Rescue hens are looking for homes in Banburyshire

Rescued hens regain their feathers, health and vitality once moved to natural conditions

The organisation will be passing over the hens to their new owners in Kineton on Saturday and they are urging anyone interested in taking some of the birds to register online as soon as possible.

This will be the charity's first first official hen rehoming session in Warwickshire.

The BHWT rehomes laying hens once they reach 18 months old and are no longer deemed commercially viable. Hens kept in good conditions and protected from predators can live until seven-years-old and even older. The charity collects the hens from farms and works with a network of volunteers to find suitable retirement homes for more than 65,000 hens each year who would otherwise be destined for slaughter.

Caged hens may have few feathers but will regain these in more natural conditions

The caged hens may have a lot of bald patches because they have not been kept in natural conditions. However with a more natural lifestyle these return, their combs regain a healthy red colour and they quickly revert to their natural instincts of perching and scratching for insects and seeds.

The chickens go on to become much loved family pets and even continue to provide their new owners with eggs in return.

Jane Howorth MBE, founder of the BHWT, said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to be holding our first hen re-homing in Warwickshire. We have a great new team of volunteers all ready to send hundreds of hens flying off to a free-range retirement, we just need the people of Kineton and surrounding areas to help us find them all suitable homes. All you need is a cosy coop, enough space for the hens to scratch for bugs and slugs and some room in your heart for these lovely girls, who really don’t take long to become part of the family.

“We’ve found homes for more than 750,000 chickens across the country now and there’s a reason they are becoming so popular to keep as pets. They’re intelligent, friendly and thoroughly entertaining to watch and we believe they are good for people’s well-being too. We’ll be taking these hens from their cages for the first time this weekend so please help us put a smile on their faces and send them off to experience life in the outside world," she said.

The BHWT was founded in 2005 by Jane, who has been the driving force behind the charity that now operates from 40+ locations across the UK, supported by almost 1,000 volunteers.

To book your hens simply register your details at www.bhwt.org.uk/register/ and then call Hen Central on 01884 860084.

Other rehomings are also taking place this weekend in Worcestershire, Devon, Cheshire, Cumbria, Derbyshire, Monmouth, Northumberland and Milton Keynes - to view a full list of dates visit https://www.bhwt.org.uk/hen-rehomings/

In the UK there are approximately 16 million hens kept in colony cages.

The charity also educates consumers about caged eggs hidden in processed foods, like pasta, quiches, cakes and mayonnaise so they can make an informed choice when shopping.