News Archives - Fresh Start For Hens

Last rehome dates for 2024

Our last dates of 2024 have now been added to our website!

If you can share our post to help these girls get their forever homes.

Reserve yours today by clicking here

Hens will be available from the following locations:

Aberdare **NEW** – 7th December

Abergavenny **NEW** – 7th December

Aberystwyth **NEW** – 14th December

Alfreton -30th November

Ammanford – 7th & 14th December

Andover – 7th December

Anglesey – 30th November

Ashington (Northumberland) –

Atherstone – 14th December

Aylesford – 30th November

Basildon – 30th November

Basingstoke – 14th December

Belper **NEW** – 30th November

Biggin Hill **NEW** – 30th November

Boston **NEW** – 8th December

Bracknell **NEW** – 2nd December

Braintree – 30th November

Brecon – 7th December

Bridgend **NEW** – 7th December

Brighton **NEW** – 15th December

Bristol – 7th December

Brixham – 7th December

Callington – 7th & 14th December

Cardiff **NEW** – 7th December

Carmarthen **NEW** – 7th December

Chelmsford – 30th November

Clowne – 30th November

Congleton/Sutton – 30th November

Consett **NEW** – 30th November

Corwen – 30th November

Coventry – 14th December

Devizes – 2nd December

Doncaster **NEW** – 14th December

Durham – 30th November

Guildford – 7th December

Harrogate – 14th December

Haverfordwest – 14th December

Hemel Hempstead **NEW** – 2nd December

Hereford **NEW** – 7th December

High Wycombe – 7th December

Hitchin – 14th December

Holsworthy – 7th & 14th December

Horsham – 15th December

Keighley **NEW** – 30th November

Launceston – 7th December

Llandidloes **NEW** – 14th December

Lingfield – 14th December

Llandovery **NEW** – 7th December

Llandrindod Wells **NEW** – 7th December

Llanfyllin **NEW** – 14th December

Melton Mowbray – 1st December

Middlesbrough – 30th November

Newark – 30th November

Pencader – 14th December

Penkridge – 30th November

Reading – 7th December

Redditch **NEW** – 7th December

Ross-on-Wye – 7th December

Selby – 30th November & 8th December

Shrewsbury **NEW** – 14th December

Solihull – 14th December

St Austell – 15th December

Sturminster Newton – 14th December

Sutton Coldfield – 30th November

Swindon – 2nd December

Taunton – 14th December

Watton – 30th November

Whaley Bridge – 30th November

Whitland – 14th December

Worthing – 15th December

2024 new dates

We are winding down now to our Christmas break, with just one remaining flock to rehome this coming weekend (9th – all hens are reserved)

However, our 2024 diary is filling up FAST, with another 15,000 hens booked in this week alone!

If you are interested in rehoming hens early next year, please visit our website to reserve. Not all the logistics of who will open and when have been worked out yet, but the spring dates are now confirmed:

January – 20th – Cornwall hens – free range (almost all reserved)

February – 17th – free range

February – 24th – free range

March – 2nd – barn hens

March – 9th – free range

March – 16th – free range organic

March – 23rd – free range organic

April – 6th – Mac’s hens – Free range organic

April – 13th – Mac’s hens – Free range organic

April – 20th – Cornwall hens – free range

That will keep us nicely busy!

With so much planned, it’s a very exciting time to come on board as a volunteer so do please visit our website, fill in a form and be a part of this amazing team, who write a new success story every week

September & November 2023 – reservations now open!

**UPDATE** September & 4th November reservations now closed. 11th November will be closing very shortly.

Our next rehome will be on 30th September with Penkridge and Selby will be open – 250 hens.

The 4th & 11th November will see us rehoming 5500 lovely organic hens from The Macs Farm, we know these girls are extremely popular!

The following collection points will be open below which includes 4 new locations!

Alfreton – 11th November

Ammanford – 4th & 11th November

Atherstone **NEW** – 11th November

Aylesford – 4th & 11th November

Basildon – 4th November

Basingstoke – 11th November

Braintree – 4th November

Brecon – 4th November

Bristol – 11th November

Brixham – 4th November

Brundall – 4th November

Burton on Trent – 11th November

Callington – 11th November

Charlwood & Newdigate **NEW** – 4th November

Chelmsford – 11th November

Colchester – 11th November

Congleton – 11th November

Corwen – 11th November

Coventry – 4th November

Crowborough **NEW** – 4th November

Devizes – 4th November

Durham – 11th November

Eastleigh – 4th November

Evesham – 5th November

Folkestone – 4th November

Guildford – 11th November

Harrogate – 4th November

Herstmonceux – 4th November

Hertford – 11th November

High Wycombe – 4th November

Holsworthy – 11th November

Horsham – 4th & 11th November

Ipswich – 4th & 11th November

Lincoln – 11th November

Loughborough **NEW** – 11th November

Mablethorpe – 4th November

Malvern – 11th November

Market Rasen – 11th November

Melton Mowbray – 11th November

Newark – 11th November

North Walsham – 11th November

Northampton – 4th November

Pencader – 11th November

Petersfield – 4th November

Ross-on-Wye – 12th November

Rugby **NEW** – 11th November

Scunthorpe – 4th November

Selby – 5th November

Solihull – 4th November

Sturminster Newton – 11th November

Taunton – 4th November

Wakefield – 5th November

Watton – 4th November

Whaley Bridge – 11th November

Whitland – 4th November

Wisbech – 11th November

To reserve some hens please visit our website www.freshstartforhens.co.uk

If there is not a location open close to you and you can open a collection point or drive a van (fuel and hire paid) we would love to hear from you! We are always looking to expand our network.

Two new rehome dates for 2023

Reservations are now open for 25th February & 4th March

We have lots of collection points open for both of these dates please see below the full list.

Two more dates will be going live shortly with some more collection points coming soon!

Alfreton – 25th February & 4th March

Ammanford – 25th February & 4th March

Aylesford – 25th February & 4th March

Barry – 4th March

Basildon – 25th February & 4th March

Basingstoke – coming soon

Beccles – coming soon

Bedford – 4th March

Boston – 5th March

Brixham **NEW** – 25th February

Burford ** NEW ** – 25th February & 4th March

Burton on Trent – 4th March

Callington **NEW** – 25th February

Chelmsford – 4th March

Colchester – 25th February & 4th March

Corwen – 4th March

Coventry – 25th February & 4th March

Crewe – 4th March

Devizes – 25th February

Durham – coming soon

Eastleigh – coming soon

Evesham – Sunday 5th March

Faversham **NEW** – 4th March

Folkestone – 4th March

Guildford – 25th February

Hailsham – coming soon

Harrogate – coming soon

Heathfield **NEW** – coming soon

Hertford – 4th March

High Wycombe – 25th February & 4th March

Hitchin 25th February & 4th March

Holsworthy**NEW** – 25th February

Horsham – Hens available NOW

Huntingdon – 26th February & 4th March

Ipswich – 4th March

Lingfield – Hens available NOW

Llanidloes – coming soon

Mablethorpe – coming soon

Market Rasen – 4th March

Melton Mowbray – 25th February

Milton Keynes – 4th March

Newark **NEW** – 25th February

Northampton **NEW** – 4th March

Penkridge – coming soon

Reading – 4th March

Selby – 5th March

Solihull – 25th February

Southam – 4th March

Southampton – 25th February

Southminster -coming soon

Spalding – 5th March

St Austell – 25th February

Sturminster Newton ** NEW** – 25th February

Sutton Coldfield – 4th March

Taunton – 25th February

Thanet – 4th March

Whaley Bridge – coming soon

Wisbech – 25th February & 4th March

Worthing – coming soon

Head to the website to reserve and help us save these lovely hens.

All rehomed in line with avian influenza protocols.

#freshstartforhens #rescuechickens #rescuehens #adoptdontshop #sharingiscaring

WOW, what a busy weekend!

WOW, what a busy weekend!

Started with 3200 hens from The Macs Farm on Saturday morning, and finished with 300 gorgeous khaki Campbell ducks on Sunday, which travelled all the way from Cornwall!

We are now taking reservations for our final rehomings of the year, with LOTS of collection points available, including the ever popular Anglesey & Dolgellau, new collection points at Holsworthy and Burford, and a welcome return of Mold and Garstang

All farms we are rehoming from have already housed their hens, to ensure they are protected against Avian Flu, and we are taking additional precautions at all collection points.

Those collection points that fall into a DEFRA/APHA disease control zone are being moved so they operate outside the zone and within the rules.

Some of the collection points below do not have a set date, but please feel feel to reserve for them and we will open them on demand

Alfreton – 29th October

Ammanford – 29th October, 5th, 12th November

Andover – 12th November

Anglesey – 19th November

Aylesford – 29th October, 12th November

Barry – 12th November

Basildon – 29th October, 12th November

Basingstoke – 12th November

Beccles

Bedford – 29th October

Boston

Brecon – 5th November

Bridlington

Bristol

Bromsgrove – 29th October

Burford **NEW** – TBA

Burton on Trent – 29th October, 12th November

Chelmsford – 29th October, 12th November

Colchester – 29th October, 12th November

Congleton – 29th October, 12th November

Corwen – 29th October November

Coventry – 29th October, 5th, 12th November

Crewe – 12th November

Darlington – 19th November

Daventry

Devizes – 29th October, 12th November

Dolgellau – 13th November

Durham – 12th November

Eastleigh – 26th November

Ellesmere Port – 29th October, 19th November

Evesham – 29th October, 5th November

Folkestone – 26th November

Garstang – 19th November

Gilberdyke

Goodwick – 29th October, 5th November

Guildford – 12th November

Hailsham – 12th November

Harrogate -12th & 19th November

Haverfordwest – 5th November

Heathfield **NEW**

Hertford – 12th November

High Wycombe -29th October November

Hitchin – 12th November

Holsworthy**NEW** – 29th October

Horsham – 29th October, 12th November

Holmfirth – 29th October

Huntingdon – 29th October,5th 12th November

Ipswich – 29th October

Lincoln **NEW** – 29th October

Lingfield -29th October, 12th November

Llanidloes – 30th October

Mablethorpe – 29th October

Malvern – 12th November

Market Rasen – 29th October

Melton Mowbray – 29th October

Merthyr Tydfil – 5th November

Milton Keynes -29th October

Minehead – 12th November

Mold – 19th November

Newcastle

Newton Abbot – 29th October

North Walsham – 29th October, 12th November

Northampton **NEW** – 29th October

Nottingham

Pencader – 12th November

Penkridge – 29th October

Petersfield – 12th November

Plymouth

Reading – 29th October & 12th November

Ross-on-Wye – 29th October

Rotherham

Rugby – 29th October

Sandhurst

Scunthorpe

Selby – 29th October, 13th November

Selston **NEW** – 29th October

Sheffield

Solihull – 29th October

Southam

Southampton

Southminster – 12th November

Spalding

St Austell

Stourbridge

Sturminster Newton ** NEW** – 19th November

Sutton Coldfield – 29th October, 12th November

Taunton – 29th October & 12th November

Thanet

Tunbridge Wells

Wakefield – 29th October

Warminster

Watton – 29th October

Witney

Whaley Bridge – 29th October & 19th November

Whitland – 12th November

Wisbech – 29th October, 12th November

Worthing

The photo is of Macy, our youngest volunteer, with the last hen out of the barn on Saturday

1000 hens still looking for homes- can YOU HELP?

Next Saturday (21st May) will be the next rehome and 1000 hens are sadly still without homes 😭

YOU can change that by helping us! If you have space in your coop and room in your heart please register.

If you can share this URGENT post in groups and friends who maybe able to help 🙏

Hens will be available from:

Barry

Brecon

Bristol – almost full

Chelmsford

Colchester

Coventry

Devizes

Eastleigh

Evesham (Sunday rehome)

Harrogate

Hertford

High Wycombe

Horsham

Huntingdon

Lingfield (Sunday rehome)

Melton Mowbray

Minehead

North Walsham

Penkridge

Plymouth

Scunthorpe

Solihull

Sutton Coldfield

Taunton

Wisbech

Witney

Worthing

7th May – 3000 hens looking for homes

Saturday saw another lucky 3403 hens rehomed across England and Wales from the Macs Farm. All the hens are now settled into their forever chicken homes.

We are so thankful to our lovely volunteers and rehomers who helped to rescue these lucky hens. Our next rehome will be on the 7th May when 3000 hens are looking for homes. They will be able to reserve from:

Ammanford
Andover
Aylesford
Basildon
Basingstoke
Bradford
Colchester
Congleton
Crewe
Dolgellau (rehome on Sunday 8th May)
Eastleigh
Evesham (rehome on Sunday 8th May)
Hertford
High Wycombe
Holmfirth
Horsham
Huntingdon
Ipswich
Lingfield
Nottingham North
Petersfield
Reading
Solihull
Southampton
Watton
Whaley Bridge
Whitland

Two more dates are being planned which will be 2500 hens on the 21st May & 1500 hens on the 18th June.

To reserve some hens please visit our website

April dates – including the Macs Farm!

Lots of hens looking for homes as we are rehoming 8000 hens in August from 2 Organic farms which include the lovely Macs Hens!

2nd April – 3000 organic hens which will be available from;

Ammanford (Almost full)
Andover
Anglesey
Aylesford
Basildon
Burton on Trent
Chelmsford
Colchester
Corwen
Coventry
Devizes
Ellesmere Port
Hitchin
Horsham
Huntingdon
Lingfield
Llanidloes (open on Sunday 3rd April)
Merthyr Tydfil (Almost full)
Minehead
Newton Abbot
North Walsham
Petersfield
Reading
Ross on Wye
Selby
Southampton
Sutton Coldfield
Whaley Bridge
Worthing

The Macs hens will be rehomed on the 9th & 23rd April and there are 5500 Organic Hens looking for homes from;

Aylesford (23rd)
Basildon (23rd)
Basingstoke (9th)
Beccles (9th)
Bedford (23rd)
Chelmsford (23rd)
Colchester (9th & 23rd)
Congleton (23rd)
Coventry (9th & 23rd)
Darlington (23rd)
Devizes (23rd)
Dolgellau (open on Sunday 10th & 24th)
Durham (23rd)
Ellesmere Port (23rd)
Evesham (23rd)
Folkestone (23rd)
Hailsham (9th)
Harrogate (23rd)
High Wycombe (9th)
Hitchin (9th & 23rd)
Horsham (9th & 23rd)
Holmfirth (9th)
Huntingdon (9th & 23rd)
Ipswich (23rd)
Lingfield (9th & 23rd)
Malvern (9th)
Market Rasen (23rd)
Melton Mowbray (23rd)
Milton Keynes (9th & 23rd)
Newcastle (23rd)
Nottingham (9th)
Pencader (9th & 23rd)
Reading (23rd)
Scunthorpe (23rd)
Selby (9th & Sunday 24th)
Solihull (9th)
Southampton (23rd)
St Austell (23rd)
Sutton Coldfield (9th & 23rd)
Taunton (23rd)
Thanet (Sunday 10th)
Wakefield (23rd)
Watton (9th)
Whaley Bridge (23rd)
Wisbech (23rd)
Worthing (23rd)

These are truly beautiful chickens who are looking for their new forever homes. To rescue some hens from any of the dates above please visit our website www.freshstartforhens.co.uk

The chicken eve countdown is now on!

Fridays are usually Chicken Eves for our volunteers and rehomers.

Today we are counting down the 3 weeks until our next Chicken Eve, when thousands of hens are liberated nationwide. Our volunteers are excited about getting back into what they love most, which is rescuing these hens.

We do need some help though so if you can share this post the hens (and us) would be grateful!

Two dates are now live and there is a wide range of collection points open. Enhanced biosecurity measures are in places both at the farms and collection points. If a collection point or farm is within a restricted zone we will contact you to postpone your reservation but fingers crossed this will not happen.

Saturday 26th February – 3000 hens

Basildon (Sunday rehome)

Basingstoke

Colchester (Sunday rehome)

Congleton

Coventry

Ellesmere Port

Hertford

Hitchin

Huntingdon

Milton Keynes

Minehead

Newton Abbot

Solihull

Southampton

St Austell

Sutton Coldfield

Taunton

Wareham

Wisbech (Sunday rehome)

Saturday 19th March – 3000 hens

Ammanford

Basingstoke

Congleton

Coventry

Darlington

Devizes

Durham

Ellesmere Port

Evesham

Folkestone

Harrogate

Horsham

Ipswich

Lingfield

Newcastle

North Walsham

Penkridge

Reading

Ross on Wye

Scunthorpe

Selby

Solihull

Sutton Coldfield

Tenbury Wells

Tunbridge Wells

Watton

Whaley Bridge

Worthing

Reserve today http://209.97.134.234/27-registration-form/

Happy New Year!

We are already planning for our first rehoming dates, providing the Avian Influenza situation continues to improve, we are hoping to have our first traditional rehome on the 26th February with a further 4 planned for March and April, totalling 15,000 hens!!!

Rehoming thousands of hens in one day takes weeks of planning and admin behind the scenes, hence the need to start these now.

As you may know, we took the difficult decision to suspend our traditional rehomes from December, but by adapting our model we have still been able to save hundreds of hens.

We have been taking small numbers of hens from farms and placing them into quarantine for a minimum of 14 days. Employing our own strict biosecurity measures, we have been able to continue rehoming hens once their quarantine period is over.

We have hens available to rehome now from the following locations.

Andover – Saturday 8th January

Barnsley – date coming soon

Basildon – date coming soon

Colchester – date coming soon

Folkestone – hens available now

Huntingdon – hens available now

High Wycombe – hens available now

Lingfield – hens available now

Norwich – Sunday 9th January at midday (please select Acle and add a note for this collection point)

Sandhurst – hens available now

Southampton (Totton) – Saturday 8th January

Swanley – hens available now

Wisbech – hens available now

Please note, all of hens have been held in quarantine and monitored for a minimum of 14 days. The hens are not or have come from any protection or surveillance zones.

Please remember if you live in one of these zones, you should not be rehoming hens while the zone is still active.

https://defra.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=8cb1883eda5547c6b91b5d5e6aeba90d

To reserve hens from one of the above locations or to take part in one of our upcoming rehomings starting from 26th February, please visit the website www.freshstartforhens.co.uk and click on the “register” section.

If you have any specific requests or a date in mind that you would like to rehome from, please add this to the notes section.

We also have a few ducks available still!