Ahhhh Ive Rescued Some Battery Hens!*pics*

[Johnn]

My mam came home today with a early christmas presant and it was two battery hens i called them Ruby and Flora (Ruby is darker one, Flora is light) when i got them out the box they sat in the same position for ages they didnt have clue what they were doing, they sat with there feet curled up like they were still in the cage. I love them!
When they got out the box:

Ruby:

Flora:

Both of them:

 

[aoxa]

They are so beautiful! What a wonderful present!

I would love some ex battery hens, but have NO clue where to find them

 

[Johnn]

 

[Johnn]

her secret nest:

 

[Ellochicken]

HERE IS THE STORY! R.I.P Flora & Ruby! We miss you!
NOTE!: This is NOT the real story, it is just one that I created along the way. (Sorry I couldn't include Ruby more)

Out of Darkness

The Story of a Battery Cage Hen
By: Ellochicken
Based On a True Story

​

The rank smell of chicken poop emanated Flora’s nose as she squawked in terror as she was shoved against the wire of the battery cage, the dark warehouse was filled with the terrified squawks of the other hens as they were dying slowly every moment in this living nightmare.
Flora fought her way over to the food…. Nothing. She worked her way over to the water and stared at the poop infested liquid, she winced as the hot, nauseating water ran down her dry throat. She stepped over a dead hen and went to a corner of the cage to lie down, but was plucked furthermore as she did. She didn’t bother fighting back, for it was useless in a cage this small.
She settled in the far left back corner of the cage, and just in time for the sweepers to come and collect the spent hens, tossing them carelessly into the killing machines. Flora winced as she heard the terrified squawks of the hens being torn from their cages, she buried her face in her remaining feathers, trying to block out the noise and the smell.
“Move over runt, I want to rest there.” Said Rebecca, ruffling her remaining neck feathers, “You’ll have to kill me first, go find your own corner.” Flora said curtly, glaring at the older hen, Rebecca plucked Flora’s tail and pecked her hard on the back, opening up another wound. Flora struck back, nipping at her feet. Rebecca clucked angrily and scooted away.
But soon after the sweepers had finished the spent hens, one of them reached in and picked up Flora by her bloody feet, which were cut from the floor wiring, and she was put not into a killing machine, but into a red plastic container, screeching and flailing, desperate to escape the sweeper’s iron grip. The lid slammed over her as she was stuck into the container and carried outside, twittering nervously.
A light met her eyes as she was taken out of the warehouse. She blinked at it, trying to adjust, but gave up and closed her eyes and buried her head in her breast feathers. She was thrown into the back of a big green truck, landing with a big thump. She shrieked the door slammed behind her, a putrid smell coming from the strange vehicle. She felt the world shift from beneath her as it started moving. Flora looked up to see some other red containers with some other hens inside of them as well.
After a while of being inside of the vehicle, she felt someone pick her up and whisk her over to a green floor. As her crate was set on the green floor, and the little green hairs tickled her feet, she clucked nervously, eyeing the other hens with distrust. The crate opened and Flora panicked, she started flapping and shrieking, but no one grabbed for her, the luminous sweeper stood over her and waited for her to settle, and then reached for her again, but this time, Flora allowed herself to be picked up.
Gentle, soft skin touched her abused body; she was lifted off of the ground, and set on the tickly green floor, she curled her feet, expecting cage wire to instantly replace it, the sweeper picked her up and cradled her in her arms until her feet relaxed, then set her down again.
Flora slowly stood up, looking up to see if she was going to hit anything with her head, until she stretched as far as she could go. A new hope spread about her, from the tip of her beak to the bottom of her bloody feet, Flora experimented flapping her wings, and strutting in circles. The sweeper…. no, the human laughed as Flora clucked with delight, smiling at her newfound joy. As she started to walk away, Flora followed, enjoying the green stuff beneath her feet. “Lilly!” the other human called, ” Come look at this!” he called, as another hen was trying to flap upon a branch on a low-hanging tree, Lilly ran over, and Flora limped in from behind, proud of her new freedom.
After a while of exploring, Lilly scooped up Flora and took her over to a large wooden house, with a wire fencing and a wooden sign at the door that read,’ Fresh Eggs’ and ‘I ♥ My Chickens’ and ‘My pets make my breakfast’ and other signs like that. Lily opened the door and stepped inside the wooden house, it smelled only faintly of chicken poop, but it was a fresh scent, mostly of cedar and the sweet scent of the wood it was built out of. Flora was set down, and as Lilly walked away and closed the door behind her, blocking Flora from being able to follow, Flora cackled at her, begging for her to come back, and she did, but with another hen, Flora saw an opening in the wooden house, and cautiously trotted outside. She found herself surrounded by other hens of all colors, shapes, and sizes.
There was a large crowing rooster perching on a branch that stretched over the fenced area, and in the far left corner, she saw a hen and her chicks scratching for grains in the dirt. A large pink fruit hung directly across from her, so Flora quietly made her way over to it and just stared at it, wondering if it was safe to eat.
Flora walked away from the fruit, deciding not to take the risk. She walked cautiously around, showing submission to the other hens, and when she approached him, the rooster.
As Flora was pecking at the grain, (which she found rather tasty) she was approached by an older hen, instantly thinking of Rebecca, and sat down, claiming that patch of dirt.
As the elder hen approached, she bent down next to her and cooed,”Welcome to the coop little one.” Flora sat in shock; looking up at the elder hen and seeing her white and black feathers, no hen had been that kind to her before. Flora looked up and saw the old black and gold speckled hen, her kind eyes shining upon Flora, ”Are you one of the rescues?” she asked, ”Y-Yes…” Flora twittered,” Well I hope you find a good nest tonight, I’m Daisy, and you are?” “Flora.” She said curtly, standing before Daisy,” May I introduce you to the others, or have you already met them?” she asked,” Not yet.” Said Flora,” Well that has to change! Come and meet one of my daughters first, I’m sure she will be pleased to meet you.” Daisy trotted in the direction of the blonde hen with her chicks, Flora following slowly,” Gretta!” Daisy greeted,” Come meet Flora, she is one of the rescues Lilly picked up this morning.” “Hello.” Clucked Flora shyly,” Hello Flora, good to meet you,” Gretta turned back to her mother, nudging two chicks forwards with one wing,” Penny and Star are fighting again, will you look after Star for a while mom? I think they just need some separation.” “Of course dear, would you like to talk to Penny alone, I could watch your chicks for you?” “Oh thank you mother, we will be back shortly.” And Gretta trotted away with Penny at her side.
Flora met the rest of Gretta’s chicks. Dandy, Ginger, Cocoa, Sunshine, Pepper, Ruby, and the only rooster, Foghorn Leghorn.
Daisy brought them over to the bright pink fruit that Flora was at earlier, and the chicks immediately chirped with delight as they pecked at the fruit, juice splattering all over Daisy and Flora. Daisy twittered with delight while Flora nervously backed away,” Oh don’t be shy Flora, and come try some!” she took a huge bite out of it,” It’s delicious!”
So Flora scooted over to it, and pecked at the succulent fruit. A sugary wave of cold bliss spread over Flora’s tongue and down her throat, making her cluck with glee at her new-found treat.
Flora was pushed out of the way by the chicks because they were fighting over the best spot at the fruit, spraying juice everywhere, Flora felt some drip on her, and she fluffed her thin feathers to shake it off. Flora heard an irritated crowing from above her, she looked up to find the rooster perched on a stick above her, he looked down and glared at the chicks, flapping down, stirring up dust with his large wings.
As he landed, the chicks cowered under his iron gaze as he glared at them, one at a time,” Where is your mother? Gretta!” he called, ignoring Flora,” Roger!” Daisy scolded,” That is no way to treat a new hen, this is Flora, one of the rescues that Lilly and Steven brought home, now introduce yourself!” Roger turned and inspected Flora, comb to claw,” My apologies, Flora, I’m Roger, the dominant rooster here, I apologize if I’ve been ignorant of you, but I have my duties to attend to.” He turned his attention back to the chicks,” Where is your mother….. Gretta!” he crowed irritably, and from the wooden house Gretta came shooting out of the hole leading to the outside, Penny at her tail,” Yes dear?” she said,” The chicks are spraying watermelon juice all over the other hens and I, please control them.” “Yes dear, come now little ones, are you thirsty?” she cooed, and they all followed her over to the water.
Flora followed the line of chicks over there, and stopped dead. The water was crystal clear, the clearest it could be. Flora bent down and took a sip, the clear, freezing water surprising her. She took another, and another, realizing how delicious it was, savoring the cold in her beak until it became warmer. The chicks just scooped it up and down the hatch, it was gone.
Flora finished a little while after the chicks, she went over to the herbs, inhaling their sweet scent. Flora heard a faint twittering from behind her, and she looked to see Cocoa and Trixie tweeting to each other, Flora turned to face them, making them chirp with surprise,” Can I help you little ones?” she cooed, and Cocoa replied,” With no disrespect Flora, why are so many of your feathers missing?” Flora was bitten by a flashback of her short life,” Well, you see, I wasn’t raised in a place this nice; I was raised on a machine, and in a cage. I had never seen the light up there until today.” “You mean the Sun?” “That’s what it’s called?” Flora replied,” Hmmm, interesting……. Anyways, would you like me to tell you?” “If you wouldn’t mind, we’re very curious to know.” Flora made herself comfortable in the herb patch, and as she did, one by one, the rest of the chicks came over to listen too.
Flora told them about from day one to now, about how she was raised by a machine, and not her mother, and about how when she was barely a couple of weeks old, she was sent to the ware house, about Rebecca, about the filthy water, about no sunlight, and about the sweepers as they came to dispose of the ‘spent hens’.
After the story, the chicks huddled under her wings and curled up into little round fluff balls. Flora wrapped her wings around them to shield them from any wind.
“Cocoa! Penny! Foghorn! Girls!” Flora heard Gretta call, Gretta rushed over to Flora,” Have you seen my chicks?” she asked, fear shaking in her voice,” yes, yes I have.” She said, a grin starting to form on her face,” Where!” she demanded,”Here.” And she unfolded her wings just enough to reveal the chicks without disturbing them,” Flora!” she said,” Why didn’t you tell me?!” ‘I couldn’t move, they were asleep pretty quickly.” “Well then it’s time for a nap.” She decided, and Flora gently handed Gretta the chicks one by one, carrying Penny and Dandy in her wings and Cocoa on her back. Gretta lead them over to the wooden house, and inside, they hopped up the ramps and into the top nesting box they stopped and set down the chicks,” Thank you Flora.” Gretta whispered as she settled, covering the chicks with her feathers. Flora nodded and hopped down and left back outside.
She found Daisy talking with another older male,” Flora!’ she exclaimed,” This is my mate, Kernel.” “Hello Kernel,” Flora greeted,” I’m Flora, one of the new ex-battery hens.” “Greetings Flora.” He nodded, his deep voice echoing through Flora’s head,” Come now, let’s meet some of the other hens.” Daisy ushered, leading her over to a white and golden hen with large tail feathers, and another black hen with a golden laced breast,” This is Darcy and Rosie.” Daisy motioned to the hen,” My god!” Darcy exclaimed,” What happened to your feathers?! Did someone decide to hit you with a car and drop you off?!” “ Darcy!” Daisy snapped, fluffing her neck feathers,” apologize!” “I will when she gets her feathers back.” She said and they trotted off,” Nasty hen she is, now for everyone else.” Flora met the rest of Daisy’s chicks. Lila, Petal, Nancy, Shelly, Henrietta, Nutmeg, and Clove. And then, the rest of the hens are Dusty, Snow, Vanilla, Ice, Margret, Love, Kate, Amber, Lilac, Iris, Vine, Claire, Halley, Celia, Bryony, Lisa, Natalie and Devin.

2 Years Later​

Flora felt the cracking of eggs beneath her, and stood to let the protruding chick enter the world, as it burst through the shell, its ear piercing chirps announced its arrival to the world. Gretta popped her aged feathered head inside of the coop,” Your first chick Flora! Congratulations!” Flora nodded a quick thank you and continued to watch her chick find its way closer to her, she wrapped her new daughter in her wings, enveloping her in warmth,” I’ll name you Greer.” She whispered to the chick, Flora felt 2 more wiggle beneath her feet, and as she stood, one popped its shell off and started shrieking and crawling closer to her, the other came slower though, pecking slowly, taking it’s time.
She wrapped her two daughters into her under-fluff, keeping them warm until another one decided to hatch.
Soon, she had five daughters and a son, the slow chick was still coming though. She now has Greer, Daisy, Marissa, Rachel, Willow, and Steven. Flora twittered at the egg to encourage her chick, but it progressed slowly, pecking every few minutes, until the chick stopped pecking entirely. Flora waited with the egg until her other chicks were dry and ready to explore, then, the egg moved, and the chick’s head burst through, peeping softly, Flora gently pecked off the rest of the shell, and welcomed her daughter into the world.
She now had Greer, Daisy, Marissa, Rachel, Willow, Steven, and Hope.
As she led them outside, she stopped at daisy’s nesting box,’ It still smells like her.’ she thought, she remembered Daisy, and how kind she had been when she was so confused.
Flora guided her chicks down the ramp and strutted outside with her new brood of chicks,” Foghorn!” she called, and Foghorn Leghorn’s big sleek feathered wings carried him down to meet his chicks,” Hello little ones.” He clucked softly, Steven interested in his big brightly feathered father. And when Flora guided her brood over to the water, Steven followed Foghorn Leghorn. Flora clucked with laughter and led her daughters over and knew from that point on, these chicks were going to be another challenge.

The End
​

Flora before-

Flora After-

The Real Run

Darcy and Rosie

Roger

Gretta and her Chicks

Daisy

Foghorn Leghorn

Kernel and the Rest of the Flock

 

[pamperedpoultry]

aww sad! Glad you've took them in I'm sure they'll have a happy life now.. kudo's to you!

 

[AnimalsComeFirst]

That is wonderful that your rescued them! 2 of my girls are rescued from a 4 x 4 pen cramed in with 15 other chickens, so I know how you feel. Keep up the good word!

 

[Johnn]

They would have been going to the slaughter house on the 30th of jan, Im going to send my friends to buy some

 

[ChickenPeep]

They're so cute! I'm glad you rescued them. I'm sure they'll have a happy life.

 

[Carrie Lynn]

How wonderful!