Watch more of our videos on Shots!
and live on Freeview channel 276

“We find them their forever homes”

400 hens need to be rehomed this month, after they were saved by Chicken Rescue UK at just 72 weeks old.

Once chickens reach this age they are no longer considered “commercially viable” and farmers replace them with younger hens to keep their egg production rates up.

Chicken Rescue UK, a volunteer-run community interest company, steps in and buys the hens from farmers around the country to “give them a new life with loving owners”.

Jacquie Breakwell (left), who runs the Chicken Rescue Northampton collection point, and her sister Jeroslymis Gold (right).

Jacquie Breakwell, who runs the Northampton collection point, said: “Their lives get cut short by farmers.

“Our mantra is we never leave a hen behind. No matter how many the farmer tells us in the shed for us to collect, we take all of them and find them their forever homes.”

The 400 ex-commercial hens need rehoming on November 19 and there is a minimum donation of £3, which gets reinvested into rescuing and rehoming the chickens – including paying to transport them from the farms to the collection points across the country.

“You might not realise chickens make great pets, and you get the added bonus of fresh, home produced eggs,” said Jacquie, who started off with two chickens and now has 20.

400 hens need to be rehomed on November 19, after they were saved by Chicken Rescue UK at just 72 weeks old.

Jacquie understands there may be individuals who have never owned hens but are interested, and she is available for advice and home visits to help people understand how many would be best suited to them.

Typically, it is best to rehome three chickens and it is important to have two square metres of space per hen – as well as a covered run and coop.

Only recently did Jacquie help a neighbour on the next street get chickens of their own, after some of Jacquie’s hens escaped to their back garden – which encouraged them to take the step they have always wanted to and get some of their own.

“They’re such characters and reasonably easy to look after,” said Jacquie.

For the hens who do not get rehomed on November 19, they are sent to a ‘hen bank’ – which is a large space for them to stay until they get rehomed by someone nearby.

‘We never leave a hen behind’: 400 hens need rehoming this month after being saved by Chicken Rescue UK

For more information and to reserve your hens today, visit Chicken Rescue UK’s website here.