A KIND-hearted Kendal man who looks after rescued battery hens has been left "devastated" after finding 12 of them killed by a dog.

Brian Carradice, of Rydal Mount, will be left out of pocket as a result of the onslaught which left more than a quarter of the brood dead, eggs destroyed and the remaining birds "traumatised" on Sunday (February 22).

He believes the damage was done by one or more dogs which had been let off the lead - making it the second attack in two years.

"I went to put the hens away and to collect the eggs and I thought something was wrong," said the 57-year-old. "When I looked closer with my torch I saw 12 of them all together were dead and there were feathers all over."

The care worker, who owns the smallholding between Staveley and Bowston, said he "knew" they had not been killed by a fox as the heads were still on.

"It must have been a little terrier which had chased one in under the hole and traumatised them all," he added. "There were also foot marks around the hut and the latch had been left unlocked so someone must have unlocked it to get the dog out."

The hens had been rescued by friend Christina Otway who saves ex barn birds and hands them to Mr Carradice to look after in their shared hut until they are either re-homed or kept.

In the meantime they lay eggs which are sold to family, friends and neighbours.

But with £150 worth of hens destroyed along with their eggs, the smallholder said he was facing a loss due to the trauma caused to the surviving poultry.

"It will have distressed the others so there will be no eggs for about a month," said Mr Carradice, who raises the hens as a hobby.

And to make matters worse, a bantam, reared by Mr Carradice's 10 year-old granddaughter Chloe Crawford, was caught up in the carnage.

Last year, he added, the hens had been ravaged and killed by a pair of spaniels off their lead. Three of the birds ere his granddaughter's who was left "heartbroken".

Mr Carradice and Ms Otway are calling on the public to keep their dogs on leads while out and about in the countryside.

As soon as they see the hens they go for them," said Mr Carradice. "Even my own dog is kept on a lead, otherwise it would chase them too."