‘Some humans are nice’; St. Louis woman working to give chickens a new life post-egg production
Second-Hen’d has helped over a thousand chickens in the next step of their lives
ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) - When most folks think of chicken, they probably think of dinner -- but for Erica Camp, she’s thinking about the literally hundreds of chickens she’s helped foster, rehomed and helped.
Second-Hen’d is a local organization dedicated to helping “spent” hens, meaning egg-producing chickens that once laid eggs in commercial operations -- but are now past their egg-laying prime.
Camp founded the organization after she couldn’t find the type of animal operation she wanted to . The organization says it is not “A rescue, animal sanctuary, or re-homing resource for people looking to get rid of chickens.”
What the organization says it is is a “non-profit, all-volunteer organization that works to find loving, forever homes for ex-commercial egg-laying chickens – which we collectively refer to as “spent” hens."
She says that many of these chickens who are “retired” from egg-production facilities face an uncertain future, and Second-Hen’d tries to help find homes and futures for these birds.
“Our emphasis is helping those that come from caged systems, but in the future, our goal is to expand and work with ones from other backgrounds as well,” the organization says. “Second-Hen’d only approves and works with dedicated adopters who agree not to use/sell the hens for meat or dump them when they stop laying.”
Camp introduced First Alert 4 to Blossom, one of her flock, who has a friendship bracelet and is often seen riding in a baby stroller through Tower Grove Park.
Blossom was only about two years old when her career as an egg layer came to an end -- now she’s a pet and close friend of Erica, sitting on her shoulders and eating out of her hand.
The Second-Hen’d website says the organization has saved 1,065 chickens so far. Camp hopes that in the future they will be able to have a physical building for the chickens to teach, train and house birds while they find their forever home.
She says that’s tough, because many people do not see chickens as anything more than food or eggs. Camp feels she constantly has to prove the worth of chickens to folks, and unlike other animal operations, donations and volunteers are few and far between.
Camp is currently looking for folks willing to adopt these chickens, which she says come from some of the highest stock of chickens.
Camp has taken to some creative choices to keep her feathered friends in public -- inlcuding dressing them up around Halloween.
She grew up on a farm, and always felt close to the fowl of the farm.
Her father bought her a chicken when she was young, and that chicken became a pet bird that changed her thoughts about how to treat chickens.
Camp hates the term “bird-brained” as an insult, saying it really should be a compliment as many birds (chickens in particular) are very intelligent, and can be just as good of companions as dogs or cats.
After her time in the military, she found that these feathered friends helped with her mental health.
With the of other friends and volunteers she works to help out this spent hens find new homes -- while also giving trainings on how to keep hens and looking at ways for these chickens to have a successful post-egg career.
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