Hen Adoption
We find caring pet homes for tens of thousands of ex-commercial laying hens every year. Without us, these wonderful creatures would otherwise be destined for slaughter. To reach as many people as possible we have set up hen adoption sites all over the country and adoptions take place on a regularly. To find your nearest adoption sites, just click here.
When adopting hens from us, we follow the Animal & Plant Health Agency regulations that require us make sure all hens are traceable. This means we require full contact details from potential hen keepers. We do not charge a fee for the hens, but we do kindly ask for a donation to cover our expenses, and support our vital work campaigning for hen welfare. This includes our new programme “Hens as Therapy” as well as our veterinary and educational programmes. Donations average approximately £5 per hen. If you would like to adopt some hens please follow the steps listed below:
Ready to adopt some hens?
To start your adoption application please select your nearest adoption location on the map or list . Once you click on your preferred adoption site the next rehoming date will appear. If the date shown works for you then click on the Apply button to adopt hens on that date at that location.
Please be assured we update this page regularly as new dates are confirmed. If there isn’t an immediate adoption date scheduled at your preferred adoption location, then you can set up an alert to be notified automatically when the next one is scheduled.
If you’re new to us as a BHWT adopter then we ask you to complete an online questionnaire as part of the application process. This will help us understand your level of hen keeping experience and proposed new hen keeping set-up, and if it is safe for your new hens. Once you have completed the questionnaire and sent it to us, you will then need to call us on 01884 860084 to chat through any issues or questions you may have.
We do ask that applications be submitted no later than 4pm on a Thursday prior to your preferred weekend adoption date. This will give us time to thoroughly complete your application.
Please also note that you will need to submit a photograph of your hen house and run as part of the application process.
And finally, before applying to adopt hens it’s a good idea to read our Frequently Asked Questions, even if you have previous hen keeping experience.
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