Home >> News >> 2010 >> Jun >> Why did the rescued chickens cross the road? To go to Primrose Hill Primary School
Why did the rescued chickens cross the road? To go to Primrose Hill Primary School
Eggs from ‘Roxy’, ‘Daisy’ and ‘Betty’ flying off the shelves in local shops
Published: 24 June 2010
by JOSIE HINTON
THREE ex-battery chickens destined for slaughter have found a new home in the playground of Primrose Hill primary school.
The hens – Roxy, Daisy and Betty – had been rejected by their battery farm home and were scheduled to be killed when they were rescued by the school in Princess Road.
Initially timid and a little scrawny, the birds have now been transformed into healthy, happy hens and are enjoying retirement in their fox-resistant coop next to the school’s celebrated vegetable garden.
And while their eggs may not pass supermarket quality control, boxes of “Happy Hens at Primrose Hill School” eggs are proving popular with parents who prefer more ethical produce.
Asked whether the hens are happier in their new home, Year 2 pupil Dea Badivuku said: “Of course they are. They have a lot of space and a very happy life now.”
Year 1 teacher Jill Hayman, who acquired the chickens from the British Hen Welfare Trust, said the new pets were a great way of introducing children to the choices about where their food comes from.
“When we rescued them we showed the children a video about battery hens and they were horrified,” she said.
“It has been a great way of educating them about the choices they can make about what they eat. Now they know that when they buy our eggs the chickens have a nice big run and are treated well.”
Ms Hayman added that selling ethical eggs was the not the only business venture for the Primrose Hill gardening club, which is made up of pupils of all ages and meets every Thursday lunchtime to work on its crop.
Upmarket deli Melrose & Morgan, in Gloucester Avenue, stocked their organic potatoes last year.
Shop manager Andrew Davies said that the small batch “flew out of the shop” and he would be happy to sell more of the school’s produce this year.
“We sell locally sourced produce and as the school is about 40 metres away it was perfect,” he added.
“They’ve only got a small garden so we didn’t sell a massive amount, but what we had was popular.
“The main pull was that the kids had themselves had a hand in growing them.”
Comments
Not "rejected"
Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 2010-06-25 17:43.I very much doubt these three hens were "rejected" by the battery farm. I suspect like all egg laying hens, whether battery or free range, they had come to end of their commercial egg laying life - i.e. 18 months old.
Yes they would have gone to slaughter, but they are no different from the millions of egg laying hens throughout the UK and the rest of the EU.
The BHWT rehomes thousands of hens across the UK every month and while it is great to give these chickens a lon ger life, the reality is that only a dramatic change in consumer habits will make any real difference to the conditions in which battery hens are kept, (apart from the small change in 2012 when battery cages are outlawed).
Jim Duff, British Hen Welfare Trust, Scotland www.bhwt.org.uk
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