A Brace of Fat, Spoiled, Homeless Roosters
June 4, 2018 5:46 AM Subscribe
I live in south-central Ontario, and my village was recently rezoned from “semi-rural” to “residential” in order to accommodate the construction of new homes.
Meanwhile, my daughter, who wants to be an ornithologist when she grows up, has a number of birds in her care, including two roosters she raised from chicks.
New people moved into the new homes, and somebody called the town with a noise complaint about the roosters, and now we’ve been ordered to get rid of them.
Asking: Taking it as read that fighting the town’s order would be tilting at windmills, how can I go about re-homing our fat, spoiled chicken boys? I’ve spoken to local farmers who have expressed an interest in eating the birds, or selling them to somebody else for eating. That’s not a preferred option.
Obviously my daughter’s already nursing a broken heart, so I’m trying to find a way to hand the roosters off to a reasonably nice life, rather than condemn them to be a plump, delicious meal, to soften the blow of this turn of events.
Anyway, grown man crying over roosters here, reaching out for any brilliant tips.
Asking: Taking it as read that fighting the town’s order would be tilting at windmills, how can I go about re-homing our fat, spoiled chicken boys? I’ve spoken to local farmers who have expressed an interest in eating the birds, or selling them to somebody else for eating. That’s not a preferred option.
Obviously my daughter’s already nursing a broken heart, so I’m trying to find a way to hand the roosters off to a reasonably nice life, rather than condemn them to be a plump, delicious meal, to soften the blow of this turn of events.
Anyway, grown man crying over roosters here, reaching out for any brilliant tips.
I found this rescue in Stratford, Ontario. Is that near to you folks?
posted by Hanuman1960 at 6:11 AM on June 4, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Hanuman1960 at 6:11 AM on June 4, 2018 [1 favorite]
If you're willing to go to Southeast Michigan, there are two farmed animal sanctuaries in the area: Sasha Farm and Barn Sanctuary. If they can't take them, they might have ideas. If they can take them, a donation would be a nice gesture.
posted by FencingGal at 6:15 AM on June 4, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by FencingGal at 6:15 AM on June 4, 2018 [2 favorites]
Facebook is your friend here. Post the tale and ask your friends if they or their friends live in a more welcoming rooster environment. Someone will know someone.
posted by k8t at 6:27 AM on June 4, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by k8t at 6:27 AM on June 4, 2018 [2 favorites]
I hope this isn't a patronizingly obvious suggestion, but is there any chance that existing livestock would be grandfathered in? In some jurisdictions the zoning change would mean "no NEW non-conforming livestock may be added."
posted by Larry David Syndrome at 6:27 AM on June 4, 2018 [14 favorites]
posted by Larry David Syndrome at 6:27 AM on June 4, 2018 [14 favorites]
Response by poster: Thanks kindly to soren_lorensen, Humanuman1960, FencingGal, k8t and Larry David Syndrome!
The sanctuary in Stratford is a good lead, and I will investigate it. The sanctuary in Michigan might be a longer shot because I would expect to be challenged at the border moving livestock. (And being honest at the border would be the only way to go, of course: you can't hide roosters in your trunk or something -- they enthusiastically give themselves away.)
Facebook is not my friend, but my wife does have some facility with the platform -- plus people like her and respect her, so she has a lot of followers or friends or associates or whatever. I will ask her to face her book all she can and see what shakes loose.
I'm definitely not put off by any suggestions some might think too obvious. I'm not a rocket scientist, and I often fail to see the obvious without having it pointed out. But in the case of LDS' suggestion, going against the town is a non-starter. I've spoken with the animal control thingy, and she's very friendly, and together we explored and the space of possibilities the current by-laws permit, and we're pretty squarely boxed in.
posted by Construction Concern at 6:40 AM on June 4, 2018
The sanctuary in Stratford is a good lead, and I will investigate it. The sanctuary in Michigan might be a longer shot because I would expect to be challenged at the border moving livestock. (And being honest at the border would be the only way to go, of course: you can't hide roosters in your trunk or something -- they enthusiastically give themselves away.)
Facebook is not my friend, but my wife does have some facility with the platform -- plus people like her and respect her, so she has a lot of followers or friends or associates or whatever. I will ask her to face her book all she can and see what shakes loose.
I'm definitely not put off by any suggestions some might think too obvious. I'm not a rocket scientist, and I often fail to see the obvious without having it pointed out. But in the case of LDS' suggestion, going against the town is a non-starter. I've spoken with the animal control thingy, and she's very friendly, and together we explored and the space of possibilities the current by-laws permit, and we're pretty squarely boxed in.
posted by Construction Concern at 6:40 AM on June 4, 2018
Response by poster: (To be fair to the town, there *was* a re-zoning meeting open to the public held in the church basement four years ago to which I was invited by way of a flyer taped up in the general store next to the ads for babysitters and handymen and used sofas. I could have raised my concerns about any implications of the re-zoning at that time. But I didn't go to the meeting. Or, like, remember it existed. Turns out failing to participate in local politics has consequences.)
posted by Construction Concern at 6:47 AM on June 4, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by Construction Concern at 6:47 AM on June 4, 2018 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Breed: My daughter isn't here to ask, but one rooster is blue and the other one is autumn-coloured.
posted by Construction Concern at 6:49 AM on June 4, 2018
posted by Construction Concern at 6:49 AM on June 4, 2018
Found this on importing poultry from Canada to the US:
Poultry imported from Canada into the United States are not required to be quarantined. However, the poultry must be accompanied by a veterinary health certificate issued within 30 days of importation and endorsed by a full-time salaried veterinarian of the Canadian government. The health certificate should contain the following language: Poultry/birds/hatching eggs covered by this certificate do not originate from flocks nor have had contact with any birds or poultry originating in a control zone established by state/provincial/federal animal health authorities due to outbreaks of Newcastle disease or Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI).The poultry must be inspected by a USDA veterinarian at the first U.S. port of entry.
An import permit is not required for poultry imported from Canada through a U.S. - Canadian land border port. However, if the poultry enters the United States through an air or sea port, an import permit (VS Form17-129) (fillable pdf 75kb) is required.
Further details here.
posted by FencingGal at 6:55 AM on June 4, 2018 [3 favorites]
Poultry imported from Canada into the United States are not required to be quarantined. However, the poultry must be accompanied by a veterinary health certificate issued within 30 days of importation and endorsed by a full-time salaried veterinarian of the Canadian government. The health certificate should contain the following language: Poultry/birds/hatching eggs covered by this certificate do not originate from flocks nor have had contact with any birds or poultry originating in a control zone established by state/provincial/federal animal health authorities due to outbreaks of Newcastle disease or Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI).The poultry must be inspected by a USDA veterinarian at the first U.S. port of entry.
An import permit is not required for poultry imported from Canada through a U.S. - Canadian land border port. However, if the poultry enters the United States through an air or sea port, an import permit (VS Form17-129) (fillable pdf 75kb) is required.
Further details here.
posted by FencingGal at 6:55 AM on June 4, 2018 [3 favorites]
Your local 4H or equivalent may help you find some other youngster that's interested in raising chickens for eggs and wants to keep a male or two arround for breeding and protective purposes and will give them a loving and non-soup pot oriented home.
posted by Candleman at 7:08 AM on June 4, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by Candleman at 7:08 AM on June 4, 2018 [3 favorites]
Backyard Chickens has an "animals in need of free re-homing" forum.
posted by evilmomlady at 7:40 AM on June 4, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by evilmomlady at 7:40 AM on June 4, 2018 [2 favorites]
I have friends with pet chickens and the Facebook chickens-as-pets groups are seriously active. You might ask your wife to search for local chicken groups, not just necessarily post something to her friends.
posted by lazuli at 9:30 AM on June 4, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by lazuli at 9:30 AM on June 4, 2018 [3 favorites]
Response by poster: For those of you longing for a sense of closure, a new home has been found for our roosters. They move out to a farm this weekend, hosted by a couple whose rooster died this past winter and had just begun looking for replacement(s).
They will each have one hen of their own, a large outdoor run, a heated chicken house, good food, and lots of other animals to keep them company.
Thanks for your great suggestions, MF!
posted by Construction Concern at 4:22 PM on June 6, 2018 [8 favorites]
They will each have one hen of their own, a large outdoor run, a heated chicken house, good food, and lots of other animals to keep them company.
Thanks for your great suggestions, MF!
posted by Construction Concern at 4:22 PM on June 6, 2018 [8 favorites]
Yay! So glad it worked out, and that this is an occasion where you can truthfully tell your child that their pet has moved to a farm and is happy.
posted by lazuli at 6:22 PM on June 6, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by lazuli at 6:22 PM on June 6, 2018 [2 favorites]
This thread is closed to new comments.
What people do here is go on to the local chicken Facebook group and explain that they've got some roosters that are not for eating. People who are so into their chickens that they are members of Facebook groups devoted to the hobby will understand. What you want aren't farmers but backyard/hobby farm chicken enthusiasts. Do you know the roosters' breeds? That also can help.
posted by soren_lorensen at 6:09 AM on June 4, 2018 [13 favorites]