We have two groups of spent hens (hens that have stopped laying or don't meet production standards) that bring color and joy to Tomten and live together on the farm. The first group is made up of a few remaining lives from auction where they were piled high in small wooden crates and stacked one on top of the other in wire. We did not really get a good look at them before we lifted our card. Most were sold by the box and not by the individual bird but it didn't matter. Rescue is sometimes about being there for whichever life needs you and stepping up for all you can. So, even without a visual, we still bid, saving those we could. We brought them home exhausted, dehydrated and hungry but they woke the next day to dreams come true. It is a life where they are loved regardless of the frequency or infrequency of their eggs and where they feel the sun on their backs, the earth underfoot and sand under their wings every time they dust bathe. They have the companionship of one another, an indoor and outdoor coop and during the day when the weather is right, they free range, bug hunting until their hearts are content.

But they are not the only rescued chickens in their brood, most recently, early 2020, we did a different kind of rescue when we heard of a group of local spent hens in need. They were advertised for meat, dog food and chicken broth although their add noted that they could be pets too. We knew we had to do something.

So many hens are simply tossed away and out of reach because they are no longer laying the expected one egg per day. We felt we had to help those we could. Here, in northern New Hampshire where most value animals for production and not pets, no one was looking for senior birds in the middle of Winter. We knew it was just a matter of time before the entire lot would lose their lives and end up what is commonly known as "freezer camp" up here and so we hustled to make sure not a one would find their way to a kitchen or a pot. While we did not succeed in stepping up for them all, several lucky gals found their way to the farm and were quickly welcomed to the Chickabiddie family.

Did you know that the average laying hen produces hundreds of eggs a year? The amount varies tremendously based on age, breed, environment and health with most chickens laying an egg every 26 hours for their first year. While many believe a supplemental UV-light will help each bird produce more eggs, it actually shortens the individual's laying life and, in the case of laying hens, it simply shortens their entire life. Interestingly, the amount each hen will lay in a lifetime was predetermined at birth and while chickens can live a solid 5-8 years, most find themselves at auction or slaughter by the age of three as egg laying dwindles between 10 and 20% each year. That may not seem like a lot to you and me, but production numbers directly impact the bottom line and so they go. In this case, fortunately for them, they came to Tomten.

Big or small, we believe that every life deserves the gift of dreams to come true. Don’t you?