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Thousands of Derbyshire chickens facing death Derbyshire farm 'overwhelmed' after chicken slaughter appeal
(about 5 hours later)
A farm has said 24,000 of its chickens could be destroyed if they are not found homes before the end of next month. A farm has said it was "overwhelmed" with calls after it appealed for homes to save 24,000 chickens from slaughter.
Industry rules state the birds should not be kept longer than 18 months.Industry rules state the birds should not be kept longer than 18 months.
Emma Ruff, from Betty's Farm in Willington, Derbyshire, said after this time the hens' egg quality deteriorates and packing companies will not accept them. Emma Ruff, from Betty's Farm in Willington, Derbyshire, said after this time egg quality deteriorates and packing companies will not take them.
Potential new owners are invited to book appointments to visit the farm. Ms Ruff said: "It's been absolutely overwhelming, we've had loads of people contacting us."
"We have to deplete them because the egg shell quality deteriorates and the big packing stations don't want to run millions of eggs across that could be wet and contaminate their machinery," Ms Ruff said. She had earlier said ideal owners should be local and have previous experience of keeping chickens.
She said any chickens that are not homed will go into meat products like soups and dog food. She said: "[But] people need to think about whether they've got the ability to re-home chickens... we've been inundated with people who want just one [but] a chicken doesn't want to live on its own.
Appointments can be made with the farm from August 30. "We've also had people phoning from Liverpool, Sheffield, that want to come and collect, but if you put a poor chicken in a cardboard box and take it on the motorway for a journey, there's a welfare issue there as well."
She said any chickens that were not homed would go into meat products like soups and dog food.
Appointments can be made with the farm from 30 August.