How To Adobt Battery Hens
Battery hens are among some of the most poorly treated animals in the world, as they are forced to lay in a cage and produce eggs day after day, without being given the freedom to walk, move , or even stretch. Chickens are much happy in a more natural environment and studies have even shown that they produce better eggs when they are given a little bit of freedom. Basically, it is not fair that these hens are forced to suffer just so human beings can eat mass produced eggs. Battery cages are due to be banned by the European Union in 2012, but there is still a great deal of damage that can be done before then that you have the power to prevent.
One thing that you can do is look into adopting a battery hen, which will give that hen a much better life than ever before. The first step that you must follow is to look into the laws in your city, as not every city allows hens to be kept. Next, make sure that you have some way to transport these hens back to your house, as they need proper ventilation. This is also true of the housing that you give these hens. Most people choose to purchase a chicken coop, which is a great way to give your new chickens the space that they need in order to remain healthy, while still protecting them from predators. A good chicken coop will provide the perfect accommodation for these chickens, while giving them the shelter that they need. Many of the top chicken coops come with a built in run, which will allow your chickens the freedom to exercise whenever they see fit. While battery hens will not be used to this freedom at first and, therefore, probably will not be very active, they will soon learn to appreciate this extra space that you have given them.
The next thing that you will want to look into is bedding, which is pretty easy to take care of. All you will need is some grass or some straw and your chickens will immediately be happier than they were in the battery. Many hen houses now come with nest boxes, which give your chickens a comfortable place to lay its eggs, while making it easier for you to collect these eggs as well.
As far as feeding goes, make sure that you have a wide range of foods, as you never know what your chicken will want to eat. At first, make sure that mash is always around, as this is what the chicken is used to. Over time, you can mix in some pellets and corn in order to give your chicken a healthier diet. This will improve the overall health of the chicken in the long run, which will lead to a better egg production as well.
One thing about battery hens is that they are usually vaccinated because farmers do not want to lose all of their hens at once. Therefore, you hen should be relatively free of disease when you pick it up, but this does not mean that it is completely healthy. Things like wing bruising are very common among battery hens, as they have not had the room that they need for a long time. A bruise will heal is about two weeks, so just keep an eye on the hen and make sure that it keeps eating and drinking water.
As far as egg production goes, you will find that your chickens have no clue about where to lay their eggs because they have been locked up for so long. Therefore, you will probably find eggs all over the chicken coop for the first little while, as they chickens will simply lay their eggs as they are walking around. This can be a frustrating, and messy, experience, but by putting some fake eggs into the nest box, you can quickly teach them where they are supposed to be. Also, keep in mind that since these chickens have been abused, you can only expect about half the production of a regular hen. This will vary, depending on the chicken, but this is the general rule with battery hens.
These chickens have been treated poorly their entire lives and it is very important that people like you give them a second chance. These hens can still live productive lives with people who will treat them like actual animals or pets, rather than a means to make money.