Chicken run – hens flocking to Westmeath for happy homes

By Nelly Berg

LittleHill Animal Rescue is coming to Mullingar and Athlone on Sunday November 17 with hundreds of rescued hens that are seeking adoptive families.

The charity is appealing to kind-hearted people to consider offering a home to the animals, which will otherwise be sent to slaughter.

At present, the hens are awaiting their fate at a commercial egg farm. At such facilities, hens are kept until they reach about 15 months of age, when their productivity drops slightly.

This reduction means that the birds might lay five or six eggs each week, rather than seven, rendering them unprofitable.

Therefore, commercial hens are routinely culled at this age, to be replaced by more productive flock. That is, of course, unless someone saves them from this untimely demise.

For the last six years, LittleHill Animal Rescue has been finding caring homes around the country for ex-commercial hens, so that they can save as many as possible from the chop.

“We started rescuing egg-laying chickens because I hated the fact that these girls are killed without ever knowing a moment of compassion, or even experiencing the outside world,” said Susan Anderson, founder of the Kildare-based charity.

“They are only one year old, so most will enjoy a few more years, while providing their adopters with fun, companionship, and delicious cruelty-free eggs.”

Already, hundreds of compassionate people throughout Westmeath have made space in their lives for these hens, and many adopters report that they soon become much-loved family pets.

“Our girls, who we rescued in 2018, have rounded out our family,” said Dorothy Laity Lombardi, a hen adopter who lives in Castlepollard.

“They all have names in honour of famous female comedians: Dawn, Jennifer, Judi, Maureen, Miranda, Julie, Imelda, Thora and Jo.”

Dorothy told the Westmeath Examiner that each of her hens has a different personality. “Jennifer is in charge of the flock, and she has Dawn to back her up,” she said.

“Thora and Imelda are the shyer ladies, but they love to play and sunbathe, and Jo is the most adventurous. Jo enjoys hanging out with my assistance dog, and is also the first one to queue up for cuddles!”

She also discussed how rewarding it was to watch her rescued hens transform from partially feathered, and terrified to fabulous and confident within a matter of weeks.

As mentioned, LittleHill’s volunteers will be flocking to Mullingar and Athlone on Sunday November 17 with hundreds of rescued hens seeking better lives.

To adopt feathered friends for your back garden, the charity asks people to send a private message to their Facebook page, ‘LittleHill Animal Rescue & Sanctuary’, stating the number of hens they would like to adopt, and the collection town.

Those without a Facebook page can book through a friend or relative’s account. There is a adoption fee of €6 per hen.

So, what do people need to do to prepare for their new arrivals? Dorothy said that you need a chicken coop, kennel or shed that can be locked at night to keep the hens safe from predators, and a secure outdoor area for them to roam around in during the day.

“They’re so easy to care for and are so companionable,” Dorothy said. “We’ve loved them since first sight and adore their affectionate natures and strong personalities. And the daily fresh eggs mean that we actually save money by keeping hens. We’ll never be without hens going forward.”