Long established hen rehoming organisation, run entirely by volunteers saving ex commercial layers
12/02/2025
We've been informed of a lot of rehomers cancelling their reservations (for a variety of collection points) due to AI. Please be reassured Fresh Start for Hens takes AI very seriously and are constantly monitoring the situation. We understand the communication from defra isn't always clear. Here's what the wonderful admin team have been sending to those who have been cancelling or questioning:
"Hi. It's still on at the moment, although the bird flu situation is ever changing. The current rules apply to birds being brought together from multiple sources and then dispersed again, such as shows or poultry auctions. As the rescue hens are all coming from a single source farm, this does not constitute a gathering. Movement is only completely banned in the circles on the DEFRA map, the darker mauve areas are subject to a housing order (birds to be contained in a covered area) and the lighter pink area is subject to enhanced biosecurity such as use of boot dips and ground sanitizer. Screen shot attached of the map as it stands now, for reference. The announcements haven't been the clearest to understand, I know!"
