Chicken depopluation
The question is not: can they think, but:
Can they suffer?
Once again, chickens, geese and ducks are confined due to bird flu. Let’s hope that the clucking and cackling on the farm can soon be heard in freedom again, as these noises are currently only heard inside the poultry houses.
Until they are clucking everywhere again, it is worth thinking about how much effort chickens have to put in, how much they suffer and endure pain and how they deal with their fear. Well-cared for and happy domestic chickens live up to seven years on average. If the laying hens stop performing after ten to twelve months because they go into moult, it would take around six weeks before they are ready to lay again. This costs money and space, and that is why they are “turned out”, i.e. killed.
Free-range chickens and life afterwards - tinned food or life
In 2018, Gut Aiderbichl took over fifty chickens from a barn farm. Animal welfare organisations raised the alarm because around 350 “high-performance egg-laying machines” would have been killed. The moult had begun and they were replaced by new, young laying hens and they didn’t want to wait until the hens had feathers and were laying eggs again after six weeks.</span
The 350 chickens that had been laid would have ended up in the soup pot, become tinned food for dogs and cats or simply been disposed of (hybrid chickens).
Chicken Rosa became a memorial for barn-raised chickens in 2018
Rosa (she was 5 years old), was one of the chickens that had to leave her place in the barn in 2018 (bottom-housed). Rosa’s body was full of pecking injuries, broken feathers and injured claws. Due to the moult, Rosa was naked and the keepers put a warm jumper on her so that she didn’t have to freeze. After a while, Rosa grew snow-white feathers again and clucked happily with the other chickens at Gut Aiderbichl in Maria Schmolln.
New rescue operation for 25 former laying hens
For a few weeks now, 25 white, former laying hens have been living at Gut Aiderbichl in Deggendorf. Frechdachs, Karina, Tamara, Arielle, Dianaand all their other names are recovering and enjoying their new, protected lives without the risk of being killed. They are also just 1.5 years old and should have been slaughtered after being put out to pasture. Benedikt Gruber, manager of Gut Aiderbichl Deggendorf, is delighted with the new flock of chickens and is sure that they are enjoying their life in Deggendorf to the full.
“Ich wollt ich wär’ ein Huhn … ” – Comedian Harmonists
The 25 laying hens would not have wanted to cluck this song a few weeks ago, because a chicken does not experience a relaxed atmosphere in a barn. In barn systems, nine hens are allowed to live on 1m². By nature, chickens love lots of exercise, fresh water and a balanced diet, a safe and protected henhouse and plenty of fresh air. Frechdachs, Karina, Tamara, Arielle and Diana find all of this on their animal sanctuary at Gut Aiderbichl in Deggendorf.
The employees of Gut Aiderbichl Deggendorf now have very special, snow-white friends with thick plumage. A happy ending with symbolic power.
Chickens are not stupid, they are musical and they want recognition
They make friends with other chickens, some love rock music, others the sounds of Mozart. There are shy ones among them, but also very self-confident ones, because every chicken has character and a personality.A chicken also likes to be stroked. Chickens show their love and affection for humans by scratching their skin or rubbing their beak against their leg. They want physical contact and, if possible, will even lie down on the grass right next to humans or sit on their laps. The chickens at Gut Aiderbichl can experience all of this with their keepers.
Appeal: Buy eggs from Austria
Buy products containing eggs whose origin is clearly recognisable. Domestic laying hens are usually better off, as cage farming (cage farming in Austria) has been banned in Austria since 2020. Organic eggs are also fed GMO-free feed and the male chicks are not killed immediately after hatching.
It is dangerous to remain silent for too long. The tongue withers if you don't use it.
– Astrid Lindgren
Written by: Gisela Pschenitschnig, Gut Aiderbichl
