Our Feathered Friends

Anyone who’s had a down day knows the instant boost that comes from a fluffy cuddle with a cat or dog. But chickens? Surely they can’t provide the same therapeutic benefits as more traditional pets? Think again...

A recent study showed there are now more than a million people keeping hens as pets in back gardens and allotments around the UK. That’s a whole lot of households enjoying a slice of the ‘good life’ and all the benefits that come from hen keeping, including a warm egg in the nest box on a regular basis.

But the perks don’t stop there. The British Hen Welfare Trust (BHWT), a charity largely responsible for the huge numbers of hens being kept as pets, believes hens can offer much more than just an eggy breakfast. In addition, they are providing a source of comfort and therapy to those who keep them.

The national charity rehomes more than 60,000 hens every year at 40 pop-up points across the UK, including Redruth and Liskeard, saving them from slaughter. After 18 months of popping out a daily egg for the supermarkets, these ladies are deemed of no value by farmers. So these little feathery (though initially sometimes featherless) bundles were due for the slaughterhouse, destined to become pet food or a takeaway.

Instead, they are plucked from their cage and plopped into the back gardens of people all over Cornwall and beyond, and to date the BHWT has rehomed more 31,000 hens in Cornwall.

With adoption comes all the warm fuzzy feelings of knowing you’ve saved lives. Rehomers watch their hens go from oven-ready to fully-feathered within a matter of weeks. They watch the hens develop personalities as they sort out their pecking order. And, surprisingly to some, they can provide an immense form of stress relief, as Sarah Walker from Truro can attest to.