Hens near Redruth need rehoming to avoid slaughter

Chickens can make good pets, the British Hen Welfare Trust said

About 100 hens are in need of rehoming in Cornwall, as a last chance to avoid being slaughtered.

The British Hen Welfare Trust is holding a rehoming event in Redruth in Saturday, for the final 100 birds which have not yet been found new homes.

The whole ex-commercial flock consisted of 1,600 hens, which were previously housed in cages.

Jane Howarth, from the charity, said it was "literally the difference between life and death for these hens".

She said: "Whilst a lot of them have already secured a home, we still have some that are waiting for homes.

"The flock is due to go to slaughter so obviously as a charity that looks after the welfare of chickens we are really keen to make sure we get every single one of those birds a nice home as a pet in somebody's back garden."

'Lovely delicious eggs'

A minimum of three hens must be adopted by each household, and they need to ensure that a safe area can be found for their new pets to protect them from predators.

Ms Howarth told BBC Radio Cornwall the hens can look a bit "tatty or threadbare" at first, but within weeks new feathers will have come through.

"And of course you get lovely delicious eggs laid at the bottom of the garden," she added.

She said: "Their personalities develop as well.

"So they arrive bewildered, in a whole new world all of a sudden, and once they get to know your routine and life outside of a cage, they just flourish. They really do develop individual personalities - they are very endearing."

Anybody interested in adopting hens should contact the charity in advance, and not just turn up on the day.