“Hens do have intelligence. They have a strong instinct to perform their natural behavior and seek stimulation and interaction.” ~ Jane Howorth (Founder, The Battery Hen Welfare Trust)

By United Kingdom News Group (Originally in English)

When Jane Howorth and her husband first relocated to Devon, they only planned to keep several chickens as an outdoor hobby. However, this hobby soon turned into a rescue mission! One day, at an adoption visit to a battery farm,1 Jane was appalled at the conditions and returned home with three times the number of chickens she had planned to take. Almost overnight Jane Howorth became a campaigner for chicken welfare: Her house became home to hundreds of battery hens, and thus the Battery Hen Welfare Trust (BHWT) was founded.

BHWT has now been rescuing many suffering chickens from slaughterhouses and farms for many years, providing them with a home for rest, health checks and adoption.

To support legislation that will ban the use of battery cages, Jane writes articles, gives speeches and spreads the messages on many occasions, trying to raise the issue to as many people as possible. Her work has made people realize the cruelty of the modern egg industry, and her effort is bearing fruit. Since October 2003, Jane, her husband and a team of volunteers have rescued and re-established 22,396 hens as pets. These hens that were destined for slaughter have been given a second chance to be re-homed so they can happily scratch around the countryside! There are now several rescue coordinators around the United Kingdom working voluntarily for this charity. Nonetheless, Jane’s tireless effort on behalf of chicken welfare does not end there. She is currently setting up a nationwide network of re-homing centers.

Battery hens spend their entire life in wire “battery” cages so small that they cannot even stretch their wings and are forced to stand night and day on a sloping wire floor that painfully cuts into their feet. Constantly rubbing against the wire cages, the hens suffer from severe feather loss, and their bodies are covered with bruises and abrasions. The cages are also full of ammonia, which burns their eyes and even causes blindness. As soon as they are born, their beaks are sheared off, which causes death to many of them within 24 hours due to shock or blood loss. Others lose their beaks entirely – making it impossible for them to eat.

The use of battery cages is due to be banned in all European countries by 2012, but the ban is still facing opposition and needs support from the public, especially consumers.

The BHWT is an organization that is changing the world every day with their actions.

The Battery Hen Welfare Trust website: http://www.thehenshouse.co.uk

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