Full Answer
Are ex-battery hens good for eggs?
If you want ex-battery hens solely for eggs, then they aren’t really for you. Ex-battery hens should still have a large number of eggs to lay for you but keep in mind that commercially they are ‘spent’ hens and like any chicken will lay less and less every year, sometimes with a thinner egg-shell as they get to 3 or 4 years old.
What should I Feed my chickens to start with?
To start with feed your hens commercial chicken food, mash or crumble. Please DO NOT feed them treats. They have never had anything but commercial mash or crumble food so resist the temptation to “spoil them” with treats or you may end up with very sick hens.
How do you take care of an ex-battery hen?
With a loving, natural environment, ex-battery hens will grow and become more confident in no time. One great way to give your chickens a head start into a great life is to ensure they have a spacious coop to get used to and eventually be comfortable within.
How do you take care of a battery farm chicken?
Provide the hens with plenty of cosy straw, as they will be used to the warm environment of the battery farm. It is especially important to ensure they are warm enough in winter. Some hens will have lost many feathers in the cage and could catch a chill if they are not given enough shelter and bedding.
What do they feed battery hens?
Battery hens are fed layers crumble, not layers pellets. In time, you can slowly change their diet to layers pellets if you wish, but wait until they have settled in first.
How long do ex-battery hens live?
Hybrid hens would usually live for three to five years but ex-battery hens have worked hard and may have experienced stress in the first year of their lives. While some may live for several years, as with all living creatures it is impossible to know how long they will live.
Will ex-battery hens lay eggs?
Modern colony cages typically house between 80 and 100 hens, so while the cages are quite large, allowing the hens to move around, their actual living space is still very small. Do rescue battery hens lay eggs? Yes, they do.
What stimulates battery hens to lay more eggs?
Making sure your chickens are getting enough daylight is crucial if you want them to lay eggs. To lay eggs, your chickens need plenty of natural daylight- at least 14 hours a day and 16 hours are even better. This is why battery hens are exposed to more than 17 hours of artificial light every day.
How do you rescue ex battery hens?
One easy way to find rescue hens to adopt is to get in touch with battery hen rescue groups. A quick online search reveals plenty of results. Some people rescue their chickens by contacting organizations. Others rescue theirs directly from the farm or a live poultry market or slaughterhouse.
How do you introduce ex battery hens?
The best way to introduce hens is by keeping them separated while allowing them to see each other. The final introduction works best at a dusk time when they're about to go into roost and are generally more relaxed. Rubbing vaseline onto the chicken combs and wattles can help to prevent cuts if any pecking does happen.
How long are battery hens kept for?
They remain in their cage until around 18 months, Ahmed says, at which point they are culled and sent to countries like South Africa. After that age they produce fewer eggs, and it is not economically feasible to keep them when a younger, replacement hen could produce much more, he says.
How often do ex battery hens lay?
Egg production can slow down to three or four per week as they get older and until they stop laying completely. The most important thing is that they can experience a happy life during their remaining months or years of retirement.
How many eggs do battery chickens lay a day?
A wild jungle fowl may produce less than ten eggs per year. Thanks to a particular mutation, domestic egg laying chickens can lay one per day, all year round. Most egg laying chickens are slaughtered at around 16 months when production becomes less reliable.
What foods increase egg production in chickens?
Treats That Will Make Your Hens Lay More EggsMealworms.Eggs and Eggshells.Greens.Watermelon and Fruit.Japanese Beetles.Sunflower Seeds.Scratch Grains.Cracked Corn.More items...•
How do I give my hens calcium?
Common Sources of Supplemental CalciumCrushed oyster shells- often sold at feed stores next to the layer feed (Highly Recommended!)Crushed eggshells- dry eggshells, crush them, and feed them back to your hens (Not Recommended as a replacement for oyster shells - *see below)More items...•
Why do chickens cackle after laying an egg?
Cackling is a "buck-buck-buck-badaaack" sound, repeated often over as long as 15 minutes after laying an egg and thought to draw predators away from the nesting area. It may also be used to aid mating and as a location finder for the flock.
How old are battery hens when slaughtered?
approximately 72 weeks oldAt approximately 72 weeks old the birds are removed (called depopulation) and transported to the slaughterhouse. In many countries there are fewer abattoirs with facilities for slaughtering laying hens and birds often travel much further to a slaughterhouse than meat chickens (broilers).
How old are chickens before they stop laying eggs?
As hens age they will naturally start laying fewer eggs with many hens slowing down production around 6 or 7 years of age and retirement shortly after. Many laying hens can live several years into retirement with average life expectancy between 8 and 10 years.
Are battery hens illegal in the UK?
The UK banned the use of battery cages for hens in 2012, but the ban did not extend to so-called enriched cages. Those cages are larger than conventional battery cages but still do not allow adequate space for the hens' natural behaviours.
Why do battery hens have no feathers?
At this point, the hens are deemed as unproductive and it's no longer commercially viable for farms to keep them. The fact the chickens are moulting is the reason that most ex-commercial hens feathers are thinned out revealing white under feathers below.
Why is it important to keep hens warm in the winter?
Some hens will have lost many feathers in the cage and could catch a chill if they are not given enough shelter and bedding. The coop should also have ventilation for the Summer.
What is the joy of adopting an ex-factory hen?
Part of the joy of adopting ex-factory farmed hens is watching them discover their natural hen ways. Along with these positives there are some things to be aware of, but as long as you are prepared you will be fine.
How to get rid of lice on a hen?
Dust bathing is how they naturally try to get rid of lice. When you first get your ex-factory farmed hens it is important to look out for any signs of ill health. If you have a particularly quiet/nervous hen take some time to check she is eating and drinking and that she is not being bullied.
What vitamins do hens need?
Hens from intensive farms are often suffering vitamin deficiencies when they come out. The most common deficiencies are calcium and vitamin D. Sunlight and good food are a great start to build up their health. Giving the girls a vitamin supplement can give them a good boost.
Why do hens puff their feathers out?
At first you may see some of the hens puff their feathers out and use posture to make themselves look bigger. This is to show their dominance. Once this posturing stops you can usually take the fence down and let the hens in together. Just keep an eye on them to make sure no bullying occurs.
Why do chickens bully each other?
A common reason for bullying is that the hens do not have enough space to get away from one another. If you can provide them with more space you will find the fights settle down. Fights often start over food, so try putting more than one bowl of food in different areas of the coop.
How to keep new hens from bullying each other?
It is a good idea to keep the new hens in a separate area from your established flock. Keep the 2 areas separated with chicken wire, so that the hens can see each other, but not bully one another. When you introduce the girls put down some food in several areas to distract the hens from each other.
How many hens can you rehome if you lose one?
For this reason, I would recommend you consider rehoming a minimum of four hens.
How long does it take for a battery hen to feather?
Hens will usually feather up within a few months and will then look like ‘normal’ hens.
Why are battery hens bred?
They have been bred to lay the largest possible number of eggs in their first couple of years of their life . If you want ex-battery hens solely for eggs, then they aren’t really for you.
What is grit used for in chickens?
Soluble grit (Oystershell) can be provided mixed with insoluble (flint) grit. This provides calcium for the hens to produce strong eggshells. Commercial battery hens often have brittle bones since the calcium from their bones is taken to produce eggshells.
How long does it take for a hen to feather up?
Hens will usually feather up within a few months and will then look like ‘normal’ hens. They will be pretty exhausted when you get them (as will the rescue co-ordinators after a pretty gruelling day getting the hens out and rehoming them).
Do chickens have teeth?
Chickens don’t have teeth, of course, but they do have a gizzard that grinds their food down using insoluble/flint grit. Most free-range hens will pick up enough grit from grazing, but it is always wise to provide grit just in case. Soluble grit (Oystershell) can be provided mixed with insoluble (flint) grit.
Can you hang a feeder in a chicken house?
It is good to have enough space in the chicken house to hang a feeder if you don’t have a covered run since you will want to keep their food dry and away from the wild birds who will soon empty an open feeder left outdoors. Battery hens are used to sleeping on the floor.
What do ex batts need?
Caring for ex-batts can seem a little daunting at first, but all they really require is a secure, warm, dry coop, secure run, good food and space to stretch their wings and exhibit all the natural behaviours they were unable to enjoy fully up till now.
Who is Jo from a battery hen?
Jo is a self-confessed ex-battery hen addict who adores giving these hens a fresh start in life . In this article, Jo shares her tips on rehoming ex-battery hens so you can learn more about this rewarding and life-enhancing experience.
Can a battery hen perch?
Ex-battery hens have no experience of perching , and at first, it can actually get in the way, so remove it from the coop until their legs are stronger. Once they hop in and out of the coop and nest box, pop it back in as chickens naturally want to perch.
Do hens come from free range?
While some hens come from free-range or barn systems (they are still replaced before 18 months), some might be coming from enriched colony cages. For these hens, up until that day, their lives might have consisted of a relatively cramped cage with no natural sunlight.
Do ex batts know night and day?
Newly freed ex-batts will have no fear and may wander off, so they need to stay in their coop and run until their home is imprinted on them. They do not know night and day, having been exposed to 18 hours of artificial light, so they will need encouragement to go into their coop at dusk.
Can a hen go from cage to coop?
Occasionally, however, a hen cannot cope with the transition from cage to the coop; it is simply too traumatic for her. This is a desperate shame for the little hen who will only know life in a cage and never be aware of the free-range happiness you had waiting for her.
Is garlic good for chickens?
Garlic is great for chickens’ health. Chickens don’t have teeth, so mixed grit in a bowl (or on the floor if yours kick the bowl over as mine do) will help them digest their food. Oyster shells provide extra calcium as ex-batts can be prone to laying soft-shelled eggs.
What does it mean when a chicken lay soft eggs?
When a chicken ovulates the yolk is formed first followed by the membrane (or egg white) and the final stage is the formation of the hard outer eggshell.
How to make eggshells stronger
If you have an ex-battery hen who is laying eggs with thin or soft eggshell, then there are some things you can do to make the shells stronger, these include:
Why are thin eggshells a problem?
When a chicken is laying soft-shelled eggs they can actually become unwell at the same time. A chicken who is struggling to lay properly can stop eating and become withdrawn and inactive.
Related articles
I hope this post has helped you to find out more about what to do if your ex-battery hens are laying soft shell eggs, you might also find the following article helpful:
