COMPASSIONATE folk in Warwickshire are being called on to save the lives of more than 300 hens.
The British Hen Welfare Trust is desperately appealing for people to adopt the 18-month-old birds which are no are longer deemed commercially viable and will otherwise be slaughtered.
The charity, which operates across the country, will be hosting its first hen rehoming session in the county tomorrow (March 14), in Kineton.
Volunteers collect the hens from farms and work 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.
The hens are sometimes feather bare on arrival but after some TLC the feathers regrow and the comb on their heads will regain a healthy red colour.
They go on to become much-loved family pets, and continue to provide their owners with the odd egg or two in return.
Founder Jane Howorth MBE said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to be holding our first hen rehoming 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 wellbeing too. We’ll be taking these hens from their cages for the first time this weekend, please help us put a smile on their faces and send them off to experience life in the outside world.”
Visit www.bhwt.org.uk/register to register and then call Hen Central to reserve hens on 01884 860084 before collecting them on Saturday.
