‘Friendly backyard companion’: MoCo nonprofit ‘rehomes’ retired chickens from egg producers

HenPals Network provides farmers with alternative to depopulating flocks

April 2, 2026 11:30 a.m.

Some people work with cat or dog rescues. Abby Johnson headed in a different direction.

Johnson heads HenPals Network, a Montgomery County-based organization that “rehomes” chickens from large-scale egg producers.

Typically, she said, laying hens on large farms can be culled at 18 months old.

Borrowing from a model in the United Kingdom, Johnson founded HenPals to give farmers an alternative to depopulating their flocks.

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“We are trying to work with the farmers to create a more sustainable and compassionate pipeline,” Johnson told WTOP.

Read more on WTOP.com.

This article was written by Bethesda Today’s partner WTOP News and republished with permission. Sign up for WTOP’s breaking news, traffic and weather alerts and emails today.

Originally published at Bethesdamagazine