About a year ago we were approached by a friend to adopt some rescued ex-battery hens that needed re-homing. She had a few hundred of them but we agreed to take 12 as that was all we could cope with.

When the SPCA arrived to deliver the chickens I was amazed and appalled at their condition. They were well below their natural free-feeding weight and all of them had feathers missing on their bodies and wings to some degree. Most had beak damage and some were limping. They looked a lot like the hens at the top of the page.

These were the lucky ones. The chickens that were too far gone had already been destroyed by the SPCA. We gave them a fenced back yard with plenty of fresh water and feed. I built a chicken Ark to give them somewhere warm to roost at night with laying boxes they could use during the day.

Now a year later, you almost couldn’t tell they are ex-battery hens. Apart from the beak damage which will never re-grow, they are healthy, plump and free to express all their natural chicken behaviours. They peck and scratch in the back yard, chase bugs, sunbathe and even roost in trees at night sometimes. They have established a social order and spend their days busily pursuing their own chicken agendas. They are amazing animals to watch, each with their own personality and quirks. As far as I can tell, they are pretty happy.

Best of all, we have a constant supply of the best, freshest eggs we’ve ever eaten. Seems like a pretty good trade to me.

You can read more about our experience with rescued battery hens here.