Community Corner

Peninsula Humane Society Helps Rescue Hens from Battery Cage Egg Facility

Hens are generally retired from egg production facilities at 1 ½ to 2 years old, but this particular egg producer reached out to animal care facilities to see if their retired hens could be placed into homes.

The Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA working with Harvest Home Animal Sanctuary accepted 10 white Leghorn hens that were among 565 hens retired by a San Joaquin Valley-based egg production company, and are looking to find adopters.  

Hens are generally retired from egg production facilities at 1 ½ to 2 years of age and euthanized; often, up to 100 hens at a time are placed in a Co2  chamber, as this is the cost-effective way to destroy hens no longer at peak production in battery cage egg production facilities, according to the humane society.

This particular egg producer, however, reached out to HHAS to see if their 565 retired hens could be placed into homes.

Find out what's happening in Foster Citywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

HHAS, based out of Stockton, then contacted several animal welfare agencies including PHS/SPCA, and asked if they could accept some hens and make them available for adoption.

Once PHS/SPCA finds homes for the initial group of 10 hens, they will likely accept another group from HHAS. The hens are all approximately 2 ½ years old and are still laying eggs. They are in excellent health and fully vaccinated. Hens can live to 8-10 years; their egg production drops-off as they age.

Find out what's happening in Foster Citywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"We are delighted to partner with the Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA and other humane organizations in making this large-scale chicken rescue a life-saving success," said Christine Morrissey of HHAS.

Interested adopters can visit PHS/SPCA’s San Mateo facility (12 Airport Blvd.) between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. on weekdays and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends, but should arrive at least an hour before closing to complete an adoption. The adoption fee for hens is $20.

In 2008, California passed Proposition 2, which changed the way companies can house chickens, pigs and cows and sough to end the most inhumane housing practices.  It is common for hens in battery cage egg producers to be kept in cages no larger than a piece of paper. The cages are stacked side by side, and hens do not have room to extend their wings.  They spend their lives in these cages, then are destroyed when they are no longer producing eggs quickly enough. The proposition stipulated that companies would have until 2015 to make changes to their animal housing.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here