2026 Hen Rehoming Dates
2026 Hen Rehoming Dates
Looking for 2026 hen rehoming dates?
Below is our current schedule. Join thousands of families across England and Wales who are giving these hens a second chance.
How to Read This Schedule
The locations listed below are the FARMS. You do not need to travel to these locations.
Our volunteer drivers transport hens from these “Rescue Origins” to local collection points all over the UK. Check our Collection Points page to find a pickup spot near you.
Important: All 2026 hen rehoming dates are subject to change based on farm requirements. Please check back regularly.
2026 Schedule
| Date | Rescue Origin (Farm) | Flock Type | Hens Saving |
|---|---|---|---|
| JANUARY | |||
| 3rd Jan | Derbyshire | Cages | 1,800 |
| 31st Jan | Uttoxeter | Free Range | 1,200 |
| FEBRUARY | |||
| 7th Feb (TBC) | Wiltshire | Free Range Organic | 3,000 |
| 14th Feb | Wiltshire | Free Range Organic | 3,000 |
| 28th Feb | Cornwall | Mixed | 2,800 |
| MARCH | |||
| 14th Mar | South Wales | Week 1 of 2 | 5,000 |
| 21st Mar | South Wales | Week 2 of 2 | 5,000 |
| 28th Mar | Gatwick | Mixed | 1,800 |
| APRIL | |||
| 4th Apr | Bank Holiday | Coloured Mixed | 1,800 |
| 11th Apr | Lewes | Free Range Organic | 5,500 |
| 18th Apr | Lewes / Cornwall | Free Range Organic | Mixed |
| 25th Apr | Maidenhead | Free Range | 2,650 |
| MAY | |||
| 9th May (TBC) | Cotswolds | Mixed | 3,700 |
| 16th May | Derbyshire / Staffs | Cages | 3,600 |
| AUGUST | |||
| 1st Aug (TBC) | Wiltshire | Free Range Organic | 3,000 |
| 8th Aug (TBC) | Wiltshire | Free Range Organic | 3,000 |
| 15th Aug | Maidenhead | Free Range | 2,650 |
| 22nd Aug | Cotswolds | Free Range | 2,400 |
| OCTOBER | |||
| 24th Oct | Cornwall | Free Range | 3,000 |
| 31st Oct | Brighton | Free Range Organic | 5,500 |
| NOVEMBER | |||
| 7th Nov | Brighton | Free Range Organic | Week 2 |
| 14th Nov (TBC) | South Wales | Barn | 4,000 |
| 21st Nov (TBC) | South Wales | Barn | 4,000 |
| 28th Nov | Staffordshire | Free Range | 1,800 |
| DECEMBER | |||
| 12th Dec | Maidenhead | Free Range | 2,750 |
How to Reserve Your Hens
Reserving your hens is simple. We partner with farmers to rehome these birds before their scheduled slaughter dates, so booking early is essential.
- Check the Schedule: Find a date above that works for you.
- Find a Collection Point: Visit our Collection Points page to see if we have a volunteer hub active in your area for that date.
- Make Your Donation: We ask for a minimum donation of £2.75 per hen.
New to hen keeping? Remember to check the government guidance on registering your flock if you plan to keep 50 or more birds (voluntary for fewer).
January 2025 dates!
We are starting 2025 with a bang! Over 8000 hens are looking for homes in January and reservations are now open for locations across England and Wales!
Hens will be available from:
Abergavenny **NEW** – 18th January
Alfreton – 25th January
Ammanford – 18th January
Andover – 25th January
Anglesey – 11th January
Ashington (Northumberland) – 25th January
Atherstone – 11th & 25th January
Aylesford – 4th & 25th January
Basildon – 4th & 25th January
Basingstoke – 18th January
Bedford **NEW** – Hens available NOW
Biggin Hill **NEW** – Hens available NOW
Boston **NEW** – Hens available NOW
Bracknell **NEW** – 4th January
Brecon – 18th January
Bridgend **NEW** – 18th January
Brighton **NEW** – 4th January
Bristol – 18th & 25th January
Burford – 18th January
Burton on Trent – 11th January
Callington – 25th January
Cardiff **NEW** – 18th January
Carmarthen **NEW** – 18th & 25th January
Chelmsford – 4th January
Cheltenham **NEW** – 11th January
Clowne – 4th & 25th January
Colchester – 4th January
Congleton/Sutton – 25th January
Consett **NEW** – 25th January
Coventry – 25th January
Evesham – Hens available NOW
Fareham – **NEW** – 4th & 25th January
Faversham – 4th January
Folkestone – 4th & 18th January
Guildford – 4th & 25th January
Hailsham **NEW** – 4th January
Harrogate – 25th January
Haverfordwest – 18th January
Haywards Heath **NEW** – 4th January
Heathfield – 4th January
Hereford **NEW** – 18th January
High Wycombe – 4th January
Hitchin – 25th January
Holsworthy – 25th January
Horsham – 4th & 11th January
Huntingdon – 25th January
Keighley **NEW** – 11th & 25th January
Launceston – 25th January
Lewes – 4th January
Lincoln – 25th January
Lingfield – 11th January
Llanfyllin **NEW** – 11th January
Loughborough – 11th January
Malvern – 25th January
Merthyr Tydfil – 25th January
Middlesbrough – 25th January
Milton Keynes **NEW** – Hens available NOW
Newark – 4th & 25th January
Newton Abbot – 25th January
North Walsham – 25th January
Northampton – Hens available NOW
Oxford **NEW** – 25th January
Pencader – 18th January
Peterborough – Hens available NOW
Petersfield – 4th January
Reading – 25th January
Redditch **NEW** – 11th January
Romsey **NEW** – 4th January
Ross-on-Wye – 11th January
Rugby **NEW** – 25th January
Selby – 26th January
Shrewsbury **NEW** – 18th January
Soham – 4th January
Solihull – 11th & 25th January
Swindon – 25th January
Taunton – 25th January
Tenterden **NEW** – 4th January
Tunbridge Wells – 4th January
Uttoxeter **NEW** – 11th January
Whaley Bridge – 25th January
Whitland – 18th January
Wisbech – 25th January
Wolverhampton – 11th January
Worthing – 4th January
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.
