More hens at last ...

[pargyle]

We collected our next lot of ex-barn hens today from the British Hens Welfare Trust. The fox had our previous hens a few months ago and for various reasons we have only just got round to replacing them.

We've had ex-battery hens before and despite the initial look of them they do recover very quickly..They really are very nice hens - hybrids yes - but they have bags of personality and are very inquisitive, following you around and chatting to you in hen speak. They are now exploring their new home and tucking in to a pre-bedtime feed.

One has to wonder when the shops sell 'Barn Eggs' whether people who buy them actually know how hard a life these birds have. Usually 17 months of an egg a day (if they don't perform they are 'retired') and in any case they are forcibly retired - usually to dog food - once they come into moult and their lay rate drops. Our last ex-bats continued to lay reliably for a good couple of years into 'retirement' and a couple lived on well after that.

There are still animal welfare issues to be addressed in terms of how some hens are kept - we are streets ahead of the rest of Europe but still a way to go IMO.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/125609724@N03/sets/72157656386868591

 

[denise washington]

hi pargyle I got some ex batt hens cost me a £1 each had them 7 months now all still laying well. Would they be ok running round my hives or would they eat the bees im thinking about getting some more this week
denise

 

[pargyle]

hi pargyle I got some ex batt hens cost me a £1 each had them 7 months now all still laying well. Would they be ok running round my hives or would they eat the bees im thinking about getting some more this week
denise

My bees have always ignored my hens and the hens largely ignore the bees (occasionally snaffling up the odd dead bee) but there have been times when hens have been attacked by bees - although I have never had an issue.

There will be others along with more comments ... good luck with your new hens - it makes you feel really good when you see them turning into 'real' hens. Off to show mine how to get into the coop now ! They will learn quickly ...

 

[denise washington]

thanks for that because in my apiary I cant keep weeds down and hens are missing their greens so in they go in morning
thanks denise

 

[pargyle]

However ... they were making a hell of a noise when I went out to put them to bed and bugger me if there wasn't a young fox trying to dig its way into the run (wouldn't have got far as there is 18" wide chicken wire in a timber frame a few inches under the grass) but it wouldn't actually go until I clapped my hands and shoo'd it off ...

Will have to be very vigilant I think ...

 

[Helen]

My hens live easily with the bees. They rummage around the hives, even walking and pecking underneath them (I've got Dartingtons so they are on legs). Bees dont bother the hens. Hens dont bother the bees.

Hens come and investigate when I'm opening up the hives, so cause trip hazards for me!

 

[enrico]

Like you Helen, I talk to the chickens when checking the bees! They eat drone grubs I throw to them!

 

[beepeaceful]

Pargyle said"We collected our next lot of ex-barn hens today from the British Hens Welfare Trust. The fox had our previous hens a few months ago and for various reasons we have only just got round to replacing them"


Glad to here you have your wire buried deeper than ground level because the foxes will still be around as you have already discovered. Good luck deterring them. Chickens are so entertaining.

 

[pargyle]

Pargyle said"We collected our next lot of ex-barn hens today from the British Hens Welfare Trust. The fox had our previous hens a few months ago and for various reasons we have only just got round to replacing them"


Glad to here you have your wire buried deeper than ground level because the foxes will still be around as you have already discovered. Good luck deterring them. Chickens are so entertaining.

The last hens used to free range in the garden, we've always had urban foxes but made sure the girls were in well before dusk .. the run is absolutely fox proof - fox proof mesh, roof and either paving slabs or buried wire round the run. We've had hens for nearly six years and never had a problem with foxes during the day but we know they are always around at night (with an 85lb yellow labrador who had the run of the garden we felt they were well guarded).

But a fox had our last two hens at 3.0pm on a Sunday afternoon ... killed them both and took one, must have been very quick and not one of our usual foxes as they stay out of the dogs way. I have now built a fox proof mobile run - a 'tractor' so that we let them enjoy the garden but in safety.

 

[denise washington]

we have a lot of foxes around our allotment but I always go up to put them to bed before it gets dark would be my luck if I missed one night and I would come home to no hens young man on next garden set a trap for fox got one but it looked as though it was feeding young cubs so he felt sorry for it and let it go next morning the foxes had killed 7 of his ducks and a pair of turkeys

 

[pargyle]

we have a lot of foxes around our allotment but I always go up to put them to bed before it gets dark would be my luck if I missed one night and I would come home to no hens young man on next garden set a trap for fox got one but it looked as though it was feeding young cubs so he felt sorry for it and let it go next morning the foxes had killed 7 of his ducks and a pair of turkeys

Yes ... I know how he felt .. the young fox that was by the hen run tonight was very thin and scrawny looking. I almost felt sorry for it as I shoo'd it away - but I'm not keeping hens for fox food.

 

[denise washington]

its just nature its bred in them but on my old garden I had a large steel garage that I had my ducks and geese in but one day last October a husky dog got in ripped bob hole out and killed 19 ducks and 5 geese but a few months before that the same dog killed all next garden s hens I called police while they were doing it and the dog chased us and the police man ran into my garden and shut gate at back of him and left me outside with a mad dog will not say what I called him got rspa to catch it but it belonged to a man who lived in wakefield and his girlfriend was looking after it. the man whos chickens it had he got paid for them I got nothing so I set a few snares up