Rehoming Day Helper
Could you be a Rehoming Day Helper?
This is a real chance to get hands-on with hens. You’ll be in the thick of it during rehoming days: collecting hens from the farm, checking them over and handing them over to adopters. All of this demands a certain level of fitness, but it is one of the most rewarding ways to spend your day. You will be literally taking hens from their old life and to a new one of free-range retirement.
About the role
- Loading hens at the farm.
- Unloading hens at the re-homing point.
- Lifting heavy crates.
- Nail clipping.
- Crate cleaning.
About you
- You want to get ‘hands on hens’.
- You are able to follow instructions.
- Ensure biosecurity guidelines are adhered to.
- Ensure health and safety protocols are followed.
- You are conversant with and supportive of the aims of the BHWT.
A day in the life of Louise, one of our Rehoming Day Helpers
As the van turns into the driveway, it’s all systems go. The hens have had a momentous day, but for them, it is hugely stressful. Very often we are working in hot or cold temperatures, but the welfare of the hens onboard is our utmost priority.
The crates contain 12 hens each and there are generally 60 crates so it’s relatively heavy work, but we always work efficiently and quietly to reduce any stress to the hens.
We unload the crates from the van, take them to the barn, unload the hens from the crates as quietly as possible and leave them to settle with plenty of food and water. We also check them over to make sure they’re all fit, and healthy enough to be rehomed.
The dirty crates are lifted out of the barn cleaned and disinfected. This generally takes a couple of hours, fun in the heat when the sun is shining, not so much fun in the cold of winter!
It’s a quick turnaround as soon enough, the adopters begin to arrive.
One volunteer will do the paperwork, checking the adopters in. A couple of volunteers catch the hens and others put the hens into the containers the owners bring to take them home.
You soon learn if a hen is too poorly to be rehomed, if her nails need clipping or if the carrier an owner has brought with them is too small, or not sturdy enough to contain the hens before they arrive home!
And before you know it, after about three hours, you’ve dealt with about 400 hens, spoken to so many lovely adopters, and rehomed them all.
Don’t wear your best clothes, don’t expect to go home clean and tidy, and you’ll be exhausted, but I can’t recommend it enough when you know you’ve made a difference by helping animals live a better life.
