Crowing out for new homes
An Auckland animal shelter is crowing about what great pets roosters can make.
SPCA Auckland have 11 roosters to re-home, and are encouraging rural property owners to consider adding a rooster to their flock.
Veterinary manager Dr Shalsee Vigeant says most people don’t know or understand how interesting roosters can be.
‘‘We have a lot of people on farms wanting roosters, because they end up [almost] acting like a dog.
‘‘They follow [their owners] around, and alert people if there’s something weird going on in the middle of the night - they start making noise.’’
People often get chicks not realising that they’ve got roosters, which doesn’t become obvious until they are older.
As roosters are not allowed in urban areas, they are then often abandoned on Auckland streets by their suburban owners.
Vigeant says most don’t realise the value of roosters.
In fact, roosters encourage hens to lay more, protect from predators and help keep them happy by maintaining the ‘pecking order’.
‘‘They stand out and are a lot more confident and bold [than hens] - you do tend to see their personality a bit better.’’
Contact the farm manager on 09 256 7300 or see spcaauckland.org.nz for more.