Hatching date: 1 October 2017

Arrival date:  April 2019

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31 hens spared from slaughter after spending the first 18 months of their life in battery cages.

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In their original form, before humans started selectively breeding them, hens would lay a clutch of around 12 eggs once a year, in spring, not unlike other birds.

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The modern egg laying hen now produces up to 300 eggs over the first year of her life, which is incredibly taxing on her body. At this age her egg production will start to wane, her body unable to keep up with the extremely unnatural level of production.

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In Australia, across all sectors of the egg industry (battery/barn laid/free range), hens are considered "spent" at the age of 12-18 months. At this time they are scooped up out of their cages, or of their barn, stuffed into crates and transported to slaughter.

 

In this instance, several birds evaded capture as their cages were depopulated, and so a rescue organisation was called in to pick up the remaining birds.

 

These 31 ladies were spared from slaughter, and have found sanctuary but millions are not so fortunate.  Our choices count.  Make your choices ones that create a compassionate world – for all.