Egg-layers have a right to retire too! So say Poule Pour Tous, whose remit is to rescue hens from the abattoir and arrange for them to be adopted by kindly owners once their laying career is at an end.
50-million chickens are bred as egg-layers each year in France
We consume nearly 14.8-billion eggs a year, however the egg-layers themselves rarely receive any thanks for their services. After 18 months of labour, the majority of them are slaughtered due them having exceeded their peak productivity. Less profitable, they are then sold at low prices to abattoirs, which unceremoniously transform them into meat by-products.
Thomas Dano battles to save hens from the slaughterhouse
It’s an unacceptable ending for Thomas Dano, who is committed to offering hens bred for egg-laying a second life. His association travels to various breeders to buy up the hens destined for the abattoir. They are then sold on to individuals for 5 to 7 Euros. The association boasts 160 bases across France, with its development ongoing. After two and half years in business, nearly 25,000 hens have been saved from the abattoir! When individuals purchase one of their hens, she is still capable of laying an average of 1,000 eggs. The hens come with the added bonus of being genuine recyclers on legs able to transform up to 150 kilos of food waste a year!
