This summer is set to be a record breaker for a national hen welfare charity, with more than 14,000 birds being saved from slaughter – hundreds of which will be re-homed in Milton Keynes.
The British Hen Welfare Trust’s network of 900+ volunteers will be flocking to farms all over the UK to take hens out of their cages, with the end goal being to rehome them in people’s back gardens. BUT the charity needs the public’s help!
With so many ladies looking to start their free-range retirements in a single month, they’re appealing to people who have bit of extra space in their back garden plus a passion for animals to get in touch.
Most of the hens being rehomed have been living in cages for 18 months, working hard to lay eggs for supermarkets and to go into processed foods. Once they reach that age their egg laying slows down so they are sent to slaughter. That is, unless the BHWT steps in to rehome them as pets.
The charity can’t guarantee the hens will continue laying, but nine times out of 10 you’ll get enough eggs to enjoy a free-range eggy breakfast. A pet with benefits!
Sonia Hough, Milton Keynes Co-ordinator said: “Our team is delighted to be part of this record-breaking effort and, with any luck, come July there’ll be thousands more hens enjoying the summer sunshine on their wings. We’ve got 240 hens looking for homes in Milton Keynes in June, so please get in touch if you can help.”
A rehoming is taking place in North Crawley on Saturday, 29 June. To reserve your feathery flock simply register your details here and then call Hen Central on 01884 860084.
> In the UK there are approximately 16 million hens kept in colony cages. The charity has so far found retirement homes for over 700,000 caged hens, all of which were destined for slaughter.
Pic: Hetty was rehomed from the BHWT. Credit: Fraser Marchbank
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