While many may recognise July 4th as America’s famous Independence Day, from now on in we will recognise it as Independence Day for Chickens, as history will record it as the first day of Australia’s largest farmed animal rescue. Almost 1,500 laying hens destined for slaughter received a last minute reprieve when a battery hen farmer had a change of heart.

Pledging the cages would never again hold a chicken, the farmer nervously sought assistance to rehome the hens to safe and loving homes. At first, we thought it was some kind of joke, but meeting with the farmer at a secret location we believed him to be genuine and so on July 4th in 2012 Australia’s largest farmed animal rescue began.