A big family of hen helpers

It started with one person’s idea who happened to love an underdog and didn’t like the way laying hens were never seen, nor heard.

The idea grew into a thriving, and sometimes challenged, national charity with a core staff of 15 and an incredible team of 1,200 volunteers covering the length and breadth of the UK. Almost 900,000 hens have benefitted as well as countless hen keepers.

The key aim of the British Hen Welfare Trust has always been about creating a warm and friendly environment to promote love for our feathery friends who have now surged up the popularity ranks in terms of pets. There are only more dogs, cats and indoor birds than hens in the UK’s pet popularity list and we’ve got top slot in our sights!

Of course, it’s not just about finding homes for hens in the UK, our affiliate charity in France has so far helped over 25,000 hens and is developing apace.

It’s not just about rehoming hens either, it’s about improving knowledge and welfare:

*Our Massive Open Online Course has reached hen lovers in 49 countries so far.

*We are exploring opportunities with a German corporate at the forefront of poultry welfare and hope to bring you more news on this soon.

*We are supporting a sanctuary established in 2007 in Portugal which has sought our help in how best to care for hens.

Furthermore, and thanks to your support through our Appeals, we continue our development and have ambitious plans to improve our Hen Helpline service.

We’re currently working on a guide which will offer immediate support to vets if they are presented with a poorly bird and hope to have this ready for launch early next year. We’re also working with professionals to develop a course designed to better educate vets and vet nurses; equipment is being purchased thanks to your donations and support from grant giving bodies who understand the need for improvement in hen health.

We couldn’t do all this without the support we receive and we hope you will all enjoy a sense of achievement and pride in what we are doing to help hens, wherever they may be.