Hens

I've looked back over some older posts so I know that some of you keep hens and I'm looking for some advice from you, please.

I have three hens (21 weeks old), and I ave converted the back half of my garage for them to live in. I have a small run at the side of the garage, but I'd like them to have more room to move around. My back garden is secure, so I could let them out there, but could they escape over the fence, which is about 5 ft. tall? I would stay with them to see how they get on.

What do you think?

x

I have 5 hens, 3 ex battery hens and 2 bantams. The 3 ex batts would be unable to get over a 5ft fence but one of my bantams is an excellent jumper/flyer and could easily clear 6ft. I've tried wing clipping but it made no difference to mine so unfortunately she is run bound . I think it depends on the breed, some breeds are flighty and more likely to be able to get over high fences etc.

hth

Thanks Allie.

I did let them our for a couple of hours, and I stayed with them the whole time. I was pretty cold after that! Anyway, they were fine but they didn't actually wander much further than they would in the run! Also there was a huge cat hanging around and because my hens are so small, I was worried they might get eaten! So I think I'll keep them in the run from now on and maybe extend it.

I was watching videos of ex batts on YouTube last night. It was so heartbreaking! I'm thinking of getting some when my chicks are bigger. Is it something you would recommend?

xx

I'd definitely recommend the ex-batts. They are lovely ladies and surprisingly affectionate. Mine are also very good layers now that they've settled in. The only thing that I would say is be careful when integrating them as ex-batts can be very territorial over food due to the way they've lived so you will probably need to keep them separate but within sight of the others for a few days as the fights can be brutal.....


hth

Thanks, I'll definitely look into it.

How would you go about rescuing ex-battery hens?

How would you go about rescuing ex-battery hens?

Just google battery hen rescue and the area you live . There are lots of rescue groups.

What about using some netting over the garden like making it a giant enclosed run?

That's a great idea, thanks! I'll look into it.

xx