Don't Breed or Hatch...Adopt!!

[annaBsChick]

There are SO MANY poor little birds in need of adoption. As long as your not planning on doing something evil and cruel like eating them or dumping the hens when they stop laying, you should consider saving a life and adopting a bird in need! http://adoptabirdnetwork.com/

 

[mesafox101]

i dont eat my chicken and i got from a breeder that was breeding for meat

 

[peckpeckpeck]

There are SO MANY poor little birds in need of adoption. As long as your not planning on doing something evil and cruel like eating them or dumping the hens when they stop laying, you should consider saving a life and adopting a bird in need! http://adoptabirdnetwork.com/

Thanks for posting this! I was wondering about adoption but couldn't find much info about it when we were looking this past spring.
This is great to know for next year when we look to expand our little flock

 

[Hen Pen Jem]

Yes, there are many unwanted chickens out there. Sometimes people realize they just don't have the time to care for them. That is how I came to adopt my recent 5 newbies. A couple had received 5 chicks as Christmas gifts. They spent their first 8 weeks of life in a bathtub and then moved out to the garage. But in May, the couple realized it was more than they could handle. The pullets were roosting in trees and shrubs, no coop or pen. This was in a mountain community. They were fed once a day, when the couple would bang on a can and toss some feed on the ground. They drank their water from the same bowl as the 3 dogs.

The couple simply didn't know how to take care of chickens. They gave them to me for free, as long as they were going to a good home.

But, there is always that issue of quarantine. If you are adopting, you must quarantine for more than 2 weeks. My 5 little girls, came with Coccidiosis, which required two rounds of treatment. They also had, Tapeworm and roundworms. All were underweight for their age. At 11 months old, two of them are still on the thin side. I believe it was because of damage from their battle with Coccidiosis, that their growth is stunted. They have access to abundant feed, fresh greens and fruits 3-4 times a week, meat, cooked eggs, cooked whole grains, vitamin supplement, clean water with GSE and a large coop with a run and connecting exercise pen. They now also free range 6-7 days a week for 2-3 hours.

They were finally integrated safely, into my original flock in September. They are so happy and joyful! After all the time and effort it took to bring them to good health, I am glad I was able to give them a home where they will be appreciated and cared for.

So yes, do adopt...but, be prepared to care for them medically and nurture them to good health!

Here are four of the 5 with my 2.5 year old Black Star, in the recreation pen.

 

[peckpeckpeck]

Yes, there are many unwanted chickens out there. Sometimes people realize they just don't have the time to care for them. That is how I came to adopt my recent 5 newbies. A couple had received 5 chicks as Christmas gifts. They spent their first 8 weeks of life in a bathtub and then moved out to the garage. But in May, the couple realized it was more than they could handle. The pullets were roosting in trees and shrubs, no coop or pen. This was in a mountain community. They were fed once a day, when the couple would bang on a can and toss some feed on the ground. They drank their water from the same bowl as the 3 dogs.

The couple simply didn't know how to take care of chickens. They gave them to me for free, as long as they were going to a good home.

But, there is always that issue of quarantine. If you are adopting, you must quarantine for more than 2 weeks. My 5 little girls, came with Coccidiosis, which required two rounds of treatment. They also had, Tapeworm and roundworms. All were underweight for their age. At 11 months old, two of them are still on the thin side. I believe it was because of damage from their battle with Coccidiosis, that their growth is stunted. They have access to abundant feed, fresh greens and fruits 3-4 times a week, meat, cooked eggs, cooked whole grains, vitamin supplement, clean water with GSE and a large coop with a run and connecting exercise pen. They now also free range 6-7 days a week for 2-3 hours.

They were finally integrated safely, into my original flock in September. They are so happy and joyful! After all the time and effort it took to bring them to good health, I am glad I was able to give them a home where they will be appreciated and cared for.

So yes, do adopt...but, be prepared to care for them medically and nurture them to good health!

Here are four of the 5 with my 2.5 year old Black Star, in the recreation pen.

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Aw you're a wonderful person!

Our dog is a rescue from a puppy mill & she came with a ton of medical & emotional issues as well. It took her over 2 years just to let people other than us touch her without cowering.

We definitely understand rescues & adopted animals come with a history & need special attention, including quarantine. That's why we're not ready for that now.

Hopefully in spring we can be set up to offer some hens the care & safety they need.

** As the holiday season approaches, I really hope people stop "gifting" animals for Christmas. Not just chicks but puppies, kittens, etc.
An animal is a serious responsibility, a life that is placed in your care.

If you want to give someone something cute, buy a stuffed animal. They're much less work & money, and they stay cute for as long as you have them!

 

[twisted-acres-farm]

There are SO MANY poor little birds in need of adoption. As long as your not planning on doing something evil and cruel like eating them or dumping the hens when they stop laying, you should consider saving a life and adopting a bird in need! http://adoptabirdnetwork.com/

There is nothing wrong / EVIL IMHO in eating a hen as long as they are dispatched in a humane way. To me it is completing the cycle of life.

 

[twisted-acres-farm]

** As the holiday season approaches, I really hope people stop "gifting" animals for Christmas. Not just chicks but puppies, kittens, etc.
An animal is a serious responsibility, a life that is placed in your care.

I could not agree more with this statement.

 

[Folly's place]

Adopting chickens is not as safe or simple as adopting many other species, because of the serious disease risk to your existing flock. Carefully selected birds, maybe. Introducing an incurable 'forever' disease to the healthy birds at home isn't right! And eating chickens that have had a good life isn't either 'evil' or 'cruel' IMO. Mary

 

[ChocolateMouse]

A lot of people don't want to adopt out to folks who don't meet their standards. It a BIG problem in dogs too actually.
If you try to adopt, can you eat them when they get older? When they stop laying? Can you adopt meat birds to eat?
Even if you have no food intentions towards them, is your coop gonna be good enough? What ya gonna do when one gets carried off by a hawk? Can you adopt to replace that bird or is "your birds get eaten by hawks" going to put the kabosh on that? I have questions and every rescue has different answers. Unless you dare to raise chickens for food. Then it's out of the question.
I'd love to replace my hawk-decimated flock with rescued laying hens that are a few years old. Battery hens get discarded around 18 months-2 years, perfect for me and my free-range flock. But I doubt anyone would adopt to me because I'd give em a good life for a few more years and then they'd either be gone from predators or gone to my kitchen. Rescues don't look kindly on that, no matter how otherwise responsible your chicken keeping is.

Nothing cruel or evil about eating chickens. Chickens will eat each other given half a chance to do so. If a rescue thinks that it's cruel/evil to have chickens for food, they're isolating lots of potential adopters with great homes and humane ends. They just want your money to keep a bunch of birds around.

If you want some pet house hen, by all means adopt. otherwise, please, continue to buy and hatch because it's not like they gonna adopt to you anyhow!

 

[Chickassan]

Nice idea, i looked at what's in shelters around my area and it's a bunch of roos, one name jon bon jovi and one no name he does come with a hen though. Jon bon jovi requires paperwork?