4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[bluekarin]

Just seen this on the news and thought it might be of interest to some of you. I've probably put it ion the wrong section. Sorry!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/somerset/8248319.stm

[eggregiousness]

72 weeks? My goodness that's barely more than a year old! I had my suspicions that they killed free-range or organic birds young so as to avoid worm problems etc but I had no idea they did it that young.

Sorry I can't offer a home - I'm full - with 2!

[Space Chick]

I wish I could take more on, but anymore would be pushing it in my set up

[tara]

Im full but what about the battery hen welfare trust or little hen rehomers can they help.

[The Dogmother]

The BHWT only works on rehoming battery hens, these seem to be free range.

 

I must admit to being a tad surprised at this - "she had been told the supermarkets could not accept eggs from birds more than 72 weeks old." Surely she knew this when she went into poultry farming (it is common knowledge) and should have prepared herself accordingly and found homes for them if she didn't want them to go to slaughter. If battery farmers don't want their birds to go to the abbatoir, then they contact the BHWT or similar to re home them.

 

72 weeks is the standard age for slaughter for most commercial egg producing hens, whether free range or battery - the intensive laying they go through puts such a strain on their egg tackle that the poor wee mites are worn out by that age and no longer financially viable to keep

[Redwing]

I'm surprised at this too, you woudl have thought that the lady would have understood this ahead of time so it can't come as a surprise!

[xScrunchee]

It says that she has been in the free range chicken business for 4 years so I would imagine that she had to get rid of the hens in the past so definitely not new news to her

[beulah59]

If all the supermarket is interested in is the eggs, surely it doesn't matter to them how old the hens are?!

[poachedegg]

I must admit to being a tad surprised at this - "she had been told the supermarkets could not accept eggs from birds more than 72 weeks old." Surely she knew this when she went into poultry farming (it is common knowledge) and should have prepared herself accordingly and found homes for them if she didn't want them to go to slaughter.

 

That's what I thought too!

[Clur]

Sounds like a bit of positive PR in all honesty! Doesn't do her business any harm to look more ethical and then if she can rehome the birds, that's an even better result