Keeping Chickens Newsletter

and waterer if other more confident chickens are around. All in all, a separate safe area for them to get used to things is likely to be very beneficial.

"This month we have rescued 6 battery hens (photo enclosed). They were not in such bad condition (very pale on the comb and quite thin) but have started losing feathers since we got them just over a week ago. They are the most curious chickens ever and are into everything. We were told they might be aggresive but these are so daft and affectionate and comical - they are collectively known as "The Dingles". Three have individual names - Belle, Lisa and Chas but, so far, I cannot differentiate the other three. They have free run of the garden and are VERY reluctant to go into the coop at night. We were hoping they would integrate with our original girls "The Buckets" but so far there are two very distinct camps. A local battery hen place is releasing 25,000 birds this month, I hope a lot of them get loving homes where they can taste grass and scratch about like normal chickens." Shirley, Horeb, Wales