More than 100 ex-commercial hens are urgently looking for new homes in Oxfordshire, with a rehoming event taking place in Didcot on Sunday 16 August.

The British Hen Welfare Trust (BHWT) is appealing for people across the county to register to adopt the birds as soon as possible, with reservations closing at 2pm on Friday 14 August.

The 137 birds are healthy ex-commercial free-range hens approaching the end of their working lives in the egg industry.

At around 18 months old, the charity says they still have plenty of life and personality ahead of them, and many will continue laying eggs after moving into their new homes.

Without enough confirmed adopters, the hens may otherwise be sent to slaughter at the end of their commercial lives.

Jon Joy, a BHWT volunteer who regularly helps at the Didcot rehoming site, says people are often surprised by how well hens adapt to life as pets.

“They make amazing pets,” he said. “People can worry about the unknowns of keeping hens, but they’re friendly, inquisitive and surprisingly low-maintenance. They give so much back.

“We were wrong to wait. We should have got started years earlier. Each hen has a completely different personality, and once you bring them home you quickly realise what wonderful pets they make.”

People do not need previous experience of keeping hens to adopt.

New owners will need a secure hen house and outdoor area, as well as food, water and some TLC, with the charity able to provide advice and guidance to first-time keepers.

The exact Didcot collection location will be provided once a reservation has been confirmed.

Anyone interested in giving the hens a home should register with the British Hen Welfare Trust as soon as possible and no later than 2pm on Friday 14 August.

Hens can be adopted online through the charity or by calling 01884 860084.

The British Hen Welfare Trust was founded in 2005 and was the first registered UK charity dedicated to rehoming laying hens.

It has since found retirement homes for more than one million hens, supported by around 1,400 volunteers at collection points across the country.

In 2024, King Charles III welcomed the charity’s millionth hen, Henrietta, along with 30 companion hens at Highgrove.