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In Broyes, a town located in the Oise, it is possible to recover 18-month-old hens in order to avoid the slaughterhouse and to live with a new family. An initiative that is popular in France
In the town of Broyes, in the Oise, laying hens, aged 18 months, are given to a family that has come to collect them. “I like animals, if we save them, it’s to love them too“, says Laureline, new and young owner of the hens. By adopting the hens, the hens get a second chance and this prevents them from going to the slaughterhouse. Their age is considered too old to lay eggs profitably. Finding a new family for these hens is a relief for the breeder.
“The hen ages, and the older she gets, the more the laying rate drops and above all, the egg grows but becomes fragile.“, explains Émilie Vandeputte, breeder of laying hens from Broyes. She must replace nearly 10,000 hens before November 20. However, the hens can still lay several times a week. This approach also exists in Haute-Garonne, where families adopt them, on condition of not killing them.By saving them, their life expectancy goes from 18 months to a range varying between 5 to 10 years.