At NSW Hen Rescue we get approximately 3 emails or messages a day asking for our help with dumped or unwanted roosters. We want to help, we really do, but we only have our hen haven enclosure which is 1/8th of an acre. Along with all our hens, ducks, quails and other animals, we have 14 rescued roosters and we are beyond capacity. Sadly our attempts to rehome the boys have failed. People keep hatching chicks, even when they live in suburbia and know they cannot keep the boys.
If you have ended up at this page by mistake and would like to adopt a rooster please contact us.
If you have ended up with roosters due a school hatching program please print off our PDF on hatching projects and give to the decision maker at your school. If they don’t stop running these programs there will be many more roosters in need of help.
I also hope that if you have chosen to hatch chicks that you will reconsider in the future. Maybe adopt rescued hens instead? Even if you buy sexed female chicks, that simply means the breeder or hatchery will kill the boys.
Below you will find a link to a list of farm animal sanctuaries and rescue groups that *may* be able to help with rehoming roosters. Note they get contacted a lot about unwanted roosters so there are no guarantees they will have space. You will also note that most are rural. This is due to the fact you can’t keep roosters in suburbia. Ideally you will offer to transport the rooster to them as sanctuaries are volunteer run and time poor. Often just one person is trying to juggle running a sanctuary and helping new animals in need. Consider making a donation to the sanctuary or rescue to help with the roosters upkeep.
If you know of anywhere else that provides a loving, safe home for roosters please add them in the comments below.
Click here for list of farmed animal sanctuaries in Australia
In addition to the sanctuaries listed at the link above you could try the following groups:
Rooster Warriors Rehoming Victoria: https://www.facebook.com/roosterwarriors/
Rooster Rescue and Rehoming North Queensland: https://www.facebook.com/roosfordays/
USA:
Adopt a Bird Network: http://www.adoptabirdnetwork.com/ Assists in rehoming birds across all states.
Rooster rescue and rehoming, Washington State USA: https://www.facebook.com/roosterhaus/