A fundraiser has been launched to support the small number of hens saved from a livestock lorry fire in the Moy.
On Sunday, September 15, the truck, which was carrying thousands of chickens, caught fire on the Benburb Road. Footage emerged of hens jumping to safety amid the blaze.
Among those who came to the aid of the surviving hens was Northern Ireland Battery Hen Rescue, who have been working around the clock to help rehabilitate those who made it out of the fire.
They say the hens were on their way to the slaughter when the lorry caught fire, leaving most of the 8,000 hens on board dead. Some managed to escape when the crates they were in melted.
The charity, which was set up to help care for battery hens, has been updating their recovery progress on social media and have launched the fundraiser to help with ongoing treatment.
It has already raised over £9,000 on GoFundMe, with a target of £10,000.
While it is hoped the charity will be able to save most hens, some were so badly burnt they had to be euthanised.
Barbara Mladek, who has been running Northern Ireland Battery Hen Rescue for a number of years, has been updating her progress on Facebook.
On her GoFundMe page she said: “These girls were on their way to be slaughtered when the lorry they were in caught fire. Most of the 8,000 hens were burnt to death but some managed to escape when the crates they were in melted.
“The ones that got out were vet checked and sadly most were so badly burned they had to be euthanised.
“We have managed to save 43, some with bad burns, but are treatable and most suffering the effects of toxic smoke inhalation.
“These girls will need ongoing treatment for the next month or so before we can truly assess if any are well enough to be rehomed. Please help us to get them everything they need to make it through.”
You can visit the GoFundMe page to support the hens here.
