MEET Daffodil and Snow Drop, two ex-bat hens, who at just 18 months old have reached the end of their commercial laying life.

Normally they would be destined for slaughter, but thanks to the hard work of the British Hen Welfare Trust (BHWT), these two Spring chickens will be found a new home with kind hearted members of the public.

The hen welfare charity will be holding a ‘pop-up’ re-homing in Somerset on Saturday, April 21 and hopes to find homes for hundreds of ex-bat hens. Gareth Harries, Wiltshire co-ordinator for the BHWT said, “Spring brings the opportunity to get back out in our gardens, and adopting some of these lovely hens offers a new dimension to pottering about outdoors. They make amazing pets, giving so much back with their friendly and inquisitive natures, not to mention eggs. If you haven’t adopted hens before, it’s incredibly rewarding to give them a second chance in life, and I’d highly recommend it.”

The charity which re-homes commercial laying hens, and educates the public about how they can make a difference to hen welfare, also encourages support for the British egg industry. Since its launch in 2005 the charity has re-homed over 445,000 hens from over 30 ‘pop-up’ locations run by volunteers across the UK. Later this year the BHWT hopes to meet ‘Dee’, their soon to be 500,000th lucky hen - ‘D’ is 500,000 in roman numerals.

 

To find out more please email hens@bhwt.org.uk, call 01884 860084