Ipswich Chantry Fresh Start for Hens

02/06/2026

Have you ever wondered what goes on between re-home days? 🤔

As volunteers for Fresh Start For Hens we get involved in all kinds of things, as well as helping on re-home days… 😁

Of course there is a massive logistical operation involving 100s of volunteers on the re-home days, both before and after with mountains of admin and planning going on …

But what happens in between the farm rescues?

Each collection point has its own email and page (that’s where you can follow all our updates 😉🐔🐔)

We check our emails and messages daily and communicate via our volunteer networks, helping re-homers with questions and queries and getting involved in rescuing and relocating all kinds of poultry, fostering poorlies and generally ‘anything chicken related! including fundraising and community awareness 🧡💙

Last weekend saw one such ‘re-home mission’ with myself (Jules) meeting up at a rendezvous on the A12 on Sunday with hens from Suffolk that needed a new home (due to the owners change in circumstances) and a lovely cockerel who had been saved from a farm months ago as a baby and been hand reared by Sam at Watton Norfolk Fresh Start For Hens. 🐓

We handed over our precious cargo to Angela who runs Chelmsford Fresh Start For Hens who had sourced new homes for them, and took them on their onward journey into Essex to join their new flocks 🥰

We did get some funny looks (and odd questions!) from passers by, but we made sure they knew it was ‘all in a days work for a FSFH volunteer’!

29/05/2026

Lovely feedback received via our Hen HQ Admin team Fresh Start For Hens from April Hardy, who collected hens from us recently on 16th May:

" The 3 hens I got last time are doing really well. They have settled in good. They trust us now and fly up to sit on our laps and come running towards us when they see us coming. Such lovely thing to have happen. The children love them also. They can’t wait to check every morning to see if we have any eggs!"

If you have recently collected hens from us, please let us know how they are settling in, we love to see 'before and after' photos!

Don't forget you can also leave us a review on this page - every recommendation helps spread the word, and helps us rescue more hens 🥰🧡💙

20/05/2026

After rescuing 5 dumped little bantam boys from a car park at the end of January, and keeping them safe with me, I have managed to find homes for 3 of them.

These gorgeous two small boys are still waiting for some ladies of their own to love ... can you help? 😍🐔

They are small breed bantams (we think Dutch / Serama crosses), approx 5 months old. As they have grown up together they would be very happy to stay together and don't fight at all.

Do you have an existing flock with some bantam hens or small breed hens for them to join? Would consider splitting them but prefer not to leave one here on his own for too long.

Home check photos will be required and a donation to Fresh Start For Hens. Can deliver locally depending on location.

Currently in Easton, Suffolk.

18/05/2026

Can you help find this boy a home?

Location - Rickenhall, Suffolk

A very handsome lad is looking for a new coop and wives to look after

Can you help?? Can deliver to a reasonable distance too

18/05/2026

📣 All hens for this date have been reserved 📣

Did you miss out on our last rehome? Or fancy new type of hen in your flock? We are rehoming again on the 13th June but this time they are Dekalb white hens 🐓

Register now so you don’t miss out!

💻 head to https://freshstartforhens.co.uk/1-registration-form/

📋 Complete the registration

📸 Send pictures of your coop and set up to [email protected]

💷 Send a donation of atleast £2.75 per hen via PayPal

📩 Wait for us to contact you the week of the rehome with your collection details

16/05/2026

Such a great rehome!

All the hens are now in their new homes 🏠
It was a great success, 262 hens arrived in Ipswich, 43 lovely rehomers 💕

Thank you everyone for rehoming with us today, without you the hens would not have a home to go to

Thank you to our Jules for going to the farm on our behalf and thank you to our great volunteer team 🩵🧡

Don’t forget to follow us for future rehome dates and leave us a review so that our page reaches more people 💟

Now for Eurovision 🥂

16/05/2026

The hens have arrived Live!

16/05/2026

We are having some requests to change time slots to an earlier time.

The hens are currently travelling from the East Midlands to our sister collection point in Claxton, they will then descend their journey onto us.

This is our busiest rehome ever and there may be a queue to collect your hens. To ensure today runs as smoothly as possible, please only arrive at your designated time slot to keep waiting times to a minimum.

We are so grateful that so many of you want to give the hens a new life and appreciate your understanding with the later collection times 🩵🧡

16/05/2026

The hens are on their way!

Jules from our team had a very early wake up to help at the farm.

For all those rehoming with us today, your hens are on the van and coming to Suffolk 🩵
It’s a very long journey for these little hennies, they will need a lot of tlc later

16/05/2026

And they’re off! 🐔🐔