Rescue hens unlikely stars of Oprah’s interview with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry

Harry and Meghan’s explosive interview with Oprah put the spotlight on some surprise faces that have sparked Aussie interest.

They were the unlikely stars of Oprah’s explosive interview with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry this week – the royal rescue hens that have sparked interest in raising chickens in Aussie backyards.

Gumboot-wearing Meghan and Harry told the world how adopting the chickens at the Californian home helped ground them, offering a taste of the simple life they craved, while cementing a love of animals for son Archie, whose ‘Chick Inn’ coop has inspired animal lovers everywhere to follow suit.

Founder of NSW Hen Rescue, Catherine Kelaher, says she, like Meghan, Harry and young Archie, loved the animals that through rehabilitation, taught compassion, empathy, patience and responsibility.

Kelaher started the organisation after learning that hens in the egg industry are slaughtered after 18 months. After one confronting visit to an egg farmer, she rescued six chickens. Then another 10. Then 350.

And since founding the rescue in 2010, she’s saved, cared for and rehomed more than 5000 birds – including Queen Lara, aptly named for her beautiful crown of feathers.

Meghan at Archie’s Chick Inn during the explosive Oprah interview. Picture: CBS

THE MENTAL HEALTH BOOST

Kelaher says her girls have made a huge difference to her own wellbeing, and is happy Meghan has experienced the same benefits, after revealing suicidal thoughts in her controversial sit down with Oprah.

“Meghan has a lovely attitude towards animals and has been a great advocate and that’s a great thing,” she says.

“It has certainly made a huge difference to my mental health … even two years after you’ve adopted them it doesn’t get old.

“Another huge benefit is it slows you down, in a good way.

“If you have to clean out the coop or check the girls it’s a good way to force yourself to step away from the screen and have some time for you and the girls.”

She says just like cats and dogs, her hens have distinctive personality traits – and even though they look identical, she has no trouble knowing exactly who is who.

“There’s Kim who has the biggest personality – as soon as I’m outside she is preening my clothes and is such a greedy guts, but so sweet,” Kelaher says.

“Then there’s Queen Lara who has this crown of feathers … she’s more aloof and does her own thing.

“They’ve been through a lot and I respect their past and what they need.”

Catherine Kelaher is the founder of NSW Hens Rescue. Picture: AAP

FAMILY AND BIRD BENEFITS

Tania Daykin, from battery hen rescue organisation Let the Ladies Go, says rehabilitating the tortured animals is rewarding.

“They’re scared when they come out and they see the blue sky because they’ve never seen it before – they’ve only ever seen a roof,” says Daykin, who has rescued 42,000 hens over the last four years alone.

“They don’t know how to walk properly. They panic when it rains because they don’t know what it is – so if it rains in the first week we can lose hundreds – they don’t even know how to drink properly. But by week three of four they are completely different.

“We give them the experience of having big bowls of water to drink from, and once they figure it out they don’t move, they stand there and gulp, and look up at you with such delight.”

She said awareness was key.

“As soon as people know they get angry, which is good because they care and then they start to think – and sooner or later they make the right decision.”

Oprah with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle during the Oprah interview. Picture: Supplied