Posted by Catherine | Posted in Farm Sanctuary, Help Animals | Posted on 13-06-2010
Tags: battery chickens, battery hens, ex battery chickens, ex battery hens, save battery chickens, save battery hens
Imagine being a battery hen. You have been trapped in a cage for over 2 years, unable to stretch your wings or to take a dust bath. Unable to feel the sun on your back, the breeze in your feathers, or to see the blue sky above. Imagine standing on wire and feeling it cutting into your feet, unable to escape the pain. You desperately want to hide away to lay your eggs, but there is no where to go. You have to defecate and urinate where you sleep and the urine burns into your skin. This is the life of a battery hen and what reward do they get at the end of 2 years of egg laying, forced molts and endless pain and boredom? Slaughter.
Your bones are so brittle from lack of exercise and proper nutrition that when they finally remove you from your cage and stuff you into a crate to be taken to slaughter their rough hands break your legs. By the time you arrive at the slaughter house you are petrified and pain is searing through your sick body.
This is the reality for millions of battery hens. We know we can’t rescue every battery hen and ultimately this cruel practice must be stopped, but in the meantime let’s do what we can to rescue as many battery hens as possible. Rather than being sent to slaughter we are able to offer them temporary housing here whilst they heal, before being placed in their loving forever homes. A local battery house is getting ready to clear out their hens and that means the hens will be sent to slaughter at the end of July.
Our first ex-battery hens from that shed are arriving this coming week and we are erecting a temporary chicken coop, along with plenty of warm bedding, to keep the girls comfortable. To be able to take in more hens and give them a chance at a forever home we need more funds for a permanent chicken coop, as well as vets bills, food and bedding. This is the chicken coop we are hoping to get. It is the Bonofido chicken coop cabin:
This chicken coop will keep predators out at night and will allow the chickens the space to express their natural behavior, as they get used to being out of the cage. After a few days in the coop they will be able to free range, as they will know where home is.
This housing will enable us to monitor the hens and give them the veterinary treatment they may need, before moving to their forever homes. Once they are placed we will take more hens and this cycle will continue. Every donation no matter how small is helpful. Here is a break down of costs:
- Chicken coop for temporarily housing hens and monitoring their health before they are moved to loving forever home -$365
- Freight of chicken coop -$35
- Cost of hen – $2.50 per hen
- Chicken wire for large outside area – $50
- Straw bedding – $14/bale
- Vegetarian chicken feed – $35/25 kilo bag
- Other costs – Veterinary treatment
Some people may say that by rescuing only a few hens at a time we are making no difference to the millions that are suffering, but I say that each bird is an individual life that is worth saving.
If you are able to spare a dollar or two just click the donate button at the top of our sidebar to donate securely. We are so grateful for any help you can give and I am sure the hens are too. It is strange to think the hens we are taking are in their cages right this moment, but soon they will be free to express their natural behavior. Be sure to check back to the site for updates on the rescued hens
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Hey Catherine,
So that battery farmer is coming through with his promise of going free range ey? Great news. I’d LOVE to be able to take some hens but we’re currently at maximum stocking density in our little back yard. I will certainly put my feelers out for any other good prospects though.
I did try to donate some money towards your coop but that Chip In thingo puts it in US$. Thought you might not be aware of this, as anyone donating will pay extra and might be annoyed. And you might have to pay foreign exchange fees?? Let me know what the deal is.
Very best wishes and best of luck!
Cath
Hi Cath!
Yes, the farmer actually had all the stuff there to go free range, so he is definitely going to do it. Hopefully if we spread the word we can find some great homes for these poor old girls.
Thank you so much for trying to make a donation Cath. I really appreciate it and thank you for noting it is in US$. I was meaning to change that! I have just replaced the widget with an AU one.
I am off to put the chooks to bed now,
Love Catherine x