Trend as cause

Why more and more roosters are ending up on the street

The Krems animal shelter is also feeling the consequences of private chicken keeping: roosters are increasingly being left to fend for themselves.(Bild: Tierheim Krems)

Animal welfare activists warn: because private chicken breeding is booming, more and more unloved cockerels are being abandoned. But they are not made for a life in the wild.

Self-sufficiency is becoming increasingly popular, not least due to rising food prices. But nowadays it's not just the home-grown cucumber or tomatoes from the raised bed that are allowed. Many garden owners already keep chickens on part of their plot. After all, what could be better than getting your breakfast egg from your own chicken every day?

However, the trend also has its pitfalls - especially for roosters. Because most hobby farmers have no use for them. "If the hens are allowed to breed, the eggs will not only hatch into hens. In most cases, however, adult cockerels don't get along," says Andrea Specht, President of the Lower Austrian Animal Welfare Association.

Dying in agony or a quick death
She and her fellow animal welfare activists are also directly experiencing the consequences of the increasing number of private chicken farms, which incidentally have to be reported to the authorities within seven days of starting. This is because the unwanted male poultry are usually simply abandoned. "But cockerels are not made for a life in the wild, they die in agony or quickly become victims of predators," says Specht. Releasing them is therefore tantamount to cruelty to animals.

Information requested
Animal shelters are therefore being contacted more and more frequently when free-range cockerels are spotted far away from stables. Just last week, a completely exhausted cockerel was rescued not far from the Waldhof in the district of Krems. "He was extremely dirty with droppings on his legs and toes," said Specht, describing the poor bird's condition. In order to bring the owner to justice, the Krems animal shelter is asking for information about the owner, which will of course be treated confidentially: 0664/4020202.