LATEST NEWS FROM LHR REGARDING WEEKEND RESCUE

Due to the possible out break of the Avian flu virus at 2 Bernard Matthews Turkey farms in East Anglia, we have to cancel the rescue for this weekend.
I am really sorry to all that were hoping to get hens from us.
The good news is that the hens will not be slaughtered and are being kept until we know the results from DEFRA. If all is clear and there are NO restrictions in place then we can collect the hens next weekend. All your time slots will be moved forward to Sunday 8th March.


HAPPY EGGS FROM HAPPY RoSAH HENS

4th Pekin egg today

This is getting VERY exciting. Amber laid one today. I really hope they'll hatch them.


HAPPY EGGS FROM HAPPY RoSAH HENS

3rd pekin egg and 11 hen eggs

Today was a hen day, proper thorough muck out of sheds and straw on ground. Also the duck pond had a nice clean refill so they were happy and 1 had a swim.
Rita & Joan are still happy together and as soon as I got Rita out, she started trying to pick a fight so she's better off separate with just Joan for company.



HAPPY EGGS FROM HAPPY RoSAH HENS

2nd Pekin egg

Haven't managed to keep up with the blog due to illness and chaos and children off school etc....
Everything tends to go into meltdown as routine goes out of the window.
Helping at Little hen rescue this Sunday. Taking some cockerels to Jo and bringing a few hens back for other peeps.


HAPPY EGGS FROM HAPPY RoSAH HENS

Our 1st tiny Pekin Bantam egg!

Ooooh we're so excited as there is a possibility of it being fertile. Mark has written the date on it so we'll see if they lay any more. Fenella was sitting on it (our lavender hen)but Mark seems to think Amber laid it although he said there was a lot of noise from them all day.
Will keep you posted.


HAPPY EGGS FROM HAPPY RoSAH HENS

BLOOMING SNIDE NEIGHBOURS

I'm not very happy as one of our "dear" neighbours has complained to the council dog warden about excessive noise from our dogs which I can only assume was during the hen rescue weekend which we felt uneasy about anyway as the dogs did play up so we took free eggs round to them.....and no one said anything. (We'd already made arrangements for the next hen collection so it's not from our house and here instead> http://www.tinyurl.com/lhrsb )
I can't stand people who haven't got the balls to just say"the dogs are a bit loud", I don't bloomin' bite! I'd have apologised and turned the music up indoors to mask the fact that we had visitors and to stop the woofing.
I'd respect my neighbours much more if they had an adult conversation with us. Last time Mr Next Door started shouting over the fence which I thought was unnecessary and asked then if he EVER had a problem again to come to the door rather than scaring the kids by ranting. Why can't people do that rather than sneaking off like little snitches telling tales. They ought to grow up!

The dogs are only warning us that someone is around who shouldn't be. The neighbours will be upset if they get burgled and we've kept the dogs quiet. GRRRR. Hope it happens to them now!
The "complainant" will be monitoring the dogs for 10 weeks themselves before the council will get involved and as far as I'm aware, as long as the dogs aren't barking continuously or throughout the night then there's not a problem. It's our next door neighbours Jack Russells that yap all night and upset ours. I think theirs live outside, either that or they are out until very late at night.
Roll on the neighbour exaggerating and getting a noise monitor in that will pick up the REAL culprits.
I REALLY wish we had no neighbours at all, even if I had to live in a caravan in a field.
I think The Fair Isle looks nice. Would love to flit there.
Feeling pissed off today now.


HAPPY EGGS FROM HAPPY RoSAH HENS

Went to Bearts yesterday

....and OMG we spent £79 and we have to go there fortnightly. Fair enough one trip is always dearer than the other but phew.....That was on food stuffs, straw, cat litter and some Jeyes Fluid & medical bits and bobs we needed for the animal first aid kid. I also got 2 of the smallest (cheapest £1.75 each) haynets to hang the cabbages in for the hens who go wild for them.
Then on the way back we stopped at a roadside stall and picked up some huge cabbages for the hens and guinea pigs for 50p each which is an absolute bargain at the moment.

(This wasn't including Dollys food, bedding or livery)

All this was after my MRI so my head was pounding. I had pins and needles from my neck up to the top of my head.
We parked the kids up and left them in the minibus with a view of the Stowbridge level crossing. They were thrilled to see 2 trains so it gave us time to shop.

A lady from Weston Hills called Jane donated us 2 chicken feeders and a drinker and big stainless steel bowl which are very much appreciated. Thanks Jane.



HAPPY EGGS FROM HAPPY RoSAH HENS

Next Hen rescue, Feb 28th

Anyone wishing to rehome ex battery hens from the next rescue, please see Little Hen Rescue's website then fill in a contact form.
If you wish to collect from Sutton Bridge, please say so clearly on the contact form.


Bit of advertising for LHR.
Click picture to enlarge it sufficiently to see.
May as well use the space on the back of the car for something practical.
The vinyl lettering was only £2.50 + £1.50 postage off eBay.
The chap who made the guinea pig logo is also making me some hen silhouettes in 8 year vinyl too.

HAPPY EGGS FROM HAPPY RoSAH HENS

**100 eggs already in February**

Our girls must be happy hens as they're prolific layers. We've reached the magical 100 eggs this month already so we must be doing something right.
In a way it's a shame I don't eat eggs myself but it keeps the family and neighbours in free organic free range eggs from happy hens and hopefully stops them buying "value" eggs from battery hens.


HAPPY EGGS FROM HAPPY RoSAH HENS

Olive has been pecked

Poor Olive, we've never had any problems with anyone pecking her. She was one of the anber-link rescues and is white with brown flecks.
Today I noticed on her back and neck she has had feather plucked out so I've put plenty of "Anti-Pek" on her and hopefully, whoever the bully is will get a mouthful of yukky feathers and leave her alone in future.
Here's a pic of her a few weeks ago, strutting her stuff with her fancy comb and lovely looks.
I've sat out there for ages and am unaware of anyone getting her.






HAPPY EGGS FROM HAPPY RoSAH HENS

APPLE CIDER VINEGAR

The "Miracle Cure" to everything for your Poultry

Apple Cider Vinegar (or ACV for short) has long been hailed as a miracle cure for everything in the poultry world.

It does have numerous health benefits and supports the immune system. Since I have started using ACV I have noticed a big difference in the health of my flock and now recommend it to all poultry keepers.

ACV is certainly full of vitamins, minerals and trace elements. It helps to lower the pH level in the stomach, helping digestion and making it a less friendly for harmful pathogens. ACV detoxifies the blood and helps remove mucous from within the body, this is particularly useful since chickens are particularly prone to respiratory problems and ACV can be of benefit in helping birds to clear their airways (especially for ex batts & ex barn hens who have inhaled all sorts of foul bugs from within their sheds prior to rescue).

Due to the acid content of ACV, it is an antiseptic. As well as killing germs, it is also a mild antibiotic as well, (that is, it contains bacteria that destroy infectious organisms).

Some claims have been made that ACV increases egg production. Whilst I can't find any studies that prove this, it would still make sense that if you are keeping a hen in good health, she will perform better and our own hens do seem to be laying very well.

ACV, can be found in health shops and many poultry / equine shops / outlets will sell bottles of it. Ours is by Wendals herbs and was from the Equine section of our feed supplier.

How to give ACV to chickens.

We use between 10-20 ml per litre of water. Remember ACV is acidic and you should only put it into plastic water containers to prevent corrosion (DO NOT put in galvanised drinkers). I normally do this for a week every month - the first week of the month so that I remember which one!

I also add a daily scoop of garlic powder during this same week to their food.

HAPPY EGGS FROM HAPPY RoSAH HENS

The prem baby guinea pigs are doing well

and have both been reserved already!!

One is blind, it would appear since birth but seems strong and healthy, the other is very healthy and strong. From what I can tell they are both female so will stay together when the time comes. We've had blind ones in the past that have lived a normal life with a companion.


these are the 2 babes. the blind one on the right.

We also had 12 eggs today from our hens which has broken our previous daily record.

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These pictures below are especially for Grandma
click to enlarge them




The girls with Fenella the Pekin

Mini with Silkie



12 HAPPY EGGS FROM HAPPY RoSAH HENS TODAY!

Joan has joined Rita overnight

Fingers crossed this will work out. I put Anti-pek spray on both girls today and they freeranged the garden with the others. A few had a pick on Rita until they got a mouthfiul of vile tasting feathers. No one bothered Joan at all.
I put them both in together at nightfall so am hoping it'll work out and they'll become friends.
Mollie (The Labrador) was out on the garden today, she ignores Rita & Joan who are both used to her from being on the house but when the others flapped she got a bit excitable and chased although caused no harm nor intended to. She just needs a little more supervised time with them.
One of the hens laid an egg underneath the 13ft trampoline and I had a right job getting it out. No idea who laid it, it was 1 of my big fat ladies stood near as it was steaming but I'd have thought they knew exactly where to lay....very strange.
Mark did a mass muck out so plenty of muck for the composters of West Norfolk.


HAPPY EGGS FROM HAPPY RoSAH HENS

Maps for hen collection

These maps will enable anyone wondering how to find us if they are planning on ordering any hens from Little Hen Rescue. http://tinyurl.com/LHRSB

Let me explain the procedure if you are wanting any ex battery hens.
Take a look at the website for Little Hen Rescue and read everything there is to know about homing these hens- accommodation, feed, bedding, health etc....

If you are able to provide what these ladies need and are still interested, please fill in one of the contact forms on the LHR website which will go through to Jo who runs and co ordinates each rescue.

Jo will email you back to say you are on the rehomers list and you will be told approximately when the next rescue is likely to be. Take this time from being told you are on the waiting list to make/buy your hens house, fence off any area you'd like your hens to be in and generally prepare for their arrival.

Please STATE CLEARLY from the outset that you wish to collect hens from Sutton Bridge. You will need to pay Jo in advance for hens collected from Sutton Bridge. Each hen requires a donation of £1.50 per bird but any extra is always gratefully received as the £1.50 is never enough. You can pay by cheque payable to Little Hen rescue or Paypal via the website. If you use paypal, try to include a little extra if you can because Paypal take fees from payments made thru them.

When a rescue approaches, Jo will be in touch and you will be given a date for receiving your hens. Assuming you have stated you wish to collect them from Sutton Bridge and they have been paid for in advance, you should receive your hens that evening.
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On the day of the rescue, everyone is VERY busy. Your hens will be collected from the farm and taken back to base for a general health check.

It will usually be evening time when your hens arrive in Sutton Bridge as we have a full days rehoming to do first. We will call you once we know what time we will be there and you can see from the map and tinyurl where the meeting point is.

Once you collect your hens, take them home and put them straight in their hen house and shut them in until next morning. In the morning you can let them out into their pen and ensure they drink and eat. Your hens will have had a very long shocking day. They have never seen the great outdoors or experienced freedom to even flap their wings. They've never been able to look up and see the sky or scratched in the soil.

Hopefully you will grow to love your hens like we love ours and they will reward you with a few eggs which we always think are a gesture of goodwill for saving them from the abbatoir.

If you don't want to collect your hens from Sutton Bridge and can drive to Norwich instead, you are able to pay on collection day for them.

These images can be clicked twice to enlarge them. We hope they help you.



HAPPY EGGS FROM HAPPY RoSAH HENS

It's blooming snowing again.....

.....so my plan for putting Joan in with Rita at bedtime was foiled as it would be too cold for Joan with her being inside for a few nights.
She's been really alert today. It's been like the first day where she's been looking up at her surroundings and being nosey. It must be amazing for her to discover life beyond the battery cage. I'd forgotton what it's like as Lizzy never did with being a no neck for so long and as Rita had been a freeranger anyway, she behaved differently.


JOAN

Hopefully the sun will come out tomorrow and get the snow melted away so we can maybe move Rita's pen under cover and then introduce them at bed time. Tomorrow won't be such a hectic day (hopefully)


HAPPY EGGS FROM HAPPY RoSAH HENS

Joan is ready to live with Rita (we think)

Joan is doing really well, just a slight limp now but she puts her wings out to hold her balance then pootles off on her way.
I bought some Anti Peck Spray for poultry today so tomorrow evening I shall spray both her and Rita and put them to bed together and hopefully they'll keep each other warm and be kind to each other on Friday. If not, they'll both get a mouthful of foul tasting feathers which will hopefully nip it in the bud.
If Rita REALLY doesn't want a friend of her own variety, I'm sure Joan will fit in with the rest of the flock.
Then who will I mother?? I should have brought more than 1 sickly hen or one more needy.
We've got 2 prem baby guinea pigs but in all my years I've never successfully hand reared any. They always fade away on about day 5 so I'm just leaving them with their mother and letting nature take it's course :-( I really can't bear it when they die in my arms.



HAPPY EGGS FROM HAPPY RoSAH HENS

NEW Sutton Bridge hen collection point

Thankyou to our dear neighbours for such tolerance on Sunday & Monday especially. We thought our dogs would be quieter than they were. This is why we have set up maps pointing to the NEW collection point so we don't bother you on future rescue weekends.


Our neighbours have been very tolerant this weekend as people have come to collect the hens we brought back from Little Hen Rescue and as we may possibly be helping out with Hen Rehomers-UK as well, we don't wish to put any more stress and noise on our neighbours than we already do. Visitors make our dogs go bonkers and they won't shut up until people leave and I hate to feel that I'm rushing people who may want to ask a few questions or have claws or wings clipped.

SO, to save upsetting anyone, any future collections of hens will be from HERE It's just off the A17 main road and very easy to find.
As well as the placemark on the map, there are written instructions too and if you click on the symbol you can put your own postcode in and get directions to there.
I hope this helps anyone collecting hens but you will have to be fairly prompt at your agreed collection time (or call us) as it is just a side road with no facilities. We only chose it as the meeting point as the swing bridge is such a prominent landmark to all from either direction.


Hope to see you soon
(The Mad Chook woman)


HAPPY EGGS FROM HAPPY RoSAH HENS

The hens we brought back (+Lizzy update)

As I probably already mentioned below, we brought back 30 hens plus a lovely cockerel for other people.
10 hens and the cockerel went to their new homes on Sunday and on Monday, Sue my Boston & Skeg Freecycle Mod came to collect her 8. It was lovely to meet her at last but before she came I took a few pictures and video clips as the hens weren't very still and I was getting a few blurry pics. We've still got 12 hens to go which I hope will go tomorrow so the cats can go back in their enclosure.




I'd also like to show you Lizzy who we got at the end of November. We called her no neck Lizzy and thought she had a tumour on her neck but it turned out to be a curvature of her spine. Well with a good diet, and a lot of TLC I'm pleased to say she now stands tall with no sign of how she was upon being rescued which I think is miraculous. I actually brought her home to give her love for her last days! She became my "parrot hen" often sitting on my shoulder while I was on the computer and I'm very fond of her.
Click to enlarge them.
BEFORE

TODAY

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HAPPY EGGS FROM HAPPY RoSAH HENS

GREEN VEG WANTED, also a pallet

This isn't a huge ask but is for all our local supporters who wouldn't mind helping the animals.
The guinea pigs need extra vitamin c from green cabbages as they cannot munch on the lawn or any garden leaves. The Giant African Land Snails are eating lettuce and cucumber like it's going out of fashion and I was also told yesterday that chickens absolutely love a cabbage hung up for them to peck at. We have never tried it. Ours just get sweetcorn as a treat but one chap told me to hang cabbages up in pony haynets and it apparently keeps them busy and happy.
Well we're all for enhancing their living conditions as with this snow, they're none too pleased and have taken up camp undercover where the ground is dry.

If anyone local has a pallet they are disposing of, could they please let us know too so the hens have a raised area to stand on.
The bantams are using upturned empty wire hanging baskets to stand on and keep their tootsies out of the snow (as they have feathered feet and don't like them wet) but the ex battery hens have nothing except the straw bale which is under cover anyway.


HAPPY EGGS FROM HAPPY RoSAH HENS

Eggs, chickens, veggies etc...

It seems we're getting overwhelmed with eggs again especially as we've got the lodgers staying over awaiting collection and are currently upto 47 eggs this month already. Maybe over all we will have less this month as it's a shorter month but it is looking promising so far.

I had to share the cartoon below. It made me smile but also makes a point! If you MUST eat meat, please buy free range so hens aren't in those massive sheds suffering for the sake of you having a slightly cheaper chicken for your tea.

I hate any animal having to live an unnatural life. Having seen our rescued hens instantly knowing how to scratch the soil and eat worms and dust bathe in the garden, it made me realise that it is natural instinct so the fact that they are in these intensive rearing/laying sheds must be truly horrific for them. Obviously the battery cages are worse still.

It makes me wonder why the chicken which is seen as important in many peoples diets is not allowed to grow and thrive in a manner that would promote good health in the bird and therefore a healthier food?

Please buy free range or go veggie! I have been a vegetarian for 12 years. There are so many choices of yummy food nowadays than when I first became a vegetarian even though I had dabbled in not eating meat throughout my teenage years, it was only when expecting my second child that I gave up eating meat all together and he was my biggest baby ;-)
I am borderline vegan. I don't drink milk or eat eggs etc....BUT Quorn still use eggs in their products as a stiffener and until they find an alternative I can only be a vegetarian. I would like to go Vegan eventually though.

HAPPY EGGS FROM HAPPY RoSAH HENS

LITTLE HEN RESCUE YESTERDAY

Wow, what an amazing day!! Crap freezing weather here in Lincolnshire but Norfolk was lovely and sunny.
Jo had helpers at the farm who were loading crates while she drove back with 600 or so hens on the trailer and helpers were at the yard uncrating the hens as the masses flocked in to eagerly rehome some!
It was fantastic, we must've rehomed 1800+ hens during the day and at times we came close-ish to running out of hens.
The little baldies got their jumpers put on and some people thought they were so cute they were taking all baldies which was fab because at the end of the day there were hardly any baldies left to overnight at the yard.
Some hens were unwell and were put in the hospital wing, some (not many) sadly were too far gone and lost their fight for life as it all must've just been too much to cope with.
I wasn't physically able to run around catching hens but I clipped a few claws and gave advice to the new owners should they need doing again although they will probably be fine scratching around the gardens of their new homes.
People had travelled from all over. There had been an article on Radio Suffolk about their plight so we had people from Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Lincolnshire and I think even Nottinghamshire.
A cameraman and reporter turned up from Anglia TV and although we couldn't see the news when it was on, we watched it online and they did us proud!!
A huge HGV truck from Leeders was on site selling food/bedding/vitamins/feeders/drinkers and everything you could possibly need for new hens.
Many new helpers joined in which was nice as I met a few new folks.....but it was sometimes difficult to see who was helping and who was collecting hens. (I'm going to take stickers or get some badges next time, lol)
We brought a little hen back with us who we've called Joan. She is off her legs...well she was. Her feet were curled and she really didn't want to stand on the flats of her feet. We've given her gentle physio by uncurling them and lowering her gently to the ground where she has held her weight for brief periods of time before dropping into a squatting position but if she's been like that a long time, this is just day one of recovery. She is certainly VERY perky and bright eyed.










Little unwell hen in the yellow jumper that Jo was taking home and some baldies awaiting jumpers









We had a fantastic time and were buzzing, roll on the next one! Jo was still rescuing today taking the total to around 4000 hens which is the biggest rescue carried out by Little Hen Rescue so far.
The work carried out by Jo and all the helpers is really commendable. Saving these hens from slaughter and hopefully people will be rehoming them and using their eggs and the farmers won't be restocking their sheds as demand for cheap eggs lessens! Lets hope!!!!!!!!!!


Here is Joan, our new addition for nursing as mentioned above


...and this is the most gorgeous cockerel. My alarm clock at 5.15am today. Mini wanted to keep him and was gutted when he went to his lovely new home with 4 ladies for company. He hasn't gone to live far away so I'm sure I will hear how he is getting on.

Cautious hens in the snow

Our ladies were rather unsure as to whether to venture out this morning. The rabbits & Guinea pigs are ok as they were well packed with extra straw bedding in anticipation of the cold snap but what a shock this morning that even the main roads hadn't been treated and were dangerous and the schools were closed.

BIG HEN Rescue this weekend

I reckon Jo should change the name to BIG Hen rescue instead of Little Hen rescue as she is hoping to rescue 4000 hens so they're ALL needing homes because it's terrible to leave any behind for slaughter. Please email littlehenrescue@aol.com if you have space for any.
We are happy to transport any from Norwich to Sutton Bridge in Lincs for easier collection.
Jo requests a donation of £1.50 per hen (personally If I were her I'd charge £2 as I do when we do our own rescues as it all helps to cover costs and go towards to dog/fox proof fencing fund so any extra REALLY does make a difference)

Mollie the Lab has settled in well and spent Sunday afternoon with Boo at the beach at nearby Hunstanton. The tide was out so plenty of space for a game of ball and a run around.