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The Battery Hen by Pam Ayres
Oh. I am a battery hen,
On me back there's not a germ,
I never scratched a farmyard,
And I never pecked a worm,
I never had the sunshine,
To warm me feathers through,
Eggs I lay. Every day.
For the likes of you.
When you has them scrambled,
Piled up on your plate,
It's me what you should thank for that,
I never lays them late,
I always lays them reg'lar,
I always lays them right,
I never lays them brown,
I always lays them white.
But it's no life, for a battery hen,
In me box I'm sat,
A funnel stuck out from the side,
Me pellets comes down that,
I gets a squirt of water,
Every half a day,
Watchin' with me beady eye,
Me eggs, roll away.
I lays them in a funnel,
Strategically placed,
So that I don't kick 'em,
And let them go to waste,
They rolls off down the tubing,
And up the gangway quick,
Sometimes I gets to thinkin'
"That could have been a chick!"
I might have been a farmyard hen,
Scratchin' in the sun,
There might have been a crowd of chicks,
After me to run,
There might have been a cockerel fine,
To pay us his respects,
Instead of sittin' here,
Till someone comes and wrings our necks.
I see the Time and Motion clock,
Is sayin' nearly noon,
I 'spec me squirt of water,
Will come flyin' at me soon,
And then me spray of pellets,
Will nearly break me leg,
And I'll bite the wire nettin'
And lay one more bloody egg.
Oh. I am a battery hen,
On me back there's not a germ,
I never scratched a farmyard,
And I never pecked a worm,
I never had the sunshine,
To warm me feathers through,
Eggs I lay. Every day.
For the likes of you.
When you has them scrambled,
Piled up on your plate,
It's me what you should thank for that,
I never lays them late,
I always lays them reg'lar,
I always lays them right,
I never lays them brown,
I always lays them white.
But it's no life, for a battery hen,
In me box I'm sat,
A funnel stuck out from the side,
Me pellets comes down that,
I gets a squirt of water,
Every half a day,
Watchin' with me beady eye,
Me eggs, roll away.
I lays them in a funnel,
Strategically placed,
So that I don't kick 'em,
And let them go to waste,
They rolls off down the tubing,
And up the gangway quick,
Sometimes I gets to thinkin'
"That could have been a chick!"
I might have been a farmyard hen,
Scratchin' in the sun,
There might have been a crowd of chicks,
After me to run,
There might have been a cockerel fine,
To pay us his respects,
Instead of sittin' here,
Till someone comes and wrings our necks.
I see the Time and Motion clock,
Is sayin' nearly noon,
I 'spec me squirt of water,
Will come flyin' at me soon,
And then me spray of pellets,
Will nearly break me leg,
And I'll bite the wire nettin'
And lay one more bloody egg.
AntisocialTroll · 56-60, F
I'd just like to add that cage free isn't really cruelty free, whilst it's far better than them caged they are still housed in completely unnatural conditions, they don't get to go outside and you can have thousands of chickens crammed into a small space.
If people don't want chickens to suffer they need to start paying proper money for eggs and buying direct from farmers who they know let the birds outside and keep em in good conditions.
Unless people are prepared to pay a lot more in the supermarket for their eggs chickens will continue to suffer.
If people don't want chickens to suffer they need to start paying proper money for eggs and buying direct from farmers who they know let the birds outside and keep em in good conditions.
Unless people are prepared to pay a lot more in the supermarket for their eggs chickens will continue to suffer.
View 7 more replies »
@fernie2 they are easily slaughtered. No one slaughters a lion for consumption. You know why
@mysteryespresso what the heck are you talking about? "easily slaughtered?" What does a lion have to do with it?
@fernie2 nothing
ShadowSister · 46-50, F
swandfriends · 41-45, F
I bet those are baby turkeys. That brings back memories of going to my grandparents when I was little. They have a turkey farm. And if I saw a baby that couldn't walk good or something was wrong with it I would take it over to the water and feed and help it
hippyjoe1955 · 61-69, M
Those are not laying hens. They are being raised for their meat not their eggs.
hippyjoe1955 · 61-69, M
@swandfriends Turkeys don't have feathers on their heads nor do they have combs. Those are young chicks likely to be visiting Colonel Sanders soon.
swandfriends · 41-45, F
swandfriends · 41-45, F
They look very similar. But baby chickens fur looks smoother (top picture). I grew up around baby turkeys. I know what they look like and what kind of environment they are raised in. I can't say 100% sure, but to me it looks like turkeys
