His Majesty has been pleased to bestow royal approval on a special animal re-homing project that’s especially close to his ecologically oriented heart. King Charles has opened a retirement home for laying hens…
Those of us who aren’t directly involved with it try not to think about it. And others are so close to the reality that they no longer think about it. But there’s no denying the fate that awaits laying hens, once they stop producing…
One-way trip
As my dear old Dad – one who grew up with domestic livestock and worked on a farm in his later teens – saw nothing wrong, or even unusual, about over-the-hill laying hens taking a one-way trip to the stewpot.
Nature can be harsh. But that’s the way it is. That’s why, as Dad more than once pointed out, 4H kids are discouraged from naming their project animals. And we all, I think, recognise the difference be-tween ‘livestock’ and ‘pets’.
According to Cape Coop Farm, “The sad truth is that hens start laying at around 5 months and will lay eggs fairly reliably until around their second or third year. They will continue to lay eggs after that, but with every passing year their production will decline drastically, and chickens can live for a decade.”
During that time, they’ll continue to consume the same amount of food. Not a winning pro-position for a farmer.
Times change…
… And we change with the times. Apparently, so have some folks’ attitudes about aging farm animals.
Enter, the The British Hen Welfare Trust (BHWT). I’m not making this up. The organization says it works hard to save and re-home more than 60,000 commercial laying hens each year.
And it recently caught the attention of none other than his Britannic Majesty, King Charles III. The King is well known as a champion environmentally friendly agriculture. His own diet is largely vege-tarian, using produce from his own farms. And Charles’ Highgrove estate in Gloucestershire has become a showcase for his dedication to sustainability.
Something new
And lately, he’s added something new: a retirement home for laying hens past their producing prime.
The BHWT posted, on Instagram: “Welcoming Henrietta to her new coop! His Majesty The King has re-homed our ONE MILLIONTH hen at Highgrove Gardens in Gloucestershire. Our millionth hen, named Henrietta by His Majesty, along with 30 feathered friends are settling into their wonderful new home, having arrived last week.”
And, as the photo above confirms, His Majesty is a hands-on caregiver.
My take
It’s good to see the new King taking an active and hands-on approach to the Monarchy. I have always lauded him for his forward-looking stance on the environment, and especially on future food’.
His gesture toward retired laying hens is a fine thing, to be sure. But I wonder if this display of royal patronage will embolden others to start ‘saving and re-homing’ other farm species?
How soon before we post about a new animal-rescue charity dedicated to dry cows or alopecia-afflicted sheep?
His Majesty can at least expect a few eggs for his trouble and expense…
~ Maggie J.