The story of Coby Chambers, known to his friends as "the chicken master", touched many Wanganui Chronicle readers - and some of them have offered to help him.
Ten-year-old Coby and his flock of 20 hens appeared in the Wanganui Chronicle on October 15.
Coby saves his pocket money to rescue battery hens. He nurses the hens back to health then, when they start laying, he sells the eggs to pay for their food. He knows each one of his hens by name, and they are so familiar with him that they stop laying when he goes away.
Coby's flock is set to increase after the Chronicle story was published.
Coby's mother, Chrissy, said she has received several phone calls offering money so Coby can buy more hens. An anonymous donor left $20 and a note at the Chronicle office. And someone offered Coby two more hens.