The story of my adopted battery farm hens

On 22 November 2013 I adopted two ex-batt hens (rescued from a local battery farm). I named the brown hen Hope and the white hen Love. Pic 1 is of the girls on the day they arrived (they could hardly stand, were as pale as a sheet and rather overwhelmed). Pic 2 is one month later. Pic 3 (excuse the dirty beaks!), almost in their prime (about 6 months later). They adjusted so quickly and soon were fit, flourishing and loving life. In return for rescuing them, we received eggs and wonderful compost enriching manure for the garden. To think that for the full duration of their stay at the battery farm, their feet had never touched the ground, they were never able to stretch their wings to bask in the glory of sunlight and they never experienced the delight of taking a dust bath or running around chasing each other after having found a delectable bite of something to eat in the garden. Hope unfortunately passed away on 30 Sept 2014. Love has now retired from laying and is living out her last days with us. Unfortunately with the torturous ordeal which was the first year of their lives, their bodies just aren't as strong as they should be, but at least they got to spend the last months of their lives truly living. .