LITTLE HEN RESCUE YESTERDAY

Wow, what an amazing day!! Crap freezing weather here in Lincolnshire but Norfolk was lovely and sunny.
Jo had helpers at the farm who were loading crates while she drove back with 600 or so hens on the trailer and helpers were at the yard uncrating the hens as the masses flocked in to eagerly rehome some!
It was fantastic, we must've rehomed 1800+ hens during the day and at times we came close-ish to running out of hens.
The little baldies got their jumpers put on and some people thought they were so cute they were taking all baldies which was fab because at the end of the day there were hardly any baldies left to overnight at the yard.
Some hens were unwell and were put in the hospital wing, some (not many) sadly were too far gone and lost their fight for life as it all must've just been too much to cope with.
I wasn't physically able to run around catching hens but I clipped a few claws and gave advice to the new owners should they need doing again although they will probably be fine scratching around the gardens of their new homes.
People had travelled from all over. There had been an article on Radio Suffolk about their plight so we had people from Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Lincolnshire and I think even Nottinghamshire.
A cameraman and reporter turned up from Anglia TV and although we couldn't see the news when it was on, we watched it online and they did us proud!!
A huge HGV truck from Leeders was on site selling food/bedding/vitamins/feeders/drinkers and everything you could possibly need for new hens.
Many new helpers joined in which was nice as I met a few new folks.....but it was sometimes difficult to see who was helping and who was collecting hens. (I'm going to take stickers or get some badges next time, lol)
We brought a little hen back with us who we've called Joan. She is off her legs...well she was. Her feet were curled and she really didn't want to stand on the flats of her feet. We've given her gentle physio by uncurling them and lowering her gently to the ground where she has held her weight for brief periods of time before dropping into a squatting position but if she's been like that a long time, this is just day one of recovery. She is certainly VERY perky and bright eyed.










Little unwell hen in the yellow jumper that Jo was taking home and some baldies awaiting jumpers









We had a fantastic time and were buzzing, roll on the next one! Jo was still rescuing today taking the total to around 4000 hens which is the biggest rescue carried out by Little Hen Rescue so far.
The work carried out by Jo and all the helpers is really commendable. Saving these hens from slaughter and hopefully people will be rehoming them and using their eggs and the farmers won't be restocking their sheds as demand for cheap eggs lessens! Lets hope!!!!!!!!!!


Here is Joan, our new addition for nursing as mentioned above


...and this is the most gorgeous cockerel. My alarm clock at 5.15am today. Mini wanted to keep him and was gutted when he went to his lovely new home with 4 ladies for company. He hasn't gone to live far away so I'm sure I will hear how he is getting on.