Before and after.

Re: Before and after.

ceri stewart — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 10:30:43 GMT

hen "blinkers" are used, which basically stop hens seeing forward so they don't peck. unfortunately they are fitted by stabbing something into their nostrils, so not really very nice. I have also lost hens due to cannibalism: they are interested in the prolapse, then attracted to the red. I have saved one with purple spray when i found her before the damage was too bad.

Re: Before and after.

Julie Innes — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 08:43:26 GMT

Ah- thanks Michael! I had started to wonder if I dreamt it

Re: Before and after.

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 02:19:50 GMT

www.youtube.com/watch

Re: Before and after.

Michael Woodhouse — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 22:22:09 GMT

[quote user="Alexa Bardell"]Anyway I've found that good old blue spray on any wound/area of inflammation will prevent others traumatising it.[/quote]

I'm a cow vet - you don't need to tell me the joys of 'blue spray'! You just need to get to the chicken before its mates.

I have to fight temptation to spray dogs and cats with it after ops..................

[quote user="Julie Innes"]

I'm sure I saw something on TV (one of those things my other half watches!) about someone who developed tinted spectacles for chickens to stop them seeing red and pecking each other to death!

[/quote]

It was on an episode of QI

Re: Before and after.

Julie Innes — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 20:10:21 GMT

I'm sure I saw something on TV (one of those things my other half watches!) about someone who developed tinted spectacles for chickens to stop them seeing red and pecking each other to death!

Re: Before and after.

Hannah Wynne Richards — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 15:50:11 GMT

Yet more poor animals casualties of the never ending drive for cheaper food

Wynne

Re: Before and after.

a.bardell — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 15:33:32 GMT

I was taught by old vet I saw practice with that chickens are attracted to anything red- hence why so many food and water containers have red bases to them. Anyway I've found that good old blue spray on any wound/area of inflammation will prevent others traumatising it. Not sure if this is scientifically proven or just an old wive's tale but thought I'd add into the discussion

Alexa

Re: Before and after.

Anthony Todd — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 14:37:09 GMT

[quote user="Michael Woodhouse"]Chickens can be cruel. Ours have a large run and twice they have pecked their friend to death usually as a result of a prolapse or small wound.[/quote]

Bloody hell, chickens don't need free range, they need counselling and "support" surely.

Let's start a campaign; what's the dose of diazepam for chooks??

Re: Before and after.

Bob Russell — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 13:14:57 GMT

Don't forget that the majority of 'free-range' birds never see the light of day! I am not sure that many so-called free-range birds are better off than barn or even caged birds in a good unit!

Bad caged probably worse than bad free-range but the argument should be between good management standards and poor.

I am trying to persuade the other half to get some hens, we have plenty of room for them!

Re: Before and after.

Michael Woodhouse — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 23:11:53 GMT

[quote user="Anthony Todd"]Didn't expect that. Must be a major problem in large battery farms.[/quote]

Chickens can be cruel. Ours have a large run and twice they have pecked their friend to death usually as a result of a prolapse or small wound.

Re: Before and after.

Anthony Todd — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 22:37:04 GMT

[quote user="bob lehner"]She was very stressed and constantly bullied by the others. She was self-plucking her breast area and the others were pecking her round the head and neck whenever she went near them to feed.[/quote]

Didn't expect that. Must be a major problem in large battery farms.

Got to be a nice PhD there somewhere, I mean why her and not another?

Re: Before and after.

Stephen Courtney — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 22:01:05 GMT

I'm pretty cynical too, but it's a loooong time since i last bought any chicken produce that wasn't free range and preferably organic - not because i'm against chemicals, but because I feel that if animals are brought up in good systems., the need for meds etc is much reduced , so it has to be nicer for the birds

And chickens that have exercised a bit taste so much better....!

Re: Before and after.

bob lehner — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 20:36:33 GMT

[quote user="Anthony Todd"]Why do they lose their feathers? [/quote]

Well, I'm no chook expert - but must be multifactorial.

All ex-bats look pretty scruffy - we took eight this time and the one in my photo was by far the worst of the bunch.

She was very stressed and constantly bullied by the others. She was self-plucking her breast area and the others were pecking her round the head and neck whenever she went near them to feed. I guess in the battery environment they must also mechanically rub out feathers and suffer skin trauma due to overcrowding.

Although as you say, their nutrition should be OK - I think they probably only get enough food to keep themselves alive and produce an egg a day - but not enough to regenerate lost feathers - which must require a lot of calories. Because of the bullying she was frightened to go to the feed - therefore less calories ingested to help regenerate feathers.

With ad-lib feed from lots of different feed stations, plenty of space, indoors and outside, and an interesting environment the bullying quickly stopped. Reduced bullying = less stress = less self-harming. Feathers regrow at an amazing rate - you can literally see the difference day by day.

The other fascinating thing about ex-bats is that despite the generations of living in such an alien and controlled environment they immediately know how to scratch the soil, chase bugs, have a dust-bath, sunbathe (as someone else noted) and generally behave like natural creatures again.

To see a bunch of them in absolute ecstasy having a communal dust bath does bring a lump to the throat - even for a cynical old bugger like me.

Re: Before and after.

Anthony Todd — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 17:00:53 GMT

[quote user="bob lehner"]Ex-battery hen[/quote]

Why do they lose their feathers? Is it from trauma to the feathers, are they plucked out by others, rubbing on cages or what, from your observations?

Can't be poor nutrition can it?

Got to be the most telling argument against battery hens I've ever seen.

Re: Before and after.

karen jones — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 13:42:31 GMT

Need some more hens so have emailed local reforming centre and get them from there. Hadn't thought of that before

Re: Before and after.

Hannah Wynne Richards — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 10:03:39 GMT

Well done Bob

Wynne

Re: Before and after.

ceri stewart — Sun, 25 Nov 2012 20:58:15 GMT

Anyone who claims chickens are OK in an enriched cage has never seen a battery hen's first sunbathe.

Re: Before and after.

Louise6732 — Sun, 25 Nov 2012 17:17:59 GMT

It should be a legal requirement to put the 'before' photo on every box of those nasty non-free range 'value' eggs, in a similar fashion to the pictures of diseased lungs on cigarette boxes!

Louise

Re: Before and after.

james herriot lied — Sat, 24 Nov 2012 19:28:25 GMT

Been doing this for a number of years now; most definitely one of the most life-affirming of events. Everybody should have a crack at this - who knows, it might just change some attitudes to cheap meat

Re: Before and after.

Mark Hedberg — Sat, 24 Nov 2012 15:29:35 GMT

Nice one! :)

Re: Before and after.

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Sat, 24 Nov 2012 15:13:15 GMT

Re: Before and after.

tess — Sat, 24 Nov 2012 15:00:15 GMT

Fantastic!

Re: Before and after.

James Laidlaw — Sat, 24 Nov 2012 11:46:51 GMT

Yes. Yes it does. Well done.