Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Chickens are coming home to roost for bird man Dale
A MAN dubbed the King of Cockerels helped to rehome hundreds of injured birds last year – and even managed to beat his previous record.
When other SSPCA centres have difficulty finding a new home for rescued birds, they get straight on the phone to Dale Christie at Petterden.
And, thanks to Dale’s network of contacts, he successfully rehomed 217 feathered friends in 2020, beating his previous record of 209.
The avian enthusiast said: “I’ve had birds since I was a little kid and for the past 17 years I’ve been volunteering and then working for the SSPCA.
“I help with all the abandoned and neglected birds that come in through our inspectors and try my best to find them new homes.
“It’s 217 that I’ve done in 2020, so I’ve just beaten my old record. I really tried to push myself last year to try to find homes for as many as possible.”
Dale has been working with the animal charity since he was just 13, first as a volunteer then as a paid member of staff.
The 30-year-old has cared for almost every type of pet bird imaginable, from large farmyard geese to tiny household budgies.
He said: “I’ve been around birds basically my whole life so I know how to care for them and look after them the right way.
“I think it’s the colours and the variety which are a big part of the attraction for me.
“They’re pretty interesting animals and there’s always something new which you can learn about them.
“When I was younger I was more into the fancier stuff, things like cockatiels and budgies, but as I’ve got older I’ve started to move a bit more towards poultry and things like that.
“They’re all so different – obviously your budgies are a lot more domestic, they live in cages in homes, then you have something like a cockerel which can be a lot more aggressive and very different.
“The most interesting thing that we’ve had in so far was probably an Ayam Cemani cockerel.
“They’re bred to be completely black – black heads, black eyes, even their bones are black.
“If it was to be dissected and taken apart then the inside of it would be all black too.
“It was really cool to have around.”
While he enjoys caring for his feathered friends, Dale has urged others to think before they jump into the hobby.
He said: “Do your research before you start getting too ambitious.
“A lot of people will have a tiny budgie or finches then suddenly throw themselves into a parrot or another large bird, which is a totally different ball game.
“Things such as parrots can be extremely noisy and require a lot of attention which some people can’t give. They’re a huge commitment.
“It’s the same thing with a cockerel. Obviously they’re known for being quite loud but they can be a handful in other ways.
“These kinds of animals need loads of love and attention, and I think people should be aware of that before they get them.”