Your chance to give a sussex hen a home

Ever thought about keeping chickens? Just imagine the absolute joy of heading out into the garden in the morning and gathering fresh, incredibly tasty eggs for breakfast.

Keeping poultry is becoming really popular again in the UK but rather than buying young ‘point of lay’ birds, you might want to consider the possibility of providing a home for a hen in need of rescue. It’s a great opportunity to provide a commercial laying bird, otherwise destined for slaughter, with a kind and caring home in which to end their days, with the added bonus of wonderfully fresh eggs for you and your family.

The British Hen Welfare Trust (BHWT) finds homes for thousands of these hens each year and its website offers excellent advice about how to get started, what accommodation you should provide, the equipment you will need etc.

Although they can’t guarantee that the hens will continue to provide eggs for their new owners, most do. And, let’s face it, there is very little about keeping livestock that isn’t without some risk.

The Sussex branch of the BHWT is in Arundel and they organise regular hen ‘re-homing’ days. Check out the BHWT website for details of upcoming dates and for the contact phone number and email address.

Although the hens re-homed by the BHWT are generally Rhode Island Red cross breeds, Sussex does have its own wonderful breed of chicken. Sussex chickens are hardy, usually docile and good for beginners. But I would recommend that you don’t make any decisions until you have contacted the Sussex branch of the BHWT. They may have just the hens you’re looking for and it could be the start of a very rewarding and productive relationship!

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