one, the other 2 are a satisfactory weight and one of them
blessed me with an egg yesterday.

The thing is there is a lot of emotive stuff about adopting ex-batts, I
feel sure my colleague got these with the best intentions but hadn't
really
understood that hybrid hens need high octane food all the time, not just
wheat a couple of times/day. They are bred to lay themselves to
extinction
and need the fuel for it.

She gave them names. Lily, Rose, Daisy & Marigold. I think it's
Marigold
that is RIP.

Sorry about Marigold! It sounds like they didn't get such a great
rescue the first time around.

Ah, but, they would all have been in chicken pies or soup by now if she
hadn't taken them.

It's good that they are now with someone who
knows what they need.


They are incredibly tame. I always check the chickens when I come home to
see if they are all in bed as 2 of the Sicilian hens have bad legs,
hereditary thing.
The hybrids have learned to put themselves to bed - do not use the perch -
but rush out as soon as they hear me and I have to push them back inside.
It would be funny to see, me trying to shut their door and them trying to
force their way out to say hello again.
"Get in"
"No, we want to see you.." they push at the door..
"Get in"
"No, we want to come out now you are here.."
and so on.




And now you have fresh eggs!

Well, I have "one" which was already in the pipeline. It will put them off
lay by being moved.

Or have you already had that from your
rare chickens - are any of them egg-laying hens?

They all lay eggs, but they are all now very elderly and I haven't had an
egg from them since September. They will start up again in April-ish. They
have a home here until the end of their life, whether they lay or not.
I'm glad to get these new hens which will lay now (unless they've brought
disease) which is not out of the question, atm. I hope I will not regret
this.



Hmm, I wonder if, like Francis, Boyfriend will develop a fetish for
them.

No chance. I had chickens before he came, he takes no interest at all in
them whatsoever.

Tweed

good on you, sorry for the one that didn't make it, Lee

--
Have a great day
"Christina Websell" wrote in message
...
I was emailed at work last week by someone who works in the same building
as me, asking if I could take 4 ex-battery hens that she'd taken on last
May and now was unable to care for as she understood I "rescue" chickens.
I do not rescue chickens, I keep my own rare breeds, but what could I do?
I had a spare hut and run so I said yes. How can you say no to ex-batts?
There was 4 of them and I got them Monday night and put them into their
hut. As I took them out of their boxes, I was able to feel that one of
them was extremely thin, even emaciated, and one of other was very
underweight.
I told their previous owner yesterday that I didn't think the very thin
one would make it, and indeed she didn't despite my best efforts to feed
her with vit b tabs crushed on seed bread with honey. She passed away
this afternoon.
The other 3 are bright enough, but I'll have to try and feed up the
underweight one, the other 2 are a satisfactory weight and one of them
blessed me with an egg yesterday.

The thing is there is a lot of emotive stuff about adopting ex-batts, I
feel sure my colleague got these with the best intentions but hadn't
really understood that hybrid hens need high octane food all the time, not
just wheat a couple of times/day. They are bred to lay themselves to
extinction and need the fuel for it.

She gave them names. Lily, Rose, Daisy & Marigold. I think it's Marigold
that is RIP.

Tweed