2008 Chicken Rescue

An amazing rescue operation between a Dorset and a Sussex charity has saved the lives of nearly 10,000 chickens that would otherwise have been set for slaughter and all because our Supermarkets didn’t like the quality of their eggs!

Over six days in July Brighton Animal Action in collaboration with The Murry Foundation, helped to save these hens, from being taken to the slaughterhouse because their eggs are no longer the standard required by the Supermarket industry.

Inside the Chicken Shed.

In a world that has become ‘disposable’ the hens, whose only crime was the quality of their eggs were thrown a lifeline to allow them to continue their lives elsewhere in the country.
Volunteers from Brighton Animal Action rounded up the 10,000 chickens and helped to transport them to their new owners who also came to collect them from as far away as Cornwall in the West to Newcastle in the North.

Tara Maher is one of Brighton Animal Actions members and said, “ This was wonderful. It was busy but very rewarding and amazing to be involved in something so active. We could have saved more but our restraint was the 6 day period and getting enough transport. But the farmer was pleased with the outcome as well and we hope to do it again next year, although there is a suggestion we might have to pay for the chicken’s which we’re not in a position to do, so we hope that won’t be the case.”

Chicken Shed Emptied on the Day

The chickens were saved from an Organic Free-range Commercial Chicken Farm in Sussex and had to go as after 18 months of laying, despite their eggs being perfectly edible, they are not considered ‘good enough’ by the Supermarket industry in this country. So the farmer has to start again and normally the chickens are slaughtered despite having a good 5 to 6 years left in them.

Adam Murry of The Murry Foundation said, “ We were absolutely pleased to get involved in this project again, it’s their third year of doing this and this time round almost three times as many chickens were saved, that’s brilliant! And the best bit of all, they can carry on their lives peacefully outside of a commercial environment, as nature intended.”

Free Chicken.

n a time when food prices are on the up, owning chickens makes sense. They are easy to look after and lay eggs on a regular basis and as Tara Maher of Brighton Animal Action says, “ Owning chickens and being self sustainable is great and in these times of money being tight, people can and seem to want to get back to basics.”

Free Chickens in their new homes.

For more information on the work of Brighton Animal Action and how to help them go to their website at:- www.brightonanimalaction.org

For more information on the work of The Murry Foundation and how to donate go to:-  www.themurryfoundation.com