Rescuing Hens, Organisations & Hen Care Guide

*** How Rescuing Hens, Organisations & Hen Care Guide ***

*** How To Adopt Ex-Battery Hens ***
There are a few places that ex-battery hens can be sourced or rescued from. Sometimes you can buy ex-battery hens from local poultry auctions and there is usually a plenty supply of them. These auctions are all above board and anyone can go along and bid/buy. One of the market towns near to where I live runs regular auctions and you can buy anything from chickens to ducks to small pets. However you can also buy direct from the farm or from ex-battery hen rescue organisations specifically set up to save and re-home these chickens and we have a comprehensive list of these below....

Ex-Battery Hen Rescue Organisations & Locations:
1. Fresh Start For Hens (UK) - www.facebook.com/freshstartforhens
2. Edgar's Mission (Australia) - www.edgarsmission.org.au/
3. Chicken Rescue & Rehab (South Africa) - https://www.facebook.com/chickensaspetsnotfood/ or https://chickenrescueandrehabilitation.com/
4. British Hen Welfare Trust (UK) - www.bhwt.org.uk
5. Nuthouse Rescue (UK & Northern Ireland) - www.nuthousehenrescue.co.uk
6. Home4Hens (UK) - www.homes4hens.co.uk or https://www.facebook.com/Homes4Hens-Battery-Hen-Rescue-311860965493589
7. Rehoming Battery Hens (UK) - www.facebook.com/RehomingBatteryHensFanPage
8. Yorkshire 4 + 2 (Yorkshire, UK) - https://www.facebook.com/The-Yorkshire-Four-plus-2-227418853986349/
9. Brittan Clouse (USA) - http://www.chickenrunrescue.org/
10. Ex Battery Hen's Re-homing Hub (UK) - www.facebook.com/exbatteryhens
11. Lincs Hens Rescue (Lincolnshire, UK) - www.lincslittlehenrescue.eshire.net/
12. Hen Heaven (UK) - www.henheaven.org/
13. Red's Rescue (Australia) - www.facebook.com/pages/Reds-Rescues/605618099501527
14. LittleHill Animal Rescue (Ireland) - www.facebook.com/pages/LittleHill-Animal-Rescue-Sanctuary/201575106530501
15. Give A Hen An Home (North Lincs, UK) - www.facebook.com/savehens
16. Tour D Coop - (North Carolina, USA) - www.tourdcoop.com/blog/2013/04/hen-rescues.html
17. Animal Place (CA, USA) - www.animalplace.org/helping-hens-rescue/
18. Battery Hen Adoption Project (QLD, Australia) - http://www.homesforhens.net/
19. Chicken Run Rescue (Minneapolis/St.Paul, USA) - www.chickenrunrescue.org
20. Hen Rescue (NSW, Australia) - www.henrescue.org
21. The Humane Society (USA) - www.facebook.com/HSUSFarmAnimals
22. Red Hen Rehoming (Wales) - www.facebook.com/rhruk
23. Big Red Rooster Cockerel Rescue (Swindon, UK) www.bigredrooster.org.uk or www.facebook.com/BRR.CockerelRescue
24. Phoenix Hen Rescue (Yorkshire, UK) - https://www.facebook.com/phoenixhenrescue/
25. Nottingham Hen & Duck Rescue (Notts, UK) - http://nottinghamduckhenrescue.weebly.com/
26. Freedom For Hens (East Anglia, UK) - https://www.facebook.com/Freedomforhens-697769066992296
27. Dignitie Animale (France) - www.facebook.com/Dignit%C3%A9-Animale-465665753533756/
28. Hen Harbour (CA, USA) - www.facebook.com/henrescue/
29. The Chicken Rescue (Texas, USA) - www.thechickenrescue.org
30. Dreamers Hen Rescue - (Vic, Australia) www.facebook.com/dreamershenrescue

** Please Note ** If you know of any other hen rescue organisations that we can add to our list then please do email them to us at (thepoultrypagestv@gmail.com) Thanks.

*** Ex-Battery Hen Care Guide & How to Care for Ex-Battery Hens ***
If you decide to get ex-battery hens, you'll find it rewarding and satisfying to give them a new lease of life. But these hens will need extra care and attention for the first few weeks and months and some may require long term care. If you already have chickens, you'll notice a big difference in the appearance and condition of your new ex-battery hens. They'll probably have feathers missing and their comb will be very pale. At first the hens may be frightened and confused about their new surroundings, as they have spent their life shut in a cage, with a wire floor to stand on.
*** Information ***
Ex-Battery Hens / Commercial Layers are often regarded as waste by intensive poultry farmers when they reach a certain age, this is due to the farmer as had the maximum lay out of these girls and they start to slow at about 70 weeks old due to laying round the clock. These chickens are then thrown on the scrap heap sort of speak without any care and sold to the highest bidder usually food process plants for dog food, chicken pies and other such foods. That’s where us poultry keepers step in and there are also as stated dedicated Ex-Battery Hen rescue groups founded and set up to specifically save and re-home Ex-Battery Hens also known as commercial layers before they go to slaughter.
*** Health Checks ***
When your new hens arrive, they may be in quite poor condition. But with lots of TLC they'll soon start to improve. Most Ex-Battery Hen Rescue Groups allow there rescued birds to fully recover and feather up before they release them to new homes. They also provide food and health care to these birds in order to make sure they are ready to go to new homes, however the draw back of that is those rescue groups then ask for a minimum donation of around £5 to cover those costs which to be honest is more than fair given the care and attention they need when rescued. There are a few health checks you can make which are listed below. They may have feathers missing and bald patches. The feathers will grow back eventually, but if the other hens start to peck the bald patches, you can use 'purple' antiseptic spray on them. The spray is available from animal/horse feed suppliers or pet shops. The comb will be very pale and large, this will redden again and shrink. Toenails are often long, because of being confined to a cage. When your hens start scratching about in the ground, they'll soon wear them down. But if the nails are so long and they can't stand properly, they can be trimmed with toenail clippers used for dogs. Sometimes their legs are weak, and they may find it difficult to walk. But as they get used to having more space, they'll build up their strength. Occasionally, they have a broken leg or wing, which can be repaired at the vets. ** Please Note ** Some may have injuries which will be for life or disfigurements.
*** Making Your Hens Comfortable ***
In the first couple of weeks, keep the hens inside the hen house, leaving the door open during the day, so they can investigate the outside world if they want. They might not move around much to begin with but chickens are inquizative so they will eventually venture out on the own accord and do their on thing.
*** Housing ***
Converting a standard garden shed will make a perfectly acceptable hen house. A 6x4ft shed will house around 8 chickens. At first the hens won't be strong enough to jump onto the perch to roost, so you may have to provide them with a box on the floor, or a ramp to walk up. The perch, should be about 1ft off the ground. Make sure the shed is secure from predators, and has plenty of ventilation.
*** Bedding ***
There are many products suitable for bedding, which you'll find available from animal feed suppliers. Wood shavings and straw are good bedding for the floor, and hay is soft enough for the nest boxes. ** Please Note ** They will not be used to bedding so tried and keep it simple until they do, like newspaper for example.
*** Feeding ***
It's a good idea to feed your hens on layers mash for the first few weeks, as they probably won't eat anything else to start with as this is all they are usually fed on the farm. You can gradually introduce other foods such as greens and mixed corn if you wish. Food and water bowls need to be deeper, because the hens have usually been de-beaked, and they'll find it easier to scoop the food and water up. Watch your hens carefully to make sure they are feeding and drinking.
*** Egg Without Shells or Soft Eggs ***
Hens become quite stressed when moved from farm to rescue, this shows in their egg quality. You may find very soft shelled eggs or even eggs without a shell at all. They can also lay these when they are moulting. Don't be panicked, this is ok. This shouldn't be a problem for long, let them settle and try them on a vitamin supplement in their water. If it continues it may mean there is an infection brewing a vet should give you a general antibiotic or perhaps lack of calcium in the hen's diet, or it is not absorbed.. Eggshells can be baked in the oven, cooled, crushed and mixed with the food. Apple cider vinegar is also thought to increase calcium absorption. Vets can also give a calcium injection, presumably if the above don't work.
*** Off Lay ***
After being transported from farm and the shock of the outside world some hens will go off lay for up to 6 wks. They also go off lay when going through a moult (losing some old feathers and growing new ones). Please be patient they will lay again, as long as they are on Layers mash or layers pellets. Please remember free ranging hens may have found a nicer place to lay their eggs under a bush so check around before presuming they are off lay. If egg production does not pick up there may be an underlying problem such as Coccidiosis or Brachyspira. These can be treated and needs to be dealt with quickly.
*** The Pecking Order ***
If you already have a flock of hens, be sure to keep the ex-battery hens away from them for 2 to 3 weeks to avoid squabbles. Ex-battery hens are more than capable of defending themselves and will put up a good fight if challenged. Be sure to provide them with multiple feeders and drinkers to stop the dominant birds from denying the others food or water. If one is getting systematically bullied; remove her from the group and place her into the coop that night amongst her peers so that they all wake up together. There may be an exchange of words or pecks come dawn but let them duke it out unless blood is drawn. If you keep breaking up any fights then the process will just be drawn out longer. If worse comes to worse, anti-peck spray can be utilised to keep the peace. Once it’s all said and done, whoever comes out on top will become the guardian of the flock.
*** Limps ***
Farmed hens sometimes have stiff/sprained/deformed limbs, unless a condition is getting worse please try not to worry as they should either recover or live quite happily with a wonky walk. Cold weather can make a limp worse, as joints are stiffer. (Treatment) Cod liver oil is very good for joints, by capsules and break into their food to keep joints supple. Your hen will have lacked in calcium, so a calcium supplement with Vitamin D will help her to strengthen her bones. With plenty of sunshine to help her absorb it. If particularly bad, then a treatment of Metacam painkiller & anti inflammatory available only from vets.
*** Shock From Trauma or Stress Symptoms ***
  • eyes closed
  • shudders
  • collapsed
  • cold
  • gasping for breath
Shock like in humans can be caused by many things, as is a real killer. Dog attacks, fox attacks, fear, and fright can bring on shock.
*** Treatment ***
  • keep hen warm by radiator, heat lamp, hot water bottle or airing cupboard
  • syringe a strong sugar or glucose solution slowly into beak, this will bring up sugar levels (scroll down for how to make sugar solutions)
  • keep hen quiet and in dark box or covered with towel
If they survive the night then the shock has passed. Then check hen for injuries, as some can be hidden under feathers, and monitor hen and her movements for the next 48 hours if shock was from trauma or attack.
*** Sugar Solution ***
Please dissolve 2 large spoons of sugar into roughly 100mls of boiling water, leave it cool and syringe around 10mls slowly bit by bit into hens mouth remembering to allow hen to swallow after each drop.
*** Hens Jumpers ***
Not all farmed hens are bald, but they usually are and these hens depending on the time of year 'may' need extra warmth until they are re-feathered and this is where chicken jumpers come in. In summer-time you can re-home the hens without the need for jumpers as they usually always make a full recovery and have no after effects of the baldness, but in the winter time or colder months they 'may' benefit from extra warmth obtained via a chicken jumper until re-feathered. The reason for the baldness is unclear but thought to be from feather pecking or lack of protein and keratin as feathers carry a good amount of this and we often find the bald hens tend to be the more nervous and often found in the darker parts of the farms. Some people are for the use of jumpers and some are not, more information can be found here ->
http://goo.gl/KfAkpM then you can make your own judgement on them and whether to use them or not.
*** Enjoy Your New Hens ***
Battery hens on average live for another 2-3 yrs after re-homing, some may only live for a few weeks unfortunately but some may live to a ripe old age even reaching upto 7 years old. But just seeing them scratching about for insects, and enjoying their new lives is a very satisfying experience - and they'll reward you with great tasting eggs. Even though they have already laid around 300 eggs in their short life, you can expect to get one egg a day, or every other day from each hen.

*** Battery Hen Cages Ban 2012 ***
In poultry farming, battery cages (often called factory farming in the United States or battery farming in the United Kingdom) are an industrial agricultural confinement system used primarily for egg-laying hens. Although the term is usually applied to poultry, similar cage systems are used in fur farming for mink, chinchilla and foxes. The battery cage has generated controversy among advocates for animal welfare and animal rights and industrial egg producers. It is estimated that over 60% of the world’s eggs are produced in industrial systems, mostly using battery cages, including over three quarters in the EU. In the UK, statistics from the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) indicate that 50% of eggs produced in the UK throughout 2010 were from cages (45% from free-range, 5% from barns). An early reference to battery cages appears in Milton Arndt's 1931 book, Battery Brooding, where he reports that his cage flock was healthier and had higher egg production than his conventional flock. At this early date, battery cages already had the sloped floor that allowed eggs to roll to the front of the cage, where they were easily collected by the farmer and out of the hens' reach. Arndt also mentions the use of conveyor belts under the cages to remove manure, which provides better air control quality and eliminates fly breeding. Original battery cage were an extension of the technology used in battery brooders, which were cages with a wire mesh floor and integral heating elements for brooding baby chicks. The wire floor allowed the manure to pass through, removing it from the chicks' environment and eliminating manure-borne diseases. Early battery cages were often used for selecting hens based on performance, since it is easy to track how many eggs each hen is laying if only one hen is placed in a cage. Later, this was combined with artificial insemination, giving a technique where each egg's parentage is known. This method is still used today. Early reports from Arndt about battery cages were enthusiastic. Arndt reported: "This form of battery is coming into widespread use throughout the country and apparently is solving a number of the troubles encountered with laying hens in the regular laying house on the floor. In the first edition of this book I spoke of my experimental work with 220 pullets which were retained for one year in individual cages. At the end of this year it was found that the birds confined in the batteries outlaid considerably the same size flock in the regular houses. The birds consume less feed than those on the floor and this coupled with the increased production made them more profitable than the same number of pullets in the laying house. A number of progressive poultrymen from all over the United States and some in foreign countries cooperated with me in carrying on experimental work with this type of battery and each and every one of them were very well satisfied with the results obtained. In fact, a number of them have since placed their entire laying flocks in individual hen batteries. The use of laying batteries increased gradually, becoming the dominant method somewhat before the integration of the egg industry in the 1960s. The practice of battery cages was criticized in the book Animal Machines, published in the 1960s. In 1990, North and Bell reported that 75% of all commercial layers in the world and 95% in the United States were kept in cages. By all accounts, a caged layer facility is more expensive to build than high-density floor confinement, but can be cheaper to operate if designed to minimize labour.
*** North and Bell report the following advantages to laying cages ***
1. It is easier to care for the pullets; no birds are underfoot. 2. Floor eggs are eliminated. 3. Eggs are cleaner. 4. Culling is expedited. 5. In most instances, less feed is required to produce a dozen eggs. 6. Broodiness is eliminated. 7. More pullets may be housed in a given house floor space. 8. Internal parasites are eliminated. 9. Labour requirements are generally much reduced.
(They also cite disadvantages to cages...)
1. The handling of manure may be a problem.
2. Generally, flies become a greater nuisance.
3. The investment per pullet may be higher than in the case of floor operations.
4. There is a slightly higher percentage of blood spots in the eggs.
5. The bones are more fragile and processors often discount the fowl price.
Disadvantages 1 and 2 can be eliminated by manure conveyors as pioneered by Arndt, but some industrial systems do not feature manure conveyors. In general, farmers and poultry scientists who have used both floor confinement and cages do not seem to have felt that cages were either ineffective or inhumane, [citation needed] though there was considerable criticism of individual installations that were too expensive or were poorly designed to yield the all-important reduction in labour inputs.
*** EU Cage Ban ***
In 1999, the European Union Council Directive 1999/74/EC banned the conventional battery cage in the EU from 2012, after a 10-year phase-out. In their 1996 report, the European Commission's Scientific Veterinary Committee (SVC) condemned the battery cage, concluding: "It is clear that because of its small size and its barrenness, the battery cage as used at present has inherent severe disadvantages for the welfare of hens". The EU Directive allows enriched or "furnished" cages to be used. Under the directive, enriched cages must be at least 45 cm high and must provide each hen with at least 750 cm² of space; 600 cm² of this must be "usable area" – the other 150 cm² is for a nest-box. The cage must also contain litter, perches and "claw-shortening devices". Some animal welfare organisations, such as Compassion in World Farming, have criticised this move, calling for enriched cages to be prohibited as they believe they provide no significant or worthwhile welfare benefits as compared with conventional battery cages. The use of battery cages is banned in Belgium, Austria, Sweden and the Netherlands. In countries with relevant legislation, floor space for battery cages ranges upwards from 300 cm2 per bird. EU standards in 2003 called for at least 550 cm2 per hen. In the US, the current recommendation by the United Egg Producers is 67 to 86 in2 (430 to 560 cm2) per bird. The space available to each hen in a battery cage has often been described as less than the size of a sheet of A4 paper. Others have commented that a typical cage is about the size of a filing cabinet drawer and holds eight to 10 hens. Behavioural studies showed that when turning, hens used 540 to 1006 cm2, when stretching wings 653 to 1118 cm2, when wing flapping 860 to 1980 cm2, when feather ruffling 676 to 1604 cm2, when preening 814 to 1270 cm2 and when ground scratching 540 to 1005 cm2. A space allowance of 550 cm2 would prevent hens in battery cages from performing these behaviours without touching another hen. Animal welfare scientists have been critical of battery cages because of these space restrictions and it is widely considered that hens suffer boredom and frustration when unable to perform these behaviours. Spatial restriction can lead to a wide range of abnormal behaviours, some of which are injurious to the hens or their cagemates.
*** Germany ***
Germany has banned conventional battery cages from 2007, five years earlier than required by the EU Directive, and has prohibited enriched cages from 2012. Mahi Klosterhalfen of the Albert Schweitzer Foundation has been instrumental in a strategic campaign against battery cages in Germany.
*** Switzerland ***
Battery cages have been banned in Switzerland since January 1, 1992. It has been the first country to do so.United States. The passage of California Proposition 2 (2008) aimed, in part, to reduce or eliminate the problems associated with battery cages, by setting the standard for space relative to free movement and wingspan, rather than cage size.
*** Australia ***
The 2009 'Code of Practice' permits the use of battery cage. A written commitment by government to review the practice was scheduled in 2010. There was no further communication. A recent national survey showed that 86% of Australians believe that battery cages are cruel.
*** Studies ***
Several studies have indicated that a combination of high calcium demand for egg production and a lack of exercise can lead to osteoporosis. This can occur in all housing systems for egg laying hens, but is particularly prevalent in battery cage systems where it has sometimes been called 'cage layer osteoporosis'. Osteoporosis leads to the skeleton becoming fragile and an increased risk of bone breakage, particularly in the legs and keel bone. Fractures may occur whilst the hens are in the cage and these are usually discovered at depopulation as old, healed breaks, or they might be fresh breaks which occurred during the process of depopulation. One study showed that 24.6% of hens from battery cages had recent keel fractures whereas hens in furnished cages, barn and free-range had 3.6%, 1.2% and 1.3% respectively. However, hens from battery cages experienced fewer old breaks (17.7%) compared to hens in barn (69.1%), free-range (59.8%) and furnished cages (31.7%).
*** Effects and Welfare ***
To reduce the harmful effects of feather pecking, cannibalism and vent-pecking, hens going into battery cages are beak-trimmed, a procedure considered to cause acute pain and distress with possible chronic pain. Beak-trimming occurs for hens in all types of housing systems, not only battery cages. To reduce the harmful effects of feather pecking, cannibalism and vent-pecking, hens in battery cages (and other housing systems) are often kept at low light intensities (e.g. less than 10 lux). Low light intensities may be associated with welfare costs to the hens as they prefer to eat in brightly lit environments and prefer brightly lit areas for active behaviour but dim.
*** Improving Welfare In Battery Cages ***
The Scientific Veterinary Committee of the European Commission stated that "enriched cages and well designed non-cage systems have already been shown to have a number of welfare advantages over battery systems in their present form". Supporters of battery farming contend that alternative systems such as free range also have welfare problems, such as increases in cannibalism, feather pecking and vent pecking. A recent review of welfare in battery cages made the point that such welfare issues are problems of management, unlike the issues of behavioural deprivation, which are inherent in a system that keeps hens in such cramped and barren conditions. Free range egg producers can limit or eliminate injurious pecking, particularly feather pecking, through such strategies as providing environmental enrichment, feeding mash instead of pellets, keeping roosters in with the hens, and arranging nest boxes so hens are not exposed to each others' vents; similar strategies are more restricted or impossible in battery cages.

Service and Information provided by: The Poultry Pages & Lucky Hens Rescue
** Please Note ** Report any broken links or incorrect information so that we can fix them, thanks!
<== Back to The Poultry Pages

No comments:

Post a Comment

** PLEASE REPORT ANY BROKEN LINKS SO WE CAN FIX THEM **

Feel free to leave your comments and feedback about our blogs!