he offers his chickens a retirement and saves them from the slaughterhouse

A few dozen meters from one of his buildings breeding has Prince (Ille-et-Vilaine), Vincent Brault hears his chickens singing, and is amused: “They don’t stop. »

We will not be able to meet them more closely, because the health situation linked to the risks of spreading bird flu holds him to strict standards.

But in these walls sleep 6,000 of the 12,000 free-range laying hens of the entire farm, whose eggs meet the specifications Label Rougewhich markets the set under the brand Eggs from our regions in large areas.

“Pamper” retired chickens

On February 1st, certain gallinaceae will take… their retirement.

Vincent Brault, who also has his own clientele, has joined forces with the organization The Voice of the Hens to organize a sale to individualswishing to offer them a second life.

“People will pamper. Some will have their little nest with straw, their food bowl, their little playpen. They worked well for a year. Afterwards, they finish their career by laying what they can quite peacefully,” rejoices the breeder.

Vincent Brault's chickens arrived in Princé about 13 monthswhen they were just young pullets.

After a short period of adaptation, they reached their peak of layingwhich is located around 95 %or nearly 5,700 eggs produced every day by the 6,000 animals.

And then, as they age, their productivity has dropped to around 80% and the breeder's specifications push him to part with them. They would therefore have ended their lives in the slaughterhouse.

A sustainable development action

“It bothered me to send them there while they were still working well. I thought it was a shame, he sighs. Anyone who buys ten or eleven chickens will end up with 7 to 8 eggs per day, depending on the diet they have there. It still does a great, inexpensive source of protein. Most people then keep them for two or three years. After that, they will no longer lay eggs. »

The approach is also ecological, since the species feeds on organic waste, up to “ 150 kg per year” for a single animal, explains Emma, ​​who had already organized a first sale with Vincent Brault in September 2024.

“We can give them everything, they eat banana peels, oyster shells… It’s a sustainable development action,” summarizes the 38-year-old breeder. What I also like about all this is the relational with people. They come here, we talk with them. They are happy and come back. »

Will goodbyes be difficult? Not really, since Vincent Brault, who installed his first building in Princé in 2013, has gotten into the habit, once a year, of seeing his gallinaceans leave the farm after months of loyal service.

The third pet

He remembers this hen, who had the habit of perching on his daughter's shoulder. It was always the same.

“We don't get attached to one more than another, but perhaps more easily to a batch that has worked very well,” he admits, lucidly. But, they are very loyal, they spontaneously come to see me. It seems that it is the third pet In France. »

“Chickens are animals social and endearing. They are intelligent, curious and can become true life companions,” adds Emma.

At the end of the sale, the building will undergo a major cleaning and cleaning, so that not the slightest dirt remains. Then a new batch of pullets will arrive to replace them, and will reach their peak of laying after a short period of adaptation. They too should have the right to a peaceful retirement, far from slaughterhouses.

Practical: 800 hens available, for the rescue on February 1 in Princé (9 a.m. – 12 p.m.). €3 per hen and €30 for 11 hens. Reservations required on the La Voix des Poules website, or from the organization's Facebook account.

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