Veronica (rescued by The Action Animal Rescue Team from the manure pits of Nature's Dozen, Wallen, Victoria. (located approx 45 minutes north of Melbourne.) has survived her ordeal and is sunbaking the next day, but still holding the leg up in pain. Her prognosis is guarded.
Dead hen with two eggs trapped under the baffle plate (viewed from manure pit below) ALV's Action Animal Rescue Team, saved the lives of 15 hens from Nature's Dozen Battery Hen Factory at Wallan, about 45 minutes north of Melbourne on Friday night, February 8, 2002. The nine member rescue team spent over an hour inside the stinking sheds where they yet again viewed numerous bodies left to rot in the battery cages. The team have made numerous rescues on this property over the past three years and this was the first time they didn't find scores of dead and dying hens abandoned in the manure pits beneath the cages. Either the numerous appeals to the RSPCA to take action (including letters written by activists around the world) are finally have some effect, or seeing that the shed had recently been restocked, the hens simply haven't fallen down their yet?
Romeo cradles ill hen found with gross beak mutilation and compacted growth on mouth. Rescue team member Romeo sent the following email to fellow team members the morning after the rescue: "Just wanted to let you know that Bubble, the hen who was dying in my arms on the way home last night, and when you left our place last night was lying on her side with her legs stretched out in her death throes (I have never seen a hen lay on her side like that), within one minute of being given 3mls of EnsurePlus and some more water, stood up and opened her eyes. After a lot of coughing and fitting, she stayed standing (barely) and listed to and watched everything that was going on. I stayed awake and watched her, then went to Dandenong market, came back at 8am and found Bubble madly flapping with fright as I opened the front door, cd's scattering everywhere. Currently she is in the outside pen with Edina and Patsy, has eaten and is already building a nest in the straw! In fact, she's got more energy than the other two! I think that the dictionary should be rewritten and under the entry "indomitable" should read Gallus gallus. I honesty feel this is what one would have to call witnessing a miracle. I didn't think that hen would last another hour. I am in awe of this animal. I can't stop smiling in amazement. Thank you all so much for saving Bubble's, and fourteen other's, lives."
NOW - Introducing VERONICA (rescued from the manure pits of Nature's Dozen, Wallen, Victoria. (located approx 45 minutes north of Melbourne.) On Friday, February 25, 2000 the Action Animal Rescue Team visited NATURES DOZEN and out came Veronica! Veronica must sit in a warm bath for an hour and then have the manure balls chisseled and cut off, it is very stressful and she nearly collapsed from stress. One claw is left hanging on by a thread, she will loose it.
Silvia nurses hen found with crippled neck, the first loving kindness this bird would have ever experienced.
Several of the rescued hens in gay abandon during their first dustbathe and day of freedom.
John the Vet expresses his sheer disgust at the birds condition. This was one of the fortunate hens rescued on Friday, February 25, 2000 the Action Animal Rescue Team visited NATURES DOZEN in Wallen, Victoria. (located approx 45 minutes north of Melbourne.) Note the gigantic manure balls stuck to the hen's claws. She was rescued from an enormous manure pit that was littered with dead and dying hens. The Team witnessed at least 30 live hens in the manure pit which was infested with some type of insect swarming like maggots throughout the manure.
Close up of the hen that Romeo rescued from Wallans Battery Hen Factory. Conditions in the cage area were just as dreadful as always, thousands of orphaned young hens jam-packed in tiny cages 6 tiers high. The fumes and stench in the shed were disgusting and the hens' beaks were severely mutilated. The white hens in the shed looked to be only about 6 months old, yet they had long overgrown claws (all those rescued required nail clipping to stand properly). We suspect they are possibly being reared in cages now also. (note: battery hens are normally put into cages at sexual maturity about 5 months old). A couple hens near death were later revived after being given a drink and proper care and rest in a loving environment. In solidarity, til all animals are free ... AART members Serryn, Cyd, Rachel, Silvia, Patty, Romeo, Michael, Noah, Elio ...
On Friday, February 25, 2000 the Action Animal Rescue Team visited NATURES DOZEN in Wallen, Victoria. (located approx 45 minutes north of Melbourne.) Following an inside tip-off the team found appalling conditions and consistent overstocking throughout the two sheds they accessed. The first shed had hens stacked six tiers high over an enormous manure pit that was littered with dead and dying hens. We witnessed at least 30 live hens in the manure pit which was infested with some type of insect swarming like maggots throughout the manure. Feral cats were filmed in the shed. We were able to rescue two hens from the manure pit, one too weak to stand (later euthansed by a vet), the other (pictured) was heavily bound by blue plastic twine embedded in her claws. Each claw had gathered a manure ball the size of tennis balls which were rock hard.(the gross manure-ball weight on this birds leg was 500 grams - approximately a third of her body weight!)(when hens are trapped in manure pits they often get these manure balls on their claws and they must be soaked for up to an hour and chisseled off). Following this inspection and rescue, an immediate appeal was put to the RSPCA to inspect and prosecute this property which is so blatantly breaking the law. Richard Hunter, RSPCA CEO has assured Patty Mark and the Team that it will be done asap. They are awaiting the results.
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Animal Liberation Victoria
394 Russell Street, Melbourne, Victoria, 3000, Australia.
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