An interview with our Mother Hen

This Chicken & Egg edition has a lot of milestones in it and we thought it only right to include the milestone that our Mother Hen is about to hit… Shhh, we have to say it quietly otherwise she’ll fluster her feathers! Think about a small box of eggs, and add a zero. There, nice and subtle, she’ll never twig.

We thought in celebration of her birthday, we’d try to find out what makes a founder tick, so we probed with some questions, and here’s what came back…

“I’ve loved all animals ever since I was a small child but it’s always been about helping hens over and above any other as I see them as the underdog of the animal world, and everyone loves the underdog don’t they?! When I saw Down on the Factory Farm (Panorama), I was struck by the sheer volume of hens that go through our egg production system and never see the outside world, it just didn’t feel right on lots of levels.

“I realised I’d probably crossed the line into crazy chicken lady territory when I brought home my first flock of 36 (I went for a dozen, oops!) and well remember filling my little mini metro to the hilt!

“Once I’d got that initial and powerful ‘high’ of watching my first flock of oven-readies blossom into beautiful birds, I completely lost count of each top-up I made to the flock until I had around 200 scratching around my large paddock with seven hen houses to accommodate them all! Oops again!

“It was whilst tackling the mud-fest that winter sadly became with so many hens scratching around, coupled with the loss of my parents (which taught me to get on and do what you want with your life) that I had the lightbulb moment. Bingo… a charity was in the offing, and the rest is history as they say. Another oops moment? Definitely not!

“So, now you want to know what’s my favourite part of a chicken? Hmm, bit weird, but if you must know - surely everyone snuggles deeply into a neck of warm feathers don’t they?! Oh and I love tickling their wattles especially Marilyn’s, my hermaphrodite. She loves it too. My favourite part though is their character and everyone who keeps our girls will know how individual they are, and how special.

“As for how they have changed my life… goodness, where to begin. They give me reason to get up in the morning, and it takes just one hen to inspire me to do more for the rest – quite literally one hen in need of help. They’ve given me the greatest sense of purpose and achievement (massively and ably assisted by everyone involved in the charity) and fulfilment. Oh and they’ve given me sleepless nights too. I’ve cleaned up more poop than I care to think about, had more hens in my kitchen than I care to remember, especially the one in the pantry when I had the estate agent valuing my home (his face was a picture), and I've done so many amazing things because of them (thinking the trip to Buckingham Palace amongst many others).

“And I’ve become a bit obsessive about 6s and 12s… I know, it’s all very peculiar, but that’s how it is now that hens are my life. Our volunteer recognition scheme gives awards for 6 and 12 years’ service, and I’ve developed this ridiculous habit of only stopping the microwave at a number divisible by 6… what is that all about?!

A few more quickfire answers for you: Weirdest thing you’ve ever been asked by a rehomer: “Can I put the hens in this suitcase to take them home? Er, no, they cannot breathe was my answer.”

Do you prefer to remain behind the scenes, or get stuck in on rehoming days? “Definitely to get stuck in on rehoming days – there’s all those gorgeous newbies to meet, many of whom I get to cuddle (even if momentarily as I’m putting them into the arms of their new keepers). There are so many lovely people too, who say such lovely things about our work… it’s heart-warming on all fronts. You can bet on probably having to provide a zimmer-frame as I hit more milestones, and still want hands on hens.”

Most embarrassing moment involving a chicken? “Really Fran, are you going to make me go public with this? OK, so I have a really important journalist from The Times with me, at a farm, (she wrote a wonderfully positive piece by the way about our work and the egg industry). She watched as I explained how to bring a hen out from her battery cage (she wanted the full experience), and was what I can only describe as delighted as the hen I was lifting decided at the precise moment I had my mouth open to projectile poop, straight at me. ‘Nough said, you can work out the rest. I refused permission for this to be included in the piece!”

Favourite eggy dish: “I’m a total purist, so poached egg (no vinegar, no water swirling, just fresh from the coop eggs) on lightly toasted granary. And now I’ve written that I need one…”

“The answer to your final question, why did the chicken cross the road? is easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy! Because she wanted to get to the British Hen Welfare Trust. And if I have my way, as many as we can rehome will safely cross that road.”