Rescue & Adoptions
Past Featured Rescues
Andromeda
 Before
coming to Farm Sanctuary, Andromeda and her friends were valued
merely as egg producers, not as the precious, living creatures they
are. They were confined in battery cages — wire cages so small
that they could not stand comfortably or even stretch their wings
— and housed indoors. Their bodies were pushed to lay many
more eggs than they ever would in nature and they were never given
the chance to feel sunlight on their feathers or breathe fresh air.
Sadly, more than 300 million layer hens raised in the United States
each year live just as Andromeda was forced to live. The hens who
are able to survive one to three years in these conditions are rewarded
with a painful, terrifying journey to a poultry processing plant,
where their short, miserable lives will finally be brought to an
end.
Thankfully, Andromeda's journey did not lead her to the slaughterhouse,
but to sanctuary. When she arrived at our California Shelter,
along with 25 of her friends, she seemed a little frightened, but
relieved as well. Relieved, no doubt, to be out of a cage. Andromeda
and five of the other hens with her were fairly young when they
arrived, around four to six months old. Nine others were between
one and three years old. The remaining 11 hens, now known by names
such as Antigone and Phaedra, were the oldest of the group, and
what the egg industry would call "spent" hens, or hens
no longer in production. The youngest hens had most of their feathers
when they arrived and had not yet been de-beaked (a cruel industry
practice meant to prevent crowded, stressed birds from pecking each
other) so we hoped they had not yet spent much time in cages. The
older hens, however, were suffering from serious feather loss as
a result of many months spent pressed tightly against metal wire.
When they arrived at Farm Sanctuary, the rescued hens knew their
caged days were over. Here at our California Shelter, Andromeda
and her friends are living a life of luxury in our clean, spacious
chicken barn. They have lots of warm straw to play in, sturdy wooden
beams to roost on at night and a large, outdoor pasture where they
can scratch and explore whenever they please. Without words, they
express sincerest gratitude for the simple gifts of freedom and
kindness.
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