ARE you considering getting a new pet?

Well, an appeal has been launched to find homes for 280 hens in Somerset this spring.

The ex-commercial hens, currently sat in cages laying eggs for supermarkets, have been told to pack their bags because their lives are being saved by the British Hen Welfare Trust (BHWT) at various locations across the UK.

Sunbathing, dust bathing and checking out their new coop is first on the agenda, but the hens can also live happily with dogs, cats, rabbits and other furry creatures, said Francesca Taffs, marketing officer at the BHWT.

She said: “It’s a common misconception that hens won’t get along with other family pets, but this couldn’t be further from the truth.

"In fact, we’ve known these ex-bats to become quite attached to cats, dogs and even llamas.

"So long as they know their place in the pecking order, everyone will get along just fine.”

The BHWT is re-homing 280 hens in Farrington Gurney on Saturday, May 19.

To re-home your own birds and have fresh eggs delivered to your nest box simply register at www.bhwt.org.uk and then call 01884 860084 to complete your booking.