Thousands of hens were rescued from certain death and flown across the country in a private plane to start a new life of freedom. A California group called Animal Place rescued 3,000 egg-laying hens about to be killed at a commercial egg farm. Rescuers say these hens are what the egg industry calls "spent hens" and are routinely killed when they’re only two years old.
Critics say most hens spend their entire lives crammed into cages, unable to spread their wings. Many never even see the outside world, never set foot on grass. Chickens in factory farms routinely have their beaks cut off soon after birth, a process called de-beaking, and suffer from osteoporosis because their cages are so overcrowded they can barely move. After about 2 years of this miserable life, they're gassed to death and dumped into landfills. According to critics, this is standard practice.
Read - Hens fly cross-country to freedom on HLN
Previously:
Egg-splained: Free-range, cage-free and organic
Do consumers really want to see where their food comes from?
Targeting consumers' beef with veal
What consumers can do to improve the lives of farm animals
I saw the Spent Hens warming up for Chicken Shack back in the Sixties. Helluva show.
Did they still have that chick singer?
They were plucked up when I saw them.
I saw them open for the Buzzcocks at CBGBs. Helluva show.
What, I say what I wanna know is are they gonna WASH the chicken first?
OMG. Even humans are not treated this well. Why cant we first save the humans on this planet before tryng to save hens. When did we get or priorities all screwed up.
I blame Saturday cartoons about cute talking fuzzy wuzzy animal babies.
That kind of chicken is, I say, that kind of chicken is genetically doomed anyway. They were bred to be egg machines, not chickens. It's nice that these people care, but they'd have more luck with Rhode Island Reds.
Awesome, good work.
How many hungry children or out of work families could have been fed with the money spent to save spent hens? What about a chicken in every pot?
Is it really humanity to spend precious resources on farm animals than destitute humans, some who can't afford to pay for chicken eggs. Why is a chicken more needy than the poor in Hatti who eat mud pies to keep from feeling hungry; why is a chicken more needy?
It's THEIR money. Why do you have a computer and a pair of pants when starving people could have been fed with that money? Sell, I say sell your car and feed the poor. You will get your reward in heaven. Maybe. It could happen.
I don't care what the cast of "The View" is doing during their hiatus...
Yes!
That hen house can STAY on hiatus as far as I'm concerned.
I shouldn't laugh, but I totally am.
They are having, I say they are having one of them HEN parties.