Chicken Out!

Regular blog readers will know I keep free range chickens at home, and we love getting up to fresh eggs and the sight of our little hens scratching around. I haven’t mentioned our feathered friends for a while, so its probably about time I gave you an update from the world of the humble chicken.

The UK charity Compassion in World Farming reports that a ban on beak trimming for chickens which was due to come into force in January 2011 has been delayed. It now might take until 2016 to stop the practice in UK farming, where its used to stop egg laying hens ‘feather pecking’. It causes tremendous suffering to the hens yet when they are humanely housed it simply isn’t necessary at all.

It’s not all bad news for hens right now though. Gourmet chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall is best known for his ‘River Cottage’ TV series but he also lends his support to the fantastically named ‘Chicken Out!’ Campaign. Hugh’s campaign aims to improve welfare standards for hens throughout the country and it has recently reported some good news. Brand new EU legislation is going to ban barren battery cages from January next year! But there are some threats to the ban coming into force, so do have a look at the Chicken Out! website - if you like me support the ban then now is the time to act.

Our own hens are doing well and we’re so glad we chose to rehome them. Our four former battery hens now have a wonderful life and we have a fantastic, on the doorstep supply of healthy organic eggs. I’ve written an online guide to owning chickens , and there are plenty of resources plus affordable modern chicken coops to get you started. It really isn’t a herculean task to enjoy giving a desperately needed home to an ex-battery hen and you and your family gain so many benefits. You’ll be producing your own organic food, without using the food miles used to transport eggs to and from the supermarket. Your hens will gobble up common garden pests and provide you with free compost. Chickens make the most fantastic family pets. From my family’s experience, the initial outlay is certainly no more than I’d expect to pay if we were (responsibly) bringing a new dog into the family. It’s been a terrific investment - our chickens are adored and our omelettes have been gourmet quality ever since.