Thousands of lucky hens are soon to be given the opportunity to enjoy a free range retirement as loving pets.
Hen welfare charity, the British Hen Welfare Trust, is holding re-homing days across the UK this October and hopes to find loving homes for ex-commercial hens just like Pumpkin, who would otherwise be destined for slaughter.
Jane Howorth, founder of the charity told us, “These endearing hens make amazing pets and soon adapt to family life, they are so full of character, you can’t help but fall in love with their unique personalities - their tasty eggs are an added bonus. If you haven’t adopted hens before, it’s incredibly rewarding and the feel-good factor in saving their lives is simply unbeatable.”
We asked, can anyone keep hens? Jane explains, “Absolutely, if you have a back garden, then you can keep chickens - it’s that simple! We have between 7,000 and 8,000 adoptions each year, unfortunately we don’t have the resources to home visit each time, but we do take adopters through a careful process to ensure they know what they’re taking on and that we are happy with what facilities they can provide. I am so grateful to the many kind people out there who help our lovely hens.”
Take a look at the charities re-homing dates coming up this month:
3 October
Didcot, Oxford
Coventry, West Midlands
Aunby, South Lincolnshire
4 October
Swinderby, North Lincolnshire
10 October
Bristol
Dorset, Sturminster Newton
Farrington Gurney, Somerset
Chulmleigh, Devon
Gwernogle, Wales
Monmouth - FULL *Call to be placed on a waiting list.
24 October
Bishop stopford, Hertfordshire
Great Totham, Essex
Godmanchester, Cambridge
26 October
Great Totham, Essex
The charity urges anyone interested in adopting a hen like Pumpkin, to call their re-homing team at Hen Central on 01884 860084 or visit their website www.bhwt.org.uk.
