Battery Hens Saved from Slaughter!

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Posted by Catherine | Posted in Farm Sanctuary | Posted on 11-08-2010

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Henry and girl friend 300x225 Battery Hens Saved from Slaughter!

It has been a busy few weeks here at StartanAnimalSanctuary.com. Although hectic, we have made some real progress towards our goal of starting a farm animal sanctuary in the next 5 years (actually only 4 years and 4 months now!) We have even decided on a name, Sunshine Farm Sanctuary. Me and my friend Sharron will always remember our first 6 rescued battery hens reaction to the sunshine. It seemed to give them confidence and fill them with wonder.

Our first 350 rescued ex-battery hens are enjoying life here at Somersby on our rented land. Despite the trauma and torture they endured they quickly began to express the natural behavior that they had never been able to before.

As I type this about 50 of the girls are sprawled out with a wing or leg outstretched sunbathing. Others are enjoying a deep dust bath, especially those with few feathers. It helps to get rid of parasites and must feel good on their itchy skin as feathers begin to grow back.

Around 70 of the hens have been adopted out to wonderful homes and it has been heart warming to see photos of them enjoying life in their loving, forever homes.

Along with all the wonderful things that came with rescuing the girls came heart ache and bitter disappointment. It has been a huge learning curve for us. We had to take less hens than we originally hoped, due to a behavior we had not been prepared for. When we got the hens home to the barn on the first night we placed them evenly around in different areas where they would have space. They began dust bathing in their bedding and taking tentative steps.

As night approached something strange happened. All of the hens crammed into one corner of the barn. With the light fading we worked hard to separate them, but every time we placed them elsewhere they ran back to the corner like homing pigeons. That night we lost 2 girls to trampling/suffocation under the other hens. Out of responsibility to the hens we had already rescued we knew we could not take any more at that stage.

Despite all having been through the same torture some of the hens were clearly more traumatised than others. One girl who we nick named Corner would not leave her corner even to eat or drink and we soon realised we had to take her home for special care.

The rescue day itself was certainly challenging. We had the help of some hard working and compassionate volunteers, but all of us were surprised at how small the cage doors were. There was no nice way to get the hens out of the cages. The doors were too small to get our hands in.

The battery farm itself was disgusting. The piles of pooh reached our waists and there were dead rats amongst it. As the hens were no longer productive the farmer was withholding food, a punishment so cruel for these hens. Eating is their only activity. Still the girls pecked in vain at the empty trays. We forced them to feed the hens we had to leave behind.

We have realised throughout this rescue that we are not comfortable with working with the farmers in this way. How much better would it have been to cut the cages open with wire cutters and lift the hens gently out?

Watching the hens in the field now highlights just how cruel the battery cages are. Here the hens can run away from a bully, in the cages they can only cower on the floor as they are pecked and even cannibalised by bored out of their mind hens.

Here they can dust bathe and bask in the sun, something that gives the hens immense pleasure. In the cages they have no bedding, only wire, and no sunlight or fresh air.

Here they perch, flap their wings, jump, roost, run just for fun, scratch in the dirt, drink out of a bowl of water (not a tiny nipple feeder), eat quality food and greens, find tasty weeds, worms and insects in the field. Here no one cares whether they lay an egg or not. We just want them to be happy and to get healthy. We want them to be who they were always meant to be – hens!

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6 Rescued Battery Hens

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Posted by Catherine | Posted in Farm Sanctuary, General Animal Rights Stuff, Help Animals | Posted on 19-06-2010

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Catherine and Chook 224x300 6 Rescued Battery Hens

Me and one of the rescued hens

On Friday me and my friend Sharron rescued 6 battery hens from our local battery farm. These hens were going to be slaughtered in late July/early August and have spent around 2 years in battery cages. This farm is changing to free range and the farmer is getting rid of 1500 birds from his “small” 11,000 bird farm. He has agreed to let us find homes for as many of the hens as we can and these 6 are the start of that.

Ultimately I am abolitionist, but it will be interesting to see whether by working with this particular farmer we can help to improve the lives of the hens and save some of those who are scheduled to be slaughtered.

Chooks first sun 225x300 6 Rescued Battery Hens

Britney (named for her bald head) enjoys her first ever sunshine

It was overwhelming going to see the hens. So many rows of suffering within this archaic system of farming in which no animal is treated with compassion or as an individual. And this was one of the better farms.

We were only going to take 5 to start, but we ended up taking 6 as we didn’t want 1 girl left behind in the cage. They were brought out by their feet and I noticed one hen drooled water out of her mouth.

That was where their suffering ended. We placed them in large packing boxes, 3 in each box. The boxes were padded with soft towels. They settled down in the darkness of the box and off we went to their temporary home (until we find them loving, forever homes).

We had to wait for the handy man to help put up the chicken coop, as the day before I had tried, but quickly realised I needed power tools. Whilst we waited we placed the girls on the balcony in a patch of warm sun and gently opened the boxes.

You should have seen their reaction to the sun! I can only imagine how it must have felt to see the brightness and feel that warmth for the first time. They stretched up their long necks and basked. Looking around, they didn’t seem to believe where they were.

SharronBritney2 225x300 6 Rescued Battery Hens

Sharron cuddles Britney the hen

It took quite some time for them to realise that their wings were no longer confined, but when they did they seemed to relish stretching them out and fanning their feathers.

Later on we watched as the girls began to express some natural behavior like scratching the bottom of the box and even taking a dust bath in the food they had spilt on the floor. After 2 years standing on a wire floor in a cage, this was all new to them. We saw that they had all been debeaked (as all battery hens and most free range hens are). Some still had most of their beak, whilst others had a long lower beak and short upper beak. Some had obviously been cut too short. A hen’s beak is full of nerves, so it is very painful when they have their beaks cut.

We named one of the hens Lizzy as she kept flicking out her tongue like a lizard catching bits of dust that showed up in the sun.

There were many moments of the day when me and Sharron looked at each other beaming as we saw how much the hens were enjoying themselves. Even these cardboard boxes were huge compared to where they had come from.

After the handy man had come to put up the coop it was time to introduce the girls to their new home. We gently carried them to the coop and placed them on the ground. At first they stood there on the grass, unsure what to do next. After a while they began to slowly put one foot in front of the other and walk. They kept looking at their feet as if they were thinking, “I didn’t know these things could move like this”

It didn’t take long before they started to explore and peck and scratch at the ground.

hens explore new coop 225x300 6 Rescued Battery Hens

The hens explore their new coop

I had to lift each hen up into their roosting area at night, as they didn’t trust the ramp. They loved the cosy straw up there and when I peeped in a few minutes later they were all snuggled in after their busy day.

Today the hens seemed to relax a little, but they are still quite scared. It was a joy to see them flap their wings and even fly.
Tomorrow it’s time to trim their overgrown nails and fence off a larger free range area for the day time.
Something that struck me is how large the hens are to be stuck in cages their whole life. I think I was expecting them to be smaller, but these girls are beautiful big hens.
Last night I couldn’t sleep thinking of all the hens stuck in battery cages around the world, unable to express any natural behavior. Sometimes it is overwhelming.
If you are a compassionate person who lives in NSW, Australia and would like to find out about adopting some ex-battery hens please contact me.

Want to help us help hens? We are saving up for another coop to take in more hens at one time, as well as food and vets bills. Any donations are hugely appreciated.  Please click the donate button at the top of our sidebar to make a contribution.

Here are some lovely pics of the girls first day out of the cage.

Britney hen close up1 225x300 6 Rescued Battery Hens

Lovely Britney with a bald head

hens arrive in their box 300x225 6 Rescued Battery Hens

We transported them in a big, comfy box
SharronDora 225x300 6 Rescued Battery Hens

Sharron & Dora – named after Dora the Explorer, as despite being blind in one eye she loves exploring

Dora close up 225x300 6 Rescued Battery Hens

Poor Dora is blind in one eye and has lost feather on her chest and bottom
hen about to go into coop 300x225 6 Rescued Battery Hens

hen about to go into coop

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Ex-Battery Hen Fund Raiser – Can You Help Us Help Them?

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Posted by Catherine | Posted in Farm Sanctuary, Help Animals | Posted on 13-06-2010

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egg battery farm 300x228 Ex Battery Hen Fund Raiser Can You Help Us Help Them?

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:

chicken coop extra large 300x171 Ex Battery Hen Fund Raiser Can You Help Us Help Them?

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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A Conversation with a Battery Egg Farmer

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Posted by Catherine | Posted in Farm Sanctuary, General Animal Rights Stuff | Posted on 04-06-2010

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battery hens in rows 300x224 A Conversation with a Battery Egg Farmer

In the UK there are various schemes to rehome at least some of the ex battery hens (spent hens) at the end of their working life, but here in Australia I am unaware of any such scheme. Once layers reach 2-3 years old (sometimes younger) they stop producing as many eggs and since the egg industry is all about profit, that means one thing…slaughter. I am interested in re-homing some of these old girls (actually not that old, since hens can live until about 12 years old).

I think by adopting some of these ‘spent hens’ I can help to educate people not only of the state of the hens once they have spent 2 years in a battery cage, but also how wonderful chickens are – as friends not food.

I decided to call my local battery farm and ask a few questions. I did not mention animal rights as I did not want to scare them off, instead I acted as an interested person who would like some chickens as pets. Considering this farmer has stated in a local paper that he, “loves the chickens” it was interesting to see how he was unable to envisage them as anything but profit making machines.

Me: Hi there, Just wondering whether you sell chickens there or just eggs?

Farmer: Yeah we sell chickens too. There’s a waiting list though, so…

Me: Um a waiting list? Is that for new chickens coming in?

Farmer: Yeah they’re young birds. Should be delivered end of July.

Me: Sorry, I was enquiring about the old birds. You know the ones who aren’t as productive anymore. Do you sell any of those?

Farmer: Oh…the old ones. Well we’re getting rid of the old ones in July, but they don’t lay many eggs anymore so you won’t want them.

Me: That’s ok, I was just looking for them as pets, so I’m not really worried about eggs.

Farmer: You don’t seem to understand…These are old hens, they won’t lay eggs and you will still have to feed them. They look really old.

Me: That’s fine by me I don’t mind about the eggs. How old are they?

Farmer: They’re 2, some could be 3 years old, but they look old you know?

Me: Yeah I understand. So how long do chickens live for?

Farmer: Well they live forever, but you still have to feed them and you don’t get any eggs in return, so there’s no point… Anyway these old birds are going to the Land of God.

Me: Right. So would I be able to get some of those birds that are being sent off?

Farmer: Hang on… (Yells off into distance) Hey…Are we going to sell any of the old ones?

Farmer: (to me) No not now, you would have to phone back mid July. You should just get the young chickens that way you can get eggs. I’ll put you down for that. Otherwise it’s like throwing food into a bin and not getting anything back.

Me: (think to myself – well I would save a happy little life) OK I’ll phone back at the beginning of July, but I am interested in the old chickens. The ones that are being sent to slaughter.

Farmer: Well maybe I could sell them for a dollar, but you will probably regret it when you don’t get any eggs. You do realise that you have to feed chickens? Even if they don’t lay eggs?

Me: Yes, thank you for your time. I will talk to you in July.

I think we both left that conversation feeling a bit confused. All I know is that after suffering in a cage for 2 years these hens deserve a break.

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