“They will not go to the slaughterhouse”: this breeder from Gers offers a well-deserved retirement to his laying hens

Throughout the Gers, residents came to take part in an original event: the rescue of culled chickens. He is the initiator of the organization “La voix des Hens”, created by two people from Nantes: Antoine and Emma. All year round, they collaborate with breeders throughout France, allowing thousands of chickens to find a new home.

Their mission? Save these animals from a tragic end and offer them a peaceful, well-deserved retirement after months of hard work. “We have set ourselves the basics: respect for French breeders. We know that it is very complicated for them today. We therefore want to restore their value. And our goal is also to restore the spent hen in value with our action”, explains Antoine.

Every 18 months, to comply with standards, breeders renew their herds. They can either send the chickens to the slaughterhouse (a few cents per animal) or choose to preserve them.

Giving a second life to a hen: an altruistic and useful gesture

In Duffort, on the border of the Hautes-Pyrénées, Loïc, a passionate breeder, decided to offer a second chance to his organic laying hens, saving them from a tragic end. The process is simple: simply reserve your future residents online, then collect the hens at the address provided the day before the event.

“The first year that I had laying hens, I didn't share them with anyone. I realized that there was demand and, at the same time, I kept a few for myself. time of the crawl space and I noticed that they were laying eggs every day. I told myself that I was going to share it with people,” explains the farmer.

These rescues are not just limited to an altruistic gesture. For some, it's the opportunity to have good fresh eggs without breaking the bank. For others, these chickens become real members of the family.

And the customers seem delighted, like Michel, who came to collect the four chickens he had reserved. “It's very interesting! These chickens won't go to the slaughterhouse. As I live on a farm, they will make pets and we will have fresh eggs.” Same story on Lucienne’s side. “The fox had entered the henhouse, he had killed some. We took twelve which will not go to the slaughterhouse. They will be well fed and will have everything they need!” she specifies.

For the Nantes organization, the adoption of these hens would help to curb the demand for poultry from intensive breeding, “which will encourage producers and breeders to improve the future living conditions of the animals.” In France, each culled hen adopted helps reduce around 150 kg of organic waste per year, while producing up to 250 eggs annually.

At the age of 22, the founder of La Voix des Poules highlights the principle of self-sufficiency. “I grew up in a context of overconsumption. It was one of the biggest problems of my childhood and when I see the generations that there can be, I say to myself: “without a store, what is what would we do?” That's also why we started this.”

In the Gers, associations like Champs Libres aux Poules also offer rescues like this every year. These initiatives illustrate a growing awareness: the importance of giving a second life to farm animals.