chickens

BHWT do rescues all over the place - they have a network of volunteers and a list of people waiting to take rescued ex-batts. And there are other organisations that do similar.

 

I thought all battery chickens had now finished?

 

yes you can try the rescued battery hens. OR you can join your local freecycle. sometimes they have offshoots that deal with animals only.

i found a place quite near us that sell hybrid pol chickens for £10 each. i got a light sussex, a something or other suffolk, a speckledy and a rhode island red cross. they hardly ever have a day off laying, even over the winter! so i guess they'll be worn out by next summer, but not a problem for us, they'll go in the pot, hopefully after raising some fertile eggs i'll buy in to replace them.

 

The Light Sussex won't be a pure breed variety, but one of the Utility strains, BTW. Chickens need to moult once a year - continuing to lay through the moult puts HUGE pressure on their system, as they need double the amount of protein to produce eggs AND grow a new set of feathers.

Sadly, the battery farm as a unit will remain for sometime yet, especially as the previous government back tracked on their pledge to abolish them in a couple of years time, back in January. The replacement system would hardly much better - slightly larger cages, scratching area and a perch within the cage and a 'dark' area for the hens to lay.

 

I agree - check out & compare prices for any hen - there are small breeders around who do not ask the earth...I got some nice maran POL's for approx. £14.00 each last spring which I know could have been less money had I lived in a different area...not many breeders in Cornwall....well - not many who had the hens when i needed them anyway!! The eggs they lay are worth every penny, i will never buy supermarket ones ever again!

 

Hi Devongardner, did you get your chickens? I note from your posts you live in the Torbay area. I lived in Kingskerwell before moving to Belize, but sad to say not native Devonshire.

If you got your chickens, would be nice to see some pictures.

 

SWMBO has not yet given the project her full approval to date, she is worried who is going to be the cook and washer.

Be change of lifestyle for you by the sound of it.

 

Devongardner - You will really love the chick if you decide to get them, they don't take a lot of work.

Yes certainly is a change of lifestyle, one we enjoy very much.

 

I agree, chickens are not that difficult to look after - a secure, dry and draught free place to sleep, a secure run to roam and scratch and food and water.