The recent backyard chicken fad has overwhelmed animal rescue organizations with inquiries from people wanting to find homes for chickens who are no longer wanted or have been abandoned. Like all other animals surrendered to shelters, rescue organizations cannot help them all. There are never enough homes for displaced animals. The kindest and most responsible course is to honor your commitment to the bird by continuing to provide a safe and loving environment.
Often there are simple solutions to problems with behavior, health or care. CRR is happy to provide one-on-one help with solving problems if it means a bird can keep their good home. There is also a wealth of information about providing birds with healthy and happy homes in the educational photo albums on our Facebook page and in the information on our website at chickenrunrescue.org.
A comprehensive resource on compassionate chicken care is available at Open Sanctuary
See especially Maintaining a Healthy Rooster Flock
FREE TO GOOD HOME ADS / POULTRY SWAPS / FEED STORE "TRADE-INS"- DON’T!
NOTE: a search of a backyard chicken free list yielded 55,212 about to be homeless roosters as of this writing.
Free to good home ads, swaps and blind online classified ads are not responsible or appropriate ways to find homes for animals who have depended on you for their food, shelter and companionship. Giveaway leaves them vulnerable to slaughter, abuse, neglect or use as bait for animal fighting or training.
SURRENDER TO SHELTERS / RESCUES
Before surrendering a bird to a local shelter or animal control agency, inquire if the bird will be placed through a screened adoption, transferred to a reputable rescue organization, or "euthanized". If the bird would be killed or released to individuals with no adoption screening, plan to place the bird yourself.
See Metro Animal Control Contacts
ROOSTERS
If you have discovered that you have a rooster and your city allows them (Minneapolis issues rooster permits), accept your responsibility for these boys and get the permits. When CRR was located in Minneapolis, many roosters lived there in multiples for 16 years and there was never a single complaint from neighbors. We also learned that hens are far noisier than roosters due to the discomfort of egg laying and older hens often crow. CRR is happy to coach on socialization and behavior and ways to mitigate any noise issues.
If you have discovered that you have a rooster and your city prohibits them, you deserve the right to keep him. Educate your city council representative that for every laying hen there is a dead or abandoned rooster. Your council representative needs to hear from YOU!
- Tell your story of how you came to have your chicks and that you have come to love them regardless of their sex. You want to fulfill your responsibility to the bird by continuing to provide a home and by changing your city's policy.
- For every laying hen there is a rooster killed or abandoned either at the hatchery or at their destination once their sex is known.
Photo Credit Mercy For Animals
- Cities that allow hens but prohibit roosters are responsible for the death or abandonment of 50% of the chickens brought into their city. A prohibition of one sex would never be acceptable policy for any other species of companion animal.
- The sex of the birds can't be determined until they are 4-6 months old so the bird is already a valued family member.
- Both Minneapolis and St. Paul animal control professionals have indicated they would support lifting the restrictions if the public demands it.
- Prohibitions on roosters have no fact based justification and discourages people from accepting responsibility for all the males- 50 % of all eggs hatched- winding up in cities and towns. If chickens are to be allowed in a community, both sexes need to be allowed equally.
- Roosters make wonderful companions.
See our Facebook album 2014 Tour of Chicken Run Rescue for ideas on how to create a beautiful and safe place where the birds can have separate but equally satisfying spaces.
- Roosters protect hens from predators, act as peacekeepers in flock disputes, find food for the hens.
- The recent fad of having chickens and other domestic fowl has overwhelmed rescue organizations with requests from people wanting to find homes for chickens, especially roosters, who are no longer wanted, strayed or abandoned. Rooster bans only add to the tragedy.
- co*ckfighting is a felony and is conducted in secret. co*ckfighters do not get chicken permits.
- There is an easy way to prevent unwanted offspring if there is a rooster present- simply collect the eggs daily. Millions of unwanted dogs and cats are euthanized every year- if only preventing unwanted offspring was as easy as with chickens!
- There are simple ways to minimize noise from crowing roosters with adjustments in housing and daytime schedule.
- Crowing of roosters should be handled like any other noise complaint like barking dogs, music, machinery, traffic noise or any other disturbance that a well-written noise ordinance can regulate.
This is an example of a reasonably worded noise ordinance:
Sec. 6-11. - Disturbing noises.
(a) The owner or keeper of an animal shall not allow such animal to make noise so as to cause unreasonable annoyance, disturbance or discomfort to any person.
(b) It shall be a violation of this section if:
(1) The noise can be heard from a location outside of the building or property where the animal is being kept and at a distance of at least 100 feet from such property; and
(2) The noise occurs repeatedly over a period of time of at least five minutes, during which the lapse of time between each animal noise is 30 seconds or less, or at least 20 minutes where the lapse of time between such noises is five minutes or less.
(c) The noise described in subsection (b) of this section is not a violation if it occurs due to harassment or injury to the animal from someone or something other than the owner or keeper of the animal, or due to a trespass upon the property where the animal is located. This subsection (c) shall not be an element of the offense, but rather an affirmative defense.
Examples of decibel levels of common sounds:
Human conversation 50 – 65 dB at one foot from source, 26 – 42 dB at 15 feet away.
Crowing Rooster 66-83 dB at one foot from source, 43 – 60 dB at 15 feet away.
Barking dog 60 – 110 dB at one foot from source, 37 – 87 dB at 15 feet away.
Automobile traffic 80 – 84 dB at one foot from source, 56 – 60 dB at 15 feet away.
Lawn mower 85-90 dB at one foot from source, 61 – 67 dB at 15 feet away.
Power tool (chain saw, leaf blower, weed whacker) 110 – 120 dB at one foot from source, 87 - 96 dBat 15 feet away.
http://www.soundbytes.com/page/SB/CTGY/decibel-levels
https://www.ehow.com/info_8224249_decibel-levels-common-things.html
Other species of companion birds are by far louder and not banned:
Macaw- 105 decibels
Moluccan co*ckatoo- 135 decibels
Nanday conure- 155 decibels
Mealy amazon- 124 decibels
Quaker parrot-113 decibels
Mustached parakeet- 111 decibels
Mitred conure- 100 decibels
It is nearly impossible to find good permanent homes for roosters. National adoption websites are flooded with homeless roosters. As nature would have it, roosters are 50% of the chickens hatched. Those who promote breeding or buying chickens from hatcheries or breeders need to be honest about what happens to the ones no one wants- day old male chicks are ground up alive or sold to unsuspecting customers who don't know the sex till the bird reaches 4-5 months old. If your rooster is taken to a feed store he will be warehoused in hell with many others till he's shipped to slaughter.
Roosters are wonderful companions. Learn how to enjoy living with them. They can be socialized much like dogs and horses. If too many roosters is the issue, you might consider providing a separate (but spacious) area for them as a bachelor flock. They can cohabitate quite happily if the competition for the females is taken out of the dynamics.
You can alternate access to free range between the hens and the roosters so everybody gets a turn. Some helpful information on rooster behavior can be found in the following articles:
https://cargocollective.com/chickenrunrescue/Rooster-Behavior
https://www.upc-online.org/chickens/newmembers.html
http://www.satyamag.com/nov04/jones.html
https://www.upc-online.org/co*ckfighting/62704rehab.htm
https://www.upc-online.org/thinking/index.html
You can also contact Chicken Run Rescue at info@chickenrunrescue.org for behavior and socialization advice.
RESPONSIBLE PLACEMENT
If you decide to place the bird yourself, take responsible measures to find a truly “good home” by taking the time and effort to prescreen the potential home thoroughly.
To insure the well being of the bird
•have a list of the qualities the best home would provide for the bird’s individual needs
•interview the person with whom you would be placing the bird and plan to deliver her/him yourself. (see interview checklist below)
•write up a list of adoption terms on the kind of care you want the adopter agree to
•request photos of the shelter and yard
•charge a nominal fee for the bird
•plan to follow up with the adopter after adoption
RECOMMENDED TERMS FOR ADOPTION
•The bird will not to be used for slaughter, breeding, fighting or exhibit.
•The bird will be adopted as a companion bird, not a production bird (ie. eggs-for-profit or breeding)
•The bird is to be provided proper care including food, water, shelter, protection from predators, fresh air and exercise, companionship and veterinary care for injury or illness as for any other companion animal.
•Adopter will allow you to examine or make inquiries at any time.
•If health and well-being is being jeopardized the bird will be returned to you immediately.
•If the adopter is no longer able to keep the bird for any reason, the bird is to be returned to you.
•Adopter will agree to comply with the laws and ordinances enforced in the state and municipality in which the Adopter resides.
•No one in the household/property where this Animal will reside has been charged with or convicted of animal abuse.
LOCATING POTENTIAL ADOPTERS
Network with friends and acquaintances for safest way to insure your bird will get a good home.
INTERVIEW CHECK LIST
Name of Adopter
Street address
Mailing address
City State Zip Code
Home Phone Work Phone Cell
Email
Children Ages
Which birds are you interested in adopting (name of individual bird or general description)
Why are you interested in adopting?
How many chickens do you have now? How many hens? How many roosters?
How many small (up to 2 lbs.)? How many medium (2-6 lbs.? How many large (over 6 lbs.)?
How many chicks? How many juveniles? How many adults? How many seniors?
Have you had domestic fowl in the past?-- Yes -- No
If so, where are they now?
Years of experience with chicken care:
Have you taken a class about chicken care? Yes -- No
Who taught the class?
Which best describes the property where the birds will live:
Backyard
Hobby Farm
Working Farm
Other
Describe Other:
Do you raise any animals for slaughter?-- Yes -- No
Do you breed any animals? -- Yes -- No
Does your municipality require a special permit for chickens or other domestic fowl? -- Yes -- No
If yes, what is the status of your special permit:
Established
New
Pending
Not yet applied for permit
Which best describes the building(s) where the chickens will live:
Coop
Barn
Shed
House
Garage
Other
Describe Other:
What are the interior dimensions of the structure? Height Width Length
Can you maintain a minimum of 32 degrees F in the building in the coldest period in winter? - Yes - No
Is there a heat source in the building? -- Yes -- No If yes, describe
Is the building insulated? -- Yes -- No
Which best describes the outdoor area(s) where the chickens will exercise when unsupervised:
Fenced Pen
Fenced Yard
Free Range
Other
Describe Other:
If fenced pen or yard, describe fence material & height
Dimensions of outdoor area:
Which best describes the outdoor area(s) where the chickens will exercise when supervised:
Fenced Yard
Open Yard
Pasture
Woods
Hours per day of adult supervision
Where do you care for sick or injured birds?
House
Garage
Shed
Other
Describe Other:
Do you have additional areas available suitable for introduction or isolation? -- Yes -- No
Describe area:
What do you feed your chickens?
Have you ever lost animals to predators? -- Yes -- No
Please indicate which predators are present in your vicinity:
Raccoon -- Dog --Coyote --Fox --Mink --Opossum --Rat --Owl --Bobcat Hawk --Snake --Weasel --Ferret --Fisher --Marten
Other
What predator precaution measures do you have in place?
Fencing Electric Fencing Infrared Lights Sound Monitor Guard Animals (i.e. dogs or other species who deter predators)
Other
Are you able to lock up the coop completely at night? -- Yes -- No
Please list other companion animals you care for:
What veterinary clinic or vet do you use for your animals? (name, address and phone)
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