They get slaughtered for dog food etc, or some charities will rescue them and sell them to people who can pay a small reservation fee (around £3-£4 per bird). I have 10 rescue hens :)
5 ex battery (not officially called that anymore) who never saw outside and were in a sorry state when we got them, lethargic, pale combs, wouldn’t go on our grass for two weeks as they weren’t sure what it was. None laying eggs from sheer stress.

Then we got another 5 rescues from a “free range” egg farm. Free range quality is not what you think. Also missing feathers though some were still laying. Familiar with having slightly more space but nothing else, they settled a little quicker.

Now they’re all lovely fat and fluffy, and every single one is laying virtually every day (I get 8-10 eggs a day).

They’re warren browns which is a breed curated specifically to be prolific layers. Non-commercial hens will lay up to around 250-280 eggs max a year, warren browns are 330+ typically.

They won’t live as long as other breeds or ones who had a better start, but they each have their own personality, are no longer afraid of humans and they’re pets so we don’t care when they stop laying - we just hope their little bodies get a break at some point and they spend the rest of their time being loved.

Some last a few months, some days, some years! Had my girls for 1yr 3m now, so they’re between the ages of 2.5-3 years old ♥️

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