Rescue for 52 laying hens: from the slaughterhouse to the family happiness!

Rescue for 52 laying hens: from the slaughterhouse to the family happiness!

On January 15, 2025, the team of the association saves the chicken on the way to Hamm to start an important undertaking. After three hours of driving, the van brought 52 laying hens that should be slaughtered next day. These animals, saved from a stable in the Westerwald, now get the chance of a new life with 15 committed families.

The chickens have visible damage to their plumage and sometimes wore small red sweaters to protect them against the cold. They come from the most common form of husbandry for laying hens in North Rhine-Westphalia, soil husbandry. A maximum of nine hens per square meter may be kept here. A decisive feature is the stamp on the eggs that provides information about the keeping conditions.

forms of posture and their consequences

In Germany there are different forms of husbandry for laying hens that have a significant impact on the well -being of the animals. The best known are cage farming, soil husbandry, free-range and organic farming. While cage keeping has been banned in Germany since 2010 and since 2012, due to its extreme restrictions on freedom of movement, other forms are still widespread.

Floor farming offers chickens more space than cage keeping, but often leads to a lack of employment opportunities and does not require any open -plan areas. Especially in North Rhine-Westphalia, which is the second largest egg producer in Germany, around 1.4 billion eggs are produced annually. Many of this come from chickens that suffer in such keeping conditions.

rescue campaigns and animal welfare

The association The chicken has been setting up for the well-being of these animals for years. Around 38 million laying hens are killed in Germany every year because they lay fewer eggs after 16 to 18 months and are often slaughtered as soup chickens. In cooperation with various companies, the organization can save around 12,000 hens annually, which would normally end in the slaughterhouse. Since the economic value of these hens is low, the companies provide them free of charge.

On the day of the rescue operation, not only the entire existence of a company is taken over, but suitable lives are also sought for the animals. Before you pick up, there is a fire with health checks by the team. Sick or injured animals are treated properly. The conveyable chickens are then brought to handover locations, where new chicken parents are already waiting for them. In their new home, these chickens can finally enjoy calm and peace and learn to discover nature.

economic and social responsibility

As a leading country in egg production in Europe, Germany is responsible for creating more sustainable and more animal -friendly housing conditions. The different attitude not only leads to considerable ethical questions, but also to discussions about the ecological footprint of the egg industry. The challenges, such as feather pecking or cannibalism, affect all forms of husbandry, and the expert knowledge of the operations manager plays a crucial role in animal welfare.

In view of these framework conditions, the work of wdr and organizations such as the chicken saves more important than ever in order to promote the awareness of the living conditions of laying hens.