Selfsufficientish.com

I have finnally pursuaded my partner to let me get some chooks. Have wanted them since I was about 8! We have been offered some day old chicks from a friend although I wanted ex battery hens, Being really harsh about it which are the most long term viable? We are keeping them for eggs and there seems to be a lot of contradicting info/advice on the web about which are most suitable.

I would like to have ex battery hens for the knowing of doing good, how ever we do need to eat and that's really why we are getting them... Maybe I need to harden up?! Any advice/opinions most welcome.

Please don't think me to be harsh, I am a vegetarian and have only ever owned rescue anmals but just think I may need to let my head rule my heart for a change!!
Claire

I would have voted POL but there was no button for that...

I think I may have made a mistake when submitting as there was when I did it!!! will try and edit now!

Depends why you're keeping them.

If economics is the issue you'll either go for pol and cull them when they stop laying well or day olds from a multi purpose breed and eat the cockerels.

If you're as silly as me and will give them names and let them live out their old age, eating you out of house and home for a few eggs in return (and lots of fun and enjoyment in keeping them) you'll prob go for rescue or buy a breed that lays fewer eggs per year but has a long laying life.

I voted POL, but only because I have no battery places nearby. I would be tempted to give them a second chance, but perhaps it would be better to start with POL - then once the bug bites, get the Batts!

That is what I thought! I just like the idea of cute fluffy chicks. And I have to say my 5 and 3 year old daughters are quite partial to a bit of cute yellow fluffyness!!! Head rule heat, head rule heart my new mantra! still not working though!!!

The cute yellowness only lasts a few days though. Then you have the ugliest, scrawniest birds and I suspect your girls might quickly bore of them, leaving you to it!

11 days old:



I would get POL's first - reasonably instant results. Then look at ex-batt's and/or day olds (or even fertile eggs,but then you are in serious trouble 'cos there is NO going back lol) later on.

The girls are generally quite excited about the chickens!! Thismorning over breakfast they were haing a debate about who would get the clean them out. It actually got quite heated at times but was resolved with a timetable of alternating between cleaning out the chickens and poo picking the ponies.
I am quite ashamed that my children would rather clean out or clear up after our animals than play at the park by hey that's the good life I guess!!
I think POL would be a gentler introduction to the world of poultry, I just wonder where to get them and be sure they have had a 'great' start in life. I really don't want to encorage poor animal conditions and everywhere we have looked at POL's they have not exactly been free range by any stretchg of the imagination.
Any suggestions on this? Or better still anyone in this area got ny for sale/swap?!!

i voted POL cos i wanted particular breeds.
we have four hens and more eggs than i know what to do with now!

MDL - good to see enthusiastic children!

If you don't get any luck on here looking for POL, you could ask on here. Will I get struck off for that link lol

There's also lots of ads in the back of Country Smallholding mag.

red wrote:i voted POL cos i wanted particular breeds.
we have four hens and more eggs than i know what to do with now!

Could you tell me which breeds, sounds like they are good layers and with a family of 5 and inlaws to keep happy I think we could do with that!!!

we went for a buff leghorn - she is ginger in colour and lays white eggs
a cream legbar - she is grey/brown mottled.. lays pale blue eggs
and two copper headed marans. They are very dark brown, but wuth a green sheen when the light catches them, with gingery bits round their heads. they lay dark brown eggs

it was expensive going for breeds.. but I indulged. ex bats are by far the cheapest.

I voted POL, no worrying about how long they've been laying or what to do with the cockerals if you get them in the day olds. I've gone for trad breeds- my favourite are Langshans and light sussex. Both are utility breeds (you can eat the surplus and have a reasonable number of eggs) and have been a joy to raise and care for. Whereabouts in Somerset are you? there's a couple of folk local to me, but don't know if thats local to you! PM me and I'll pass on the numbers if you like.

Kind thoughts
Deb

I went for POL too, if you're a first time chicken keeper it just means there is less to worry about. They tend to live longer and are generally more resistnat to backyard diseases. Having said that, any hens can be susceptible.

we went for pol, we have 5 hens don't now what to do with all the egg's. we bought them from a battery farm, saved them before they surfed instead of after.