Many chickens are kept in deplorable conditions. In fact, even if you’ve never considered becoming a vegetarian, one peek at their sad, cramped lives is likely to make you lose your appetite.
But things are different on the Otaka Valley Free Range Egg Farm in New Zealand.
In case you weren’t aware, there’s an enormous difference between “free-range,” “cage-free,” “organic,” etc. labels when it comes to chickens.
Organic can still mean the animals are kept indoors in tightly packed cages.
Cage-free and free-range hens have access to litter, nests, and protection from predators, however, cage-free hens may still be kept indoors with relatively little room to roam.
Meanwhile, free-range chickens get to roam outdoors. That doesn’t mean their life is bucolic, but it sure beats conventional chicken factories.
But these viral New Zealand hens seem to have it best of all.
“Otaika Valley hens are free to roam on our beautiful and fertile land, resting at night in spacious safe barns,” read the farm’s website.
Farmer Peter Sandle also says that they eat well too:
“We feed them on high quality grains and proteins and finally (now here’s the trick) we leave them in peace to do what nature intended them to do.”
The video from the farm went viral.
And farm owners were happy to have their ethical and sustainable methods on display.
“We’re overwhelmed by the positive response we’ve received from our Youtube video – we had no idea it would go viral around the world and be viewed as much as it has. We are a passionate family-owned New Zealand business trying to produce the best free-range eggs with our happy hens. Thank you to everyone who has sent lovely messages and emails to us and our happy hens…” they wrote on Facebook.
Commenters from around the world wrote in with kudos:
“I shared this video off my sister’s Facebook page…It made me so happy to see this! This is beautiful!! Those chickens reminded me of a bunch of children excited to go out for recess.”
The video itself is simply shots from farm life, from the minute the chickens leave their shelter in the morning to wandering and feeding time.
Of course, New Zealand is so lush and green that it makes even us jealous of these chickens!
We wouldn’t mind spending a day roaming around these 10 acres!
With plenty of trees for shade and lots of land to traverse, the animals simply do what they do – that is, peck at the ground and walk around all day. It’s not like they have a long list of hobbies.
But it means a lot that they get to do it in the fresh air instead of inhumane conditions in which they never see the light of day.
And while, nutritionally-speaking, the eggs are no different from factory farming, you have the benefit of knowing that your diet isn’t having a devastating impact.
As for how it went viral in the first place, there’s no straightforward explanation. But we do know that once people saw it, they couldn’t help but share it.
“This video never fails to make me ridiculously happy. Thank you for posting and caring about the welfare of your animals!”
Be sure to scroll down below to see Otaika Valley’s chickens roam the farm.
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