12:10pm Tuesday 9th February 2010
By Sarah Cosgrove
HOMES are needed for a group of rescued battery hens now staying at a Potters Bar animal centre.
The 80 hens are being given five star treatment at the Southridge Animal Centre, in Packhorse Lane, after being rescued from slaughter.
With food, drink, company and space to roam, the hens have thrived since they arrived just before Christmas.
But now the RSPCA, which runs the centre, is looking for owners for the hens.
Anyone who takes them on and looks after them should be rewarded with tasty free-range eggs to eat.
Before being rescued by charity Battery Hen Welfare, which works with the RSPCA, the hens led a cramped life in cages of thin wire mesh.
Typically, battery hens have almost no space to move around properly or behave naturally, according to the charity.
Southridge's manager, Anna White, said: “They are in an appalling state when they come in. They haven't got any feathers, they can't stretch their wings and they're pale because they haven't seen daylight.
“They go in a cage when they are babies and have a cage smaller than an A4 piece of paper to live in.
“It's an absolute abomination. How it's allowed to go on, I don't know.”
Ms White said that while in the cage the hens peck themselves from boredom and stress.
After 18 months of life, the hens are typically slaughtered as they start to lay eggs less frequently.
This is where Battery Hen Welfare steps in.
Allowed to grow old normally, hens can live up to eight years depending on the breed.
Ms White said that once set free, they very quickly start acting naturally, although it can take months for some to regain full health and strength.
To have a happy life hens need a warm, dry, secure hen house, an outside area in which to roam and fresh food and water.
The charity is calling for all cage systems to be banned and for hens to be kept in well-managed alternatives.
The RSPCA approves of farming eggs through free-range and barn systems.
If you think you can help home the hens, call Southridge on 0300 123 0704.
© Copyright 2001-2012 Newsquest Media Group
http://www.times-series.co.uk/trade_directory/