She wanted to create hen heaven for creatures rescued from a life of misery on battery farms.

But while the 450 chickens, cockerels and turkeys she takes care of are enjoying a life of luxury, Linda Turvey is working her fingers to the bone.

She works 20-hour days at the Hen Heaven sanctuary in Stone Pit Lane, in Henfield.

In the past seven years, she says she has only had three days off - for a wedding, a funeral and an afternoon at the races.

Now Linda is pleading for volunteers to help look after the birds she started rescuing 12 years ago.

It began when she spotted an advert in an animal welfare magazine appealing for someone to take in some battery hens.

Since then she has taken in hundreds of birds, selling the eggs they produce to restaurants in Sussex, many of them in Brighton and Hove.

Linda said: "This is a full-time job. I clean them out, feed them, get vets in to look at them, collect their eggs, lock them up at night. I really need some help. I'm exhausted."

Linda took in a batch of 340 battery hens in March from a centre in Sussex.

The birds are so traumatised by being released from the confines of battery farm life, they stop laying until they adjust to having free range of the land and sheds they occupy.

The birds should pay their way by laying eggs but the hot weather has disrupted their output so little income is coming in to pay for their feed.

Linda, who gives many of the birds names and keeps them throughout their natural life, said: "I'm sure people think I'm mad.

"Sometimes I feel very, very lumbered by this but I have all these living creatures around me.

"I can see me doing this right to the end but I could do with some help."

Despite her long hours, Linda says she loves her flock of chickens, who never fail to amuse or teach her new things.

One of her hens supposedly started out as a girl but got tired of laying eggs so turned into a cock.

Linda said: "Apparently all chickens have two ovaries but only one of them actually functions. If anything happens to shut that one down then they can change sex. Apparently it's very rare."

Linda, who was once a long-distance trucker, said the birds are often traumatised by their experience in battery farms and take time to adjust.

She said: "The biggest problem is calming them down. I start off by talking to them gently.

"They stand there looking out and they don't even know how to get over the step.

"Slowly they come out. Then they start growing their feathers back and then start laying eggs."

Linda is appealing for volunteers to help her clean and feed the birds and collect eggs.

They could put in as many hours as they want but would need transport because the hens are tucked away in the countryside.

People can also sponsor a chicken or a turkey for £12 a year.

Anyone interested in Hen Heaven should phone Linda on 07754 550193.