RSPCA fears surge of abandoned birds 'surplus to requirements'
The charity has tackled 131 chicken-related incidents across the South West this year
Last updated 28th Dec 2020
The RSPCA has issued warnings about a spike in calls involving abandoned hens and cockerels.
The animal charity fears rescue centres may soon be overrun with birds.
It says many people bought chicks during lockdown and now cannot take care of them, particularly amid bird flu warnings.
The RSPCA tackled 1,594 incidents related to chickens across England and Wales between January and the end of November - and dealt with 1,562 birds being abandoned.
29 of those incidents were recorded in Somerset, with Devon having 27, 15 in Gloucestershire, 11 in Wiltshire and eight in Bristol.
The charity has also taken 280 chickens into its centres for rehoming.
'We feared people would soon lose interest'
An RSPCA spokesperson said:
“Concerns were raised during lockdown about the increase in pet acquisition and ownership, and we feared that people would soon lose interest and start to hand their animals over once life started to return to normal.
“In the spring, many hen producers reported huge surges in demand for chicks and we believe this may be because people panic bought birds due to shortages of eggs in the supermarkets but, due to the shops being better stocked, are now ‘surplus to requirement’.
"There are also concerns that some families may have taken on unsexed chicks, which have grown into noisy cockerels so are now being abandoned".
Dozens of hens and cockerels have been dumped in recent weeks, sparking concerns that charities and rescue centres will soon be overrun with unwanted chickens.
The RSPCA fears this problem could worsen, as cases of bird flu are confirmed across the country in both wild and captive birds.
Bird keepers have therefore been required to keep their birds contained indoors from December 14.
The rescue charity recommends the owners of all captive birds follow the Government’s biosecurity advice.
'Poultry owners need to stay vigilant for signs of disease'
Kate Parkes, poultry welfare specialist at the RSPCA, said:
"All pet poultry owners need to stay vigilant for signs of disease and ill health in their flocks and it’s vital they seek veterinary advice if they have any concerns for their birds.
“We’re concerned that worries about bird flu and changes to how we’re allowed to keep hens may lead to more owners abandoning their pets, putting more pressure on rescue centres".