Ex Battery Hens

Many of Britain's egg and chicken produce (70%) come from battery farmed hens. A battery hen enters a tiny wire floored cage at 20 weeks of age, and stays there for 52 weeks. A typical battery cage measures about 45cm x 50cm (18" x 20") and houses five hens. This works out to be about the size of an A4 sheet of paper.

Crammed in with other hens with no means or room to be able to experience or carry out natural instincts and behaviour such as being able to run, perch, flap / outstretch wings, lie down, turn around, dust bathe or make a nest. These small cages are known as ' Barren Cages'. They are fed regularly but never get to express their natural behaviour. The hens never see what they produce, nor do they experience natural daylight, fresh air or grass. Cages are arranged in rows up to 6 tiers high, inside huge, windowless sheds which can contain up to 75,000 hens. Mostly they live in artificial light. Birds do die in their cages.

Many of the hens are in an appalling condition, with baldness caused by other hens feather pecking (probably from sheer boredom) or being brought into false moult (to induce laying) by being starved of food for up to 2 weeks prior to slaughter. Standing on cage wire floors 24 hours a day leads to feet becoming deformed and bruised, often with long claws imbedded into the foot. Broken legs are not uncommon due to under development from lack of movement. Many hens are debeaked as chicks to prevent feather pecking, literally having the tips of their beaks sliced off resulting in lifelong mutilation. I have seen photos of rescued hens with awful deformed beaks.

Once their laying prime is reached they are slaughtered, and used in processed ready meals, mayonnaise, quiche, pastes, stock cubes, restaurants, cakes and pet food. The farmers cannot be entirely held to blame, as us the consumers help fund this market for low cost eggs and chicken produce. Many people do not realise that if the words Free Range are not on the product packaging then its highly likely that battery hens have been used, whether its eggs or meat. Some supermarkets or food retailers now do not stock any produce containing eggs or meat from battery farmed hens, Marks & Spencers being one of them, but sadly some do not have any intentions as of yet to stop using these cheaper alternatives.