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HEN UPDATE
At the last hen re-homing day, we were met with the sight of 600 of the healthiest-looking ex-battery hens we have ever seen! There were obviously some 'poorlies', but most were almost fully feathered and a good weight. Whislt we were waiting for the new owners to arrive, we each grabbed one lucky hen and took her outside to take advantage of the sunshine for the first time in her life. The joy of seeing a pale little hen sitting on your lap and suddenly realising that she is in full sunshine is undefinable. The nervous little hen suddenly relaxes - even though such close human contact is alien to her. She arches her neck forward. Her neck feathers (if she has any, of course!) begin to raise, and she even closes her eyes and stretches out a ragged little wing. If you are lucky, a small 'purring' sound comes from her as she begins to revel in the warmth of the suns rays. I never fail to feel quite honoured to be the first person to show a hen that people can be nice, and when the new owners arrive it is sometimes quite hard to hand them over - but of course we always do, knowing that the hens are off to start a new, happy life with caring folks.
PAWING has reached the end of an era, with the sad passing of Flo, the last of our 6 rescued ex-free range hens. She lived to the ripe old age of 4 - which really is old for a hen who was destined to only live for less than 1 and a half years! Despite her longevity, it was very hard to say goodbye, but the end couldn't have been better for her. She simply chose a quiet place where she was comfortable and gently faded away. Knowing she was near the end, we carefully monitored her, ensuring she was not in pain or distress. If only all hens could choose that ending!
Just before Flo died, we rescued 3 hens called Daphne, Pearl and Dotty. Whilst Daphne and Pearl were simply 'overs', Dotty clearly had health problems. A visit to the vet revealed that she had contracted 'low grade Mareks disease' when she was younger. High Grade Mareks Disease can kill, so she was very lucky, but she came to us with terrible walking difficulties and due to the fact that she sat most of the time, she was covered in her own muck. After a good bath and several weeks in our care, wobbly little Dotty has improved remarkably. She now chooses to walk, rather than sit, having regained the necessary muscle mass in her legs to help her cope with her disability. A happy, chatty little hen, Dotty will even break into a (rather wobbly) run when treats are on offer! Dotty does still struggle with moments of paralysis (we call them ‘episodes’) where she stretches her leg and wing out and freezes for a few seconds, so she lives in a safe area away from the other hens. It has taken much longer than usual to introduce Dotty to the flock, but thanks to patience (and persistence!) we have been able to allow her to free range with them. Although she can’t stay with them permanently, she sleeps with them (she has bonded very well with Clarice) and loves to leap into a dust bath which already has an unsuspecting hen in it!
A later rescue saw us coming back to HQ with Eleanor, Edna Evie. Whilst Eleanor and Edna were almost fully feathered and quite healthy, Evie was another story. She had lost a huge amount of feathers and was struggling with a very bruised wing that we suspected was broken. We settled her into a cosy crate along with Eleanor for the night and she was taken to the vets the next day. We were delighted to learn that her wing was not broken, but saddened to hear that she was holding it down because it was hurting her. The vet provided fast-acting pain relief and advised us to keep her quiet for a few days. The bruising did clear up, but Evie is still quite short of feathers, so she may be sleeping in a heated environment during the winter to ensure she doesn’t get a chill! Little Edna was astonishingly light and showed such little interest in food we were worried that she had all but given up. She was also very quiet and unresponsive. We gave her small amounts of food with a pro-biotic supplement and in a calm, quiet environment gently encouraged her to eat. Despite our fears that Edna might not make it, we are delighted to say she has surprised us! She has put on weight, free ranges confidently with the others and loves a cuddle!
At the last hen re-
PAWING has reached the end of an era, with the sad passing of Flo, the last of our 6 rescued ex-
Just before Flo died, we rescued 3 hens called Daphne, Pearl and Dotty. Whilst Daphne and Pearl were simply 'overs', Dotty clearly had health problems. A visit to the vet revealed that she had contracted 'low grade Mareks disease' when she was younger. High Grade Mareks Disease can kill, so she was very lucky, but she came to us with terrible walking difficulties and due to the fact that she sat most of the time, she was covered in her own muck. After a good bath and several weeks in our care, wobbly little Dotty has improved remarkably. She now chooses to walk, rather than sit, having regained the necessary muscle mass in her legs to help her cope with her disability. A happy, chatty little hen, Dotty will even break into a (rather wobbly) run when treats are on offer! Dotty does still struggle with moments of paralysis (we call them ‘episodes’) where she stretches her leg and wing out and freezes for a few seconds, so she lives in a safe area away from the other hens. It has taken much longer than usual to introduce Dotty to the flock, but thanks to patience (and persistence!) we have been able to allow her to free range with them. Although she can’t stay with them permanently, she sleeps with them (she has bonded very well with Clarice) and loves to leap into a dust bath which already has an unsuspecting hen in it!
A later rescue saw us coming back to HQ with Eleanor, Edna Evie. Whilst Eleanor and Edna were almost fully feathered and quite healthy, Evie was another story. She had lost a huge amount of feathers and was struggling with a very bruised wing that we suspected was broken. We settled her into a cosy crate along with Eleanor for the night and she was taken to the vets the next day. We were delighted to learn that her wing was not broken, but saddened to hear that she was holding it down because it was hurting her. The vet provided fast-
