Chickens dumped at Greerton fire station find new homes

CLUCKING NUISANCE: Kelly Phelps of Free as a Bird rescued chickens dumped near the Greerton Fire Station. PHOTO/ANDREW WARNER

A group of troublesome roosters and a hen dumped near the Greerton Fire Station are in the process of being rehomed after disrupting locals and waking nearby firefighters in the early hours of the morning.

Kelly Phelps, of Free as a Bird Poultry Hen and Rescue, a non-profit organisation that rescues and re homes poultry, said she received a call by the fire station about the four trouble-making roosters.

"They're loud boys," she said.

The rowdy roosters, named Charlie, Carlos, Clover and Carlyle, along with an un-named female friend, were left to fend for themselves at the reserve near the fire station.

"There is a lot of bush, a lot of areas that people could sneakily dump a rooster.

"They come from the same family and had their wings clipped, probably dumped as older birds. Quite often if it's a hen they don't like, or it's clucky or broody they don't want it as it doesn't lay as many eggs. People do silly things," Mrs Phelps said.

An early childhood centre nearby had helped capture the chickens, according to Mrs Phelps, and would be adopting the hen.

The troublesome roosters had almost all been adopted.

Carlos, Clover and Carlyle were off to families in Taupo, Cambridge and Mamaku, near Rotorua.

Charlie had not yet been adopted.

Mrs Phelps said the amount of unwanted chooks had increased drastically in the last year.

"I've been doing this for two years, and the first year I re homed about 900 hens."

In the year to August she had rescued about 7000.

"I've got a head injury and cant work, so started this as I needed to do something, it was something to get me off the streets and keep me active. While I'm rehabilitating the hens they're rehabilitating me."

Firefighters at the Greerton fire station were not able to be reached yesterday.

If you are interested in re homing a hen or rooster please contact Kelly on 021 212 4788.