Although battery hens are a thing of the past in this country there are still caged birds. I've bought 10 of them (well 11 as I got given one for luck) and you can see the condition they come in isn't much better than from battery cages. Many feathers missing and some sore bums! 
Don't get me wrong. I'm not criticising the British farmer, it's all about supply and demand, if people still buy the eggs it's better they come from this country. Not to mention the fact that our welfare standards are much higher than many EU countries where we still import eggs from, so I'm not having a pop at British farmers.
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| A few feathers missing |
These birds haven't cost me much and it was a bit of a spur of the moment thing to buy them (in fact I've just spent my Friday night putting up a shed for them to sleep in while they waited in the van!) but I like the idea of bringing them back up to health and we've had them in the past and they make great layers. That said I know I've got them the wrong time of year - but their main job is to be eating and scratching all the weeds from the veg garden for the next few months anyway so any eggs will be a bonus!
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| Not looking too happy for themselves |
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| Some sore bottoms! |
But with all this niceness I must bring you all back to earth. This are still not pets, and although I'm giving them a nice "retirement" when they stop producing eggs they will be culled. But then they will have hopefully had a nice couple of years living nearly free range on my little smallholding so it's not too bad!
More pictures to follow when they spend their first day outside!
How sad, but thanks to you, a new life is on the horizon.
ReplyDeleteTHAT bum looks so sore :(
~Jo
There's a few sore bums in this flock I can tell you! Thanks for stopping by
Deletewatch the closely... they can be dreadful bullies......damaged gals that they are!
ReplyDeleteYeah there's been a bit of fighting over the last few days, but they're pretty much free range so they should be able to get away from the worst offenders!
Deletethem closely not the
ReplyDeleteMy goodness are they molting is that why they are missing so many feathers? The sore hiney looks bad, ouch. Poor things, good you got them. They will enjoy living where they are cared for I am sure. I am sure you know what to do for them but if not, John would surely know.
ReplyDeleteWe have 25 layer chicks coming this next week! Well 26 as they send a free surprise one (always a rooster) LOL from this hatchery when you order 25 chicks. We ordered mostly good layers but I tossed in a couple just because they will be pretty, though they too will lay for us.
If the rooster turns out to be mean, he will wound up on my DH's plate. LOL we don't usually get roosters but he comes free so what the heck. I am vegetarian but the DH isn't, so hope the rooster is nice LOL.
Not molting a product of where they used to live I'm afraid. They'll look pretty good in a few months time hopefully though. We got one free as they have a habbit of dropping down dead as they've never been outside before and it all comes as a bit of a shock!
DeleteI've had a few mean roosters in the past as well, on the bright side they always taste pretty good!
I never realised until I read this that there is a difference between caged and battery. I suppose this means we still allow birds to be caged? I am pleased you are giving them a bit of a decent life. Do they know how to scratch in the ground?
ReplyDeleteYeah people don't seem to relise. I dont believe in giving to animal charities but I do wish people would show there support of better farming practices with their wallets and not buy eggs from cagged birds (or products made with them) and still buy Briish. I'll get off my soap box now!
DeleteThey seem to be scratching up the ground pretty well, they seem much more lively than some of the ex battery hens we've had in the past.
A 'caged' hen is a 'battery' hen in all but name. The extra space they get from being caged rather than battery is laughable, and as you can see they end up in exactly the same awful state after their prison sentence.
ReplyDeleteThey will find their own natural pecking order within days and should live quite amicably, mine always have. Although I guess I'm a little softer than you as mine never get culled, they lay until only months before they die, so in my mind they have earnt a little complete retirement.
They do make very friendly birds, but unfortunately due to being bred to produce so many eggs so rapidly they never last as long as other hens.
Good luck with them, the shed is so much better than their previous home and your veggie patch will be a wonderful place for them during the days over Winter.
Sue xx
In truth, although trying to sound the hardened farmers son these hens will all probably die of natural causes. Like you said the end of egg production is normally quite near the end of there life and it's difficult to tell which hen is laying and which has stopped. They are really friendly and one won't leave me alone when I'm in the pen which is odd when you see the state they're in!
DeleteAs for caged birds I wish people would show how they felt with their wallet and not buy caged eggs or products made with them.
What Sue said...
ReplyDeleteThe state of caged birds is quite frankly very little different to ex battery birds -and they have much the same problems.
But yes will lay well and will LOVE their new life with you all.
See my previous comments to how I feel about it. The trouble is it needs to be something thats stopped all across Europe and not just here otherwise it's only the British farmer that suffers. It's a shame that people think cageds birds are in much better condition, these hens kindof show that it isn't!
DeletePoor little souls...I hope they have some good chicken time with you.
ReplyDeleteJane x
I think they will! They seem to love the grass and veg plants but they look pretty cold with so few feathers - Wrong time of year for them I think!
DeleteKev I got my last lot of ex battery hens on 28th Dec 2011 - and then they all went into a moult - so were totally "oven ready" all winter .
DeleteI always find ex commercial birds the friendliest of all :-)
Well done you. And they will have a good end of life after having enjoyed freedom from the cage for hopefully a couple of years. It is a wonderful thing you did, rescuing those poor hens. As I say, well done you.
ReplyDeleteNot sure rescuing them is the right word - I still had to buy them! But they do look a lot happier and they should have a good couple of years left in them.
DeleteAw, bless 'em. They need a woolly jumper each! lol
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking of getting some ex caged ones, too. Did you get yours via The Hen Trust?
I didn't get them from the welfare trust. I got them direct from a farm, £1.50 each - a lot cheaper for birds that have a habbit of dropping dead in the first week or so!
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