Monday, 27 September 2010
3:42 pm | 
Posted by
Amy
..then it would be worth it to me!
OK I am not here to preach - I am not a vegetarian, I don't buy only free range meat etc so I am far from perfect. But my little thing - is cage eggs. I love chickens and have had them as pets my whole life. They are lovely little ladies who enjoy the finer things in life such as sun and dust baths and cluck around pecking fresh green grass and chasing bugs. They don't have a mean bone in their body and are endearingly stupid, such as one of our chickens who likes to lay eggs standing on top of an outside cupboard so that they plop out and promptly roll off the edge and break.
Knowing how lovely chickens are and how much they enjoy life, it breaks my heart knowing the conditions that cage egg chickens live in. They are jammed into cages so tightly they never learn to spread their wings, their feet only know how to grip wire mesh, their beaks are cut off so they can't peck each other in their frustration, they have muscle wastage and lose their feathers and they are simply treated as egg machines. At the age of 2, they are worn out and can't keep up the expected egg production so they are killed.
Unless they are saved by a charity such as The Battery Hen Adoption Project and rehomed. Then they can live out their lives as real chickens - scratching, foraging, dust bathing and sunning themselves. I couldn't resist when I found out about this charity - I had to take some chickens. So this weekend I received my two ex-battery hens. I was a little heartbroken at the state of their poor little scrawny bodies, lack of feathers and cut off beaks.
But two days into being in our chicken run they are learning to scratch and peck up grain with their mutilated beaks. They love jumping up to peck leaves and they are getting the hang of stretching their wings. I am going to really enjoy watching them become healthy and happy.
OK I am not here to preach - I am not a vegetarian, I don't buy only free range meat etc so I am far from perfect. But my little thing - is cage eggs. I love chickens and have had them as pets my whole life. They are lovely little ladies who enjoy the finer things in life such as sun and dust baths and cluck around pecking fresh green grass and chasing bugs. They don't have a mean bone in their body and are endearingly stupid, such as one of our chickens who likes to lay eggs standing on top of an outside cupboard so that they plop out and promptly roll off the edge and break.
Knowing how lovely chickens are and how much they enjoy life, it breaks my heart knowing the conditions that cage egg chickens live in. They are jammed into cages so tightly they never learn to spread their wings, their feet only know how to grip wire mesh, their beaks are cut off so they can't peck each other in their frustration, they have muscle wastage and lose their feathers and they are simply treated as egg machines. At the age of 2, they are worn out and can't keep up the expected egg production so they are killed.
Unless they are saved by a charity such as The Battery Hen Adoption Project and rehomed. Then they can live out their lives as real chickens - scratching, foraging, dust bathing and sunning themselves. I couldn't resist when I found out about this charity - I had to take some chickens. So this weekend I received my two ex-battery hens. I was a little heartbroken at the state of their poor little scrawny bodies, lack of feathers and cut off beaks.
But two days into being in our chicken run they are learning to scratch and peck up grain with their mutilated beaks. They love jumping up to peck leaves and they are getting the hang of stretching their wings. I am going to really enjoy watching them become healthy and happy.
What our free range pet chickens look like -how I wish all chickens looked!
\
Bonnie - one of our ex-battery hens, look at that cut beak :(
Hennie - the other ex-battery hen with her stunted body and although you can't see it, her whole chest is bare of feathers and rubbed red.
\
Bonnie - one of our ex-battery hens, look at that cut beak :(
Hennie - the other ex-battery hen with her stunted body and although you can't see it, her whole chest is bare of feathers and rubbed red.
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About Me
- Amy
- I am 30 years old, am a microbiologist with a PhD and love looking after my little farm. I compete in dressage and showjumping with my horses. I have a passion for shopping and a weakness for pretty clothes, shoes and handbags. My husband and I have a gorgeous toddler called Elka and a little bub named Bronte. I am a mother who works and has a career - just don't call me a "working mother". I don't do inside hobbies and craft and have only successfully sewn two things in my life that weren't ripped horserugs. The scientist in me makes me a little cynical and I am more likely to tell you about my life and events then give you a pretty polaroid style picture and an inspiring quote. Not for everyone but I have a bad memory and blogging is my way of recording life :)
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Spech and I
7 comments:
I will never buy a cage egg again. Thanks for this post. I never realised that this adoption program existed. Seeing your rescued chickens happy warmed my heart. If I ever have chickens I will definitely remember this program.
Thanks Amy.
What a gorgeous and heartbreaking post. I never knew that this program existed either.
We've been free-range organic egg buyers for as long as I remember and vegetarians for the past few months and I love reading other people who are passionate about animals and provide a voice for the voiceless.
Thank you <3
You won my giveaway! How exciting! Can't wait to get an email from you and help design a cute blog for you!
I insist on buying cage free eggs from a company that also does not sell cage eggs and my husband always thinks I am being silly (and extravagant). I am going to be showing him your post so he understands why I do it. Thanks Amy!
We have never bought caged eggs and after E watched the Jamie Oliver special on caged eggs and chickens he wanted to go save them all. Unfortunately we can't have chickens where we are because our block is too small :-( but well done for saving them Amy!
I'm really looking forward to seeing future photos of your 2 new girls as they flourish under your care. We're lucky that my mum has a lovely brood of very spoilt chooks to get eggs from and I look forward to having the time (and energy!) in the future for a few girls of our own. They really are the loveliest of creatures.
Thanks so much for sharing Amy! I didn't realise there was a program like that either - is it only in QLD?
I would love to have chickens at our place, but I'm not sure whether we're allowed in the area we're going to be buying into.
Good on you for rescuing these little ladies though - as the others have said, I look forward to seeing them recover and flourish in your care.
Thanks guys!
OMG Posie - I accidently deleted your comment :( sorry. Thanks for introducing yourself and I am glad you can relate to the blog! Always happy to meet another sciency mum too!
xoxo
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