HUNDREDS of hens freed from battery cages are looking for new homes this Christmas.

Dorset residents are urged to offer up their back gardens to spare 300 hens from slaughter.

The birds will be available for re-homing following a viewing in Blandford on Sunday, December 17.

Trish Chapman, British Hen Welfare Trust coordinator, said the hens are all around 18 months old. They are due to be slaughtered because their egg-laying may have become irregular or slowed down.

“Christmas is a feel-good time of year, and nothing is more rewarding than knowing you’ve saved lives by re-homing these hens," she said.

"They’re the most wonderful pets, and I’d urge anyone considering adopting some ex-battery hens to simply do it and make more Christmas wishes come true.”

For more information, visit bhwt.org.uk and call 01884 860084.