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Great but sad poem by Pam Ayres about battery hens.

1 reply

chickensaresafehere · 20/12/2011 18:33

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.

Brought tears to my eyes,lucky there are lots of us out there who give these gorgeous girls a home!!

OP posts:
DonkeyTeapot · 26/01/2012 10:30

Great poem. I wish I could have chickens but it's not possible where we live :(

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