When is your next rehoming? We always advertise our next rehoming and list of available collection points on the website, giving as much notice as we possibly can. If there is no rehoming date available, you are welcome to pre-register by completing our simple enquiry form. This will ensure you are emailed when a date is released so you can get your reservation in early.
How much are the hens? We ask for a minimum donation of £2.75 per hen. From this we have to pay the farmer for the hens, hire vehicles for transporting, pay for fuel and also vet bills for any poorly hens. We are a non-profit making organisation and any additional funds from the rehoming goes toward purchasing new crates, attending pet shows and general marketing costs.
How many hens can I have? We would prefer you take a minimum of three hens, up to a maximum of 25. However, we understand everyone’s circumstances are different, so if you want less than three please go ahead and make your reservation and a member of our team will be in touch to talk about your individual requirements. We can consider applications for more than 25 hens please email enquiries@freshstartforhens.co.uk
Do I have to donate for my hens in advance of the rehoming date? Quite simply, yes. All our costs have to be paid in advance and as we are a non-profit making organisation, we do not the funds to purchase the hens from the farmer and cover our transport costs for the rehoming day. However, if you change your mind up to a week before the rehoming date, you may cancel your reservation via our enquiries link and we will refund you in full.
I don’t have a PayPal account. You don’t need a PayPal account to make your donation, just a debit or credit card. If you go to the DONATE button on our website, you will see a row of the debit and credit cards that can be used, to the left hand side. Under those there is a link marked ‘Continue’. Click that and you will be able to donate by card.
Can’t I pay on the day? Sorry, this is no longer an option as volunteers have been left with uncollected hens in the past and not everyone has the facilities to provide overnight accommodation for them.
What if this is a scam? Please feel free to ask around about us. We have thousands of previous rehomers who will verify our authenticity. If you are a member of Facebook, we have a group there https://www.facebook.com/groups/169606493086771/ or you can ask on any British poultry group. Also, UK based poultry forums will be filled with members who have rehomed from us previously and will be able to put your mind at ease.
What if the rehoming is cancelled or there aren’t enough hens? We will let you know in advance if the rehoming is cancelled and you will have the choice of having a full refund or us carrying your reservation over to the next date. If there is no future date available, all monies will be refunded within one week. The same applies if we are short of hens on the day – refund or replacement – the choice is yours.
Why do you need my personal information? We have to retain the names and addresses of all rehomers to comply with the Animal and Plant Health Agency, to ensure all are contactable in case of outbreaks of notifiable disease. Your supplied information is transferred onto an electronic, password protected database. The information will be used for the following purposes:
- Establishing that it is appropriate for us to rehome hens with you
- Organising the rehome, eg in terms of numbers and destinations of hens
- Contacting you both before and after the rehome and following up any issues or concerns that may arise
- Maintaining records for our own statistical audit and review
- Maintaining records required by DEFRA, Inland Revenue and other statutory bodies
Please note that we may pass on the information that you give us to statutory bodies within the limits of our statutory responsibilities. We will not pass information that you give to us to any private person or non-statutory body without your permission.
Compliance with DEFRA regulations
In line with statutory obligations, there are some circumstances where we may need to disclose to DEFRA the details of where hens have been rehomed – this may particularly arise in the event of any concerns over the birds welfare or health, particularly any communicable disease.
Separately from this, any person keeping 50 or more poultry (including flocks of mixed breeds) is required to register their flock with DEFRA. (Other poultry owners are encouraged to register on a voluntary basis). Registration is free and can be done online http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Environmentandgreenerliving/Smallholders/DG_189309