the chickens we are getting are from the battery hen welfare trust and are former battery hens who will be about 12-15 months old when we get them. Their egg production has slowed down to less than the expected 1 egg per day, so they are considered "commercially unviable" and would be sent to slaughter. They have lived in a cage less than the size of a piece of A4 paper, have never seen daylight and have never walked. Many limp when you first get them because their legs are so weak, they have broken wings and hardly any feathers, and their combs are flaccid and white, not perky and red. My in-laws took some in about 6 weeks ago, and they were in a horrible state, but now they are flourishing thanks to plenty of fresh air and TCL, their combs are red and their feathers are growing back in. I can't wait to get our chickens. we already know we're going to call them Orm, Cheep, Charlie and Lola