RSPCA's fears over welfare of chickens

An animal welfare charity fears chickens are being abandoned after many were bought during lockdown and now their owners can’t take care of them.
The RSPCA is concerned at a surge in cases of chickens being abandonedThe RSPCA is concerned at a surge in cases of chickens being abandoned
The RSPCA is concerned at a surge in cases of chickens being abandoned

The RSPCA says incidents of dumping the birds appear to have particularly increased in light of bird flu warnings – and there have been more than 50 incidents in Lancashire involving chickens among more than 1,500 nationwide.

The charity has also taken 280 chickens into its recue centres across the country for rehoming – and officials fear they will soon be overrun with birds.

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An RSPCA spokesman 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.”

The RSPCA fears the problem could worsen as cases of bird, or avian, flu are confirmed, which means bird keepers need to keep their birds contained indoors.

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Kate Parkes, poultry welfare specialist at the RSPCA, said: “We’re concerned worries about bird flu and changes to how we’re allowed to keep hens may lead to more owners abandoning their pets.”

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