THE BRITISH Hen Welfare Trust is urgently appealing to the Berkshire public to help them find homes for hens during a rehoming day in Bracknell.

The national charity, which re-homes 50,000 hens each year will be rehoming 250 ex-commercial laying hens at their event on Sunday, March 24 in Crowthorne.

Over 9,000 hens have already been given a new home this year across the UK but the charity still need more members of the public to offer hens a home and look after them as pets.

Francesca Mapp, marketing manager at The British Hen Welfare Trust, said: It’s a little known fact that free range hens are still sent to slaughter at 18 months, just like caged hens, even though they’ve got so much life left to give.

“These hens can go on to live up to six-years-old, sometimes more, and, even though we can’t guarantee it, they will generally keep popping out eggs for your breakfast.We really hope the Berkshire public will want to help us rehome as many of them as possible.

"We know they make amazing pets, but there are still 72 hens looking for homes.”

The charity re-homes caged and free range hens who will be sent to slaughter if they can’t find homes.

For more information about giving a hen a new home visit: www.bhwt.org.uk.