ALLIANCE FOR ANIMAL RIGHTS (A.F.A.R.)

TEN farmers across the country say they will be forced to cull hundreds of thousands of hens next week to comply with an EU directive which the IFA claims could cost them their livelihoods. A directive issued back in 1999 to phase out so-called battery cages to house hens and replace them with a more humane version known as "enriched" cages has apparently led to this situation.

The Alliance for Animal Rights have already spoken to IFA National Poultry Chairman  Mr Alo Mohan and have made an offer to find ‘forever homes’ for some of these hens to allow them live out their natural lives. Mr Mohan was open to our suggestion and has offered to help us if the farmers agree to give us some of the hens instead of killing them. We already have a foster offer for 30 of the birds.

These little beings have spent their entire lives in cages. Hens spend their entire productive life confined in small, barren battery cages where they cannot carry out their natural behaviours or freely move around. We feel we can help some of them. Our supporters rallied around to help some pigs who were in a truck that went off a bridge some years ago. We had about 80 homes waiting but the Department of Agriculture sadly refused to let them come to us and killed them instead. We are willing to spread the appeal for these hens far and wide.

‘Every life counts’ is the way we see it.

We have seen rescued hens before enjoy the grass and sunshine for the first time, we really want to help some of these hens. They are unfortunate to be considered ‘food’ by many humans and they basically die because they satisfy the human’s taste buds.

AFAR do not promote bigger cages, we chose to instead promote a cruelty –free alternative lifestyle where no-one dies on our account. Our choice to be VEGAN is based on our respect for all species we share the planet with, we believe it is their world too, the only one they’ve got.

We thank Alo Mohan for trying to help us with this endeavour and we genuinely hope we can save some innocent lives in the coming weeks.

AFAR has been working since 1989 not only to relieve the suffering of animals, but to show how we can build a more sustainable, just and non-violent world by making some small lifestyle changes.

We hope some lives get saved here……..

 ·       SO FAR WE HAVE BEEN OFFERED  HUNDREDS OF PLACES WAITING FOR THE OK THAT THESE BIRDS WILL BE GIVEN TO US.

·       WE HOWEVER WILL HAVE A BIT OF A LOGISTICAL NIGHTMARE TO MOVE THEM TO THEIR NEW PLACES.

·       WE WILL NEED PEOPLE WITH CARS TO HELP US URGENTLY

·       WE HAVE TO GET THIS SORTED AND HAVE CARS ON STANDBY WHEN WE ESTABLISH THE FARM LOCATIONS.

·       WE ALSO WELCOME THE FOLLOWING MATERIALS –OR ANY WOOD OR FENCING YOU MIGHT NOT WANT….

·       WE WOULD APPRECIATE DONATIONS TO FUND MEDICATIONS,SHEDS,FUEL AND WHATEVER THESE BIRDS NEED.

·       DONATIONS: MARK ENVELOPE ‘ HEN DONATION’. Cheque/PO Order To AFAR. PO BOX 4734. DUBLIN.1:

APPEAL FOR MATERIALS: 

Here is a list of the type of materials we  need:

The following is advice for those who are taking hens and /or are helping transport.

Gate:  6 foot by 3 foot - large enough

Approximately 10 x 8 foot timber posts (for erecting fence)

House large enough for 20 hens

Weekly supplies of soft wood shavings, organic layers pellets, barley and mixed corn

Flubenvet worming powder

Ivermectin for prevention of lice and mites (not licenced for use in poultry but used by most carers)

Baycox (2.5% Oral Solution (POM-V) for treatment of coccidiosis) - I got this for about 88 Sterling but if you can get if cheaper that would be great

A range of antibiotics - Baytril, CTC powder, Tylan, Amoxycillan etc - broad spectrum and specific for symptoms indicative of diseases like salmonella

REGARDING Transport - the first thing is that the shorter the distance the better for the birds.  Try to get the farmer to tell you what temperature the shed was and keep the car at that temperature.  Use soft wood shavings - anything will be an improvement on the cages they lived in.  Organic matter like straw can have mites or lice and you don't want them infected at the outset.  Keep a clean bowl and a bottle of water in the car and you might have to dip their beaks into the water - hold their wings close to their body when you lift them.  Their bones will be very fragile.  Sometimes keeping them in the dark helps them to calm down - seeing everything in daylight will be overwhelming.  Make sure they have plenty of ventilation in whatever they are carried in.  Give me a ring at any stage for any advice you need.  I really really hope we can save some of them. [FOR MORE INFO ON TRANSPORTING RING SANDRA. 0872325832 our adviser as she keeps hens.]

Many thanks to all of you who offered to take hens. Despite not getting the ex- battery ones Ive lots of names here on a list that are welcome to help Two hen rescues by taking their hens. So those of you who want to rescue some hens ring any of the  two rescues below.

Halfway hen House. 0872589061 Wexford.

If transport is a problem I am sure we can sort something.-get back to me for help.

See update below.

Bernie Wright

UPDATE                                                                               

 Our attempts to relocate over 400 hens destined for the slaughterhouse due to the battery cages changeover ended on Friday last 6^th January.

News reports and spokespersons for the egg industry have stated that 90% of the hens have now been killed. It remains to be seen what will happen with the last of the hens. It seems unlikely any will be saved as the farmers are more concerned with saving appearance than saving the hens. The hens are expected to be in poor condition which was the reason we did not get them, they did not want us to see the condition these poor birds were in.

 We did our best in securing over 400 hen homes with help from a generous public and both Eden rescue in Meath and the halfway hen rescue in Wexford. 

Whether these hens are saved or not it is important to note that there are 100’s of thousands of hens killed every day in Ireland by the meat or egg industry. There are over a million hens in cages as they are being used to produce eggs right now in Ireland. 

The legislation passed by the EU in 1999 and transposed into Irish law in 2002 is now enforceable from the 1^st of January. This law changed the caging system to slightly different cages. Any farmer not complying with this law from that date could not sell eggs. The farmers held off till the last minute to increase profits and the chance that they could obtain concessions to keep using the old cage system for some extra time. The law was enforced.

Having contacted Alo Mohan, IFA Poultry Chairman, he agreed to help us get some of the hens to save their lives. There were 10 farmers with hens that were to be killed. He kept in touch daily on progress but sadly none of these farmers would give us hens , despite my matching an offer of one euro per hen, the going slaughterhouse rate.  

‘They preferred to kill the hens rather than give them to us’. So many suffering  little birds that could have felt sun for the first time or pecked at grass for the remainder of their miserable lives were killed to prevent the chicken and egg producers from getting bad press….it says it all dos’ent it!

Normally the line is clear in these situations, however I genuinely feel that  the IFA’s Alo Mohan really tried to save some of these hens. I thank him for his efforts and I believe too  that on some personal  level he exhibited  support for our efforts. Time will tell if we have another  ‘Howard Lyman’ in the making.  http://www.madcowboy.com/

HEN HOME OFFERS AND DRIVERS.

A genuine thank you to those who offered homes. Calls are still coming in  and are being passed on to Tina in the Halfway hen house to use. Other hens who were saved previously by rescue groups do need help today too. Another  such group is Eden Farm Animal Sanctuary .Eden Farm Animal Sanctuary rescue animals who would have been killed for their “meat” or otherwise used for human ends in animal agriculture.  They recently launched an appeal for financial aid due to the unprecedented amount of illnesses to the animals during last Summer.

A list of the CONTACT DETAILS of hen offers is now being compiled. Thank you those who offered to transport hens.

Eden Sanctuary has today given 30 hens a chance of experiencing freedom and kindness. We have donated 250 euro to help them house the birds. 

AFAR on ShannonSide FM  Radio 04/01/2011

http://www.archive.org/details/BernieOnShannonSidehenMedia

If you care -get active for the animals that are oppressed by humans- agitate-liberate-educate, whatever it takes-if not you ….WHO?

Bernie Wright.

AFAR Press Officer.0872651720

Battery Hens have a new life at Eden: 

http://www.edenfarmanimalsanctuary.com/battery-hens-new-home.html

Following the new EU directive banning battery cages in Ireland we have been able to save fifteen hens from unnecessary slaughter.  The hens are doing well, apart from the fact that some of them have significant feather loss, and others are limping on sore feet.  They are learning how to leave their new house in the mornings but most of them still need to be carried into bed at night.  They are beginning to run to us when they see us; it is incredible how quickly other animals make friends with members of the species that has caused them so much deprivation and hurt. I imagine that these hens had very little contact with humans prior to being rescued; they were, after all, regarded as production units and not beings.

Unfortunately, we cannot undo the damages caused to them by genetic modification for the egg production industry.  Nor can we offer them the absolute literty of the jungle environment they descended from.  However, we will ensure that they have a degree of liberty, lots of space, good food, green grass, an area for dust bathing, a comfortable, clean house with private nest boxes and perches, veterinary care when necessary, a lot of love, and every opportunity to find joy in their lives.  We would like to take this opportunity to thank you to those of you who offered us the encouragement, advice, support and financial help that enabled us to have the privilege of offering these girls a home.

Jane:  The suffering caused by Egg Production

http://www.edenfarmanimalsanctuary.com/news.html

We are very sad to have lost Jane who lived with us for over two years.  Jane died of peritonitis, a painful condition that arises from complications in egg laying, and which is responsible for a high mortality rate in egg laying hens. She was a very friendly and interactive hen and she is sorely missed by her friends Claude and Lucy, and by us.  The suffering she endured during her short life, and her painful death, are further reminders of the pain inflicted on other animals when they are used for human ends.

Sandra Higgins

Director

Eden Farm Animal Sanctuary & Matilda's Promise Vegan Education Centre

www.edenfarmanimalsanctuary.com

AFAR has donated 250 euro  to Eden sanctuary to help with accommodation for the little hens.thank you Sandra for your kind help.

The other animals humans eat, use in science, hunt, trap, and exploit in a variety of ways, have a life of their own that is of importance to them apart from their utility to us. They are not only in the world, they are aware of it. What happens to them matters to them. Each has a life that fares better or worse for the one whose life it is. Professor Tom Regan


"Cowardice asks the question, 'Is it safe?' Expediency asks the question, 'Is it polite?' Vanity asks the question, 'Is it popular?' But conscience asks the question, 'Is it right?' And there comes a point when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor polite, nor popular, but one must take it because one's conscience tells him or her that it is right." Martin Luther King, Jr