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A Tactic of Openness

Open rescues are a new tactic being used in the United States by animal rights advocates. They have been used successfully in Australia for nearly 20 years by Patty Mark and her Action Animal Rescue Team. The tactic of open rescue has only recently begun in the United States by Compassionate Action for Animals (www.BanBatteryCages.org), Compassion Over Killing (www.ISECruelty.com), and now Mercy For Animals (www.EggCruelty.com).

An "open rescue" is essentially the act of rescuing animals that are in dire need of immediate veterinary care and taking full responsibility for those actions. Because we feel that our actions are both morally and ethically justified, we chose not to hide our identities. We are speaking out openly about the atrocities we found, and we are willing to accept the consequences of our actions. The investigation and rescue was conducted in a peaceful way and adhered to the principles of non-violence. 

Out of Harm’s Way

On September 8th and 9th, Mercy For Animals openly rescued a total of 34 sick, injured, and dying birds from Daylay in Raymond, Ohio and Buckeye Egg Farm in La Rue, Ohio. The rescued hens were immediately taken to an avian specialist to receive emergency veterinary care.

All 34 hens were diagnosed as carrying the disease pasteurellae and were treated for 10 days with penicillin. Eleven hens underwent sinus surgery. Two blind hens had to have their eyes drained. Two had acute vitamin deficiencies and received injections. One hen suffers from paralysis in her leg and will be paralyzed for life. Many hens were diagnosed with mechanical feather damage, wing hematomas, and severe feather loss, among other things. One hen was suffering from a hernia and another from a painful condition known as vent peritonitis.

All of the surviving hens are now living at a farm sanctuary. They are recovering miraculously. Their scars are healing and their white feathers are returning. The girls will be able to live out the rest of their lives in a natural environment where they are able to walk around freely, dust bathe, perch, and socialize with their new friends. They are the few lucky ones, free of the torture and suffering of battery cages. 

Here are two of the touching stories of the rescued hens, written first hand from the investigators that rescued them from their sad fates. 

Cecilia’s Story
By Amie Hafner

When I first saw Cecilia, she was lying in the front of her cage as eight other cage mates, crammed into the same small cage, trampled her weak body. They spent their entire lives standing on that filthy wire floor and their long dirty nails were scraping into her bare featherless back. It had been happening for a long time. I could tell by the scars on her skin, the scabs, and the infected growths on her wings. She was sick and weak. Her body was unbelievably small, despite the fact that she was a full-grown hen.

I ever so carefully removed her from her cage. When I lifted her into my arms, she did not resist. She did not struggle or flap her wings or kick her legs. She looked as if she had given up. This was probably the first time in her life since she was debeaked and crammed into the cage as a chick, that she had been held by a human or had left her cage, but she didn’t seem to be afraid. Her legs were hanging limp. I tried to sit her on the floor to see if she could walk, but her legs simply collapsed beneath her small body.

She was unable to reach the water tube in the back of her cage from where she had been lying, and was probably severely dehydrated. We gave her water and she seemed to perk up a little bit. She appeared to be getting back her will to live. She still couldn’t walk and was in obvious need of veterinary care.

We rescued her and took her to an avian specialist where she was later diagnosed as having paralysis of her right leg. She will never be able to use that leg again, but she was able to pull herself around on her other leg once she regained her strength. She was also diagnosed with severe wing hematoma from the sores, but that will heal. She tested positive for pasteurellae and received penicillin.

Cecilia is now recovering and is enjoying a happy and fulfilling life at the sanctuary.

Francesca’s Story
By Amanda Jones

On a late night visit to Buckeye Egg Farm, my fellow investigators and myself had documented cruelty and misery for several hours. As we were finishing up for the night, I was the first to climb down the ladder into the manure pits. There I saw a famished, featherless hen cowering in the dark corner near the door. She literally had no feathers, except for the few on her head. Her beak was almost completely gone from debeaking. I slowly approached her to give her some water. She quickly ran away, frightened I’m sure of these strange creatures with bright lights on their heads. I temporarily left her and began to help lower down the equipment being used to investigate.

As we were preparing to leave I remembered the scared hen in the corner, left to die from dehydration in the manure pit. I gently picked her up and carried her to safety. On the way home, I gave her water and determined that she should have a fancy name, like Francesca.

The group decided that she would live at my house until she could go to the sanctuary. For the next week Francesca lived with me. She could now stretch her wings. She had a nest and plenty of fresh hay, food and water. Francesca enjoyed splashing around in the bathtub and then preening what few feathers she had. Each day I would talk to her and pet her. Eventually she would come to me and sit in my lap.

She now lives at the sanctuary. Francesca stretches her wings every morning and struts across the fresh green grass for breakfast. She takes lots of peaceful naps in the company of her fellow hens.

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