Hundreds of hens in the Norfolk area are soon to be given the opportunity to enjoy a free range retirement as loving pets.

Hen welfare charity the British Hen Welfare Trust is holding a pop-up re-homing day in King's Lynn on Saturday, October 24, and hopes to find loving homes for ex-commercial hens, such as Pumpkin, who would otherwise be destined for slaughter.

Ali Beecroft, local co-ordinator for the charity, said: 'These endearing hens make amazing pets and soon adapt to family life, they are so full of character, you can't help but fall in love with their unique personalities and their tasty eggs are an added bonus. If you haven't adopted hens before, it's incredibly rewarding and the feel-good factor in saving their lives is simply unbeatable.'

Anyone with a back garden can keep chickens, and she added: 'We have between 7,000 and 8,000 adoptions each year across the UK, unfortunately we don't have the resources to home visit each time, but we do take adopters through a careful process to ensure they know what they're taking on and that we are happy with what facilities they can provide. I am so grateful to the many kind people out there who help our lovely hens.'

Anyone interested in adopting a hen like Pumpkin, should call the re-homing team at Hen Central on 01884 860084 or visit the website www.bhwt.org.uk.