We spent Valentine's Day at Spitalfields City Farm. Before you say romance is dead, let me remind you it was Love an Animal day (not a phrase you want to Google, by the way). I was pleased that my extremely urban children were able to get close to some cute goats, but alarmed to see some pretty scruffy hens.

 

"They're pecking each other to death!" I cried, disturbed that the farm would keep these henpecked animals together. Then I saw the poster informing visitors that these rescued battery hens were 're-coop-erating' from a very hard (but typical) life. Battery hens are usually crammed into tiny cages with no space for natural behaviours (stretching, flapping, dust bathing, roosting or nesting). Instead, they get a bit neurotic, engaging in excessive feather pecking.

 

Luckily these hens are now on the road to recovery, and I was impressed by the farm's efforts to educate the public about the plight of farmed animals, including a booth from Compassion in World Farming.  The passionate spokesperson handed out eye-catching pamphlets (left) that just might persuade more of us take responsibility for what we eat and let shops and supermarkets know we mean business by refusing to buy brands that use battery eggs. I decided to find out more about battery hens and discovered the Battery Hen Welfare Trust, which is this week's Website of the Week.

 

We loved Spitalfields City Farm's giant pig Itchy, and the mosaic wall, a great (re)use of old china plates and pottery. Beside that wall I spotted  The Ecoworrier's Guide by Mike Barfield (below), definitely worth a closer look.