“So irresponsible”: Unwanted chickens dumped in forests in Okanagan, Kamloops

Unwanted hens and roosters are being dumped in the woods around the Okanagan and Kamloops, and and a humane society is working to collect and re-home them.

The Okanagan Humane Society is responding to an increasing number of dumped chickens, and other animals.

“There seems to be an upward trend in all animals appearing where they shouldn’t. It seems to be due to economic hardship and limitations with housing options for all kinds of animals,” the humane society’s executive director Romany Runnalls told iNFOnews.ca.

“There is always a handful of these smaller situations with roosters and chickens showing up in little pockets around the valley,” she said. “They appear to be dumped because chickens tend wander but return to their roosts, they don’t just run away. When they’re found far away from a pen it’s suspicious.”

The humane society responded to a flock of 30 chickens dumped in the Enderby area at the end of October. Residents in the area was canvassed to find out if anyone was missing chickens and no one claimed them.

“No one knows how or why they ended up there but because of the lay of the land the presumption is they were dumped,” Runnalls said. “Even if chickens bust out of their pens, what’s the chance they’d all herd over to one location all together.”

Members of the society were able contain the flock in a pen and then begin the task of rehoming them.

“We find this happens a lot with people moving and they don’t have anywhere for their animals to go and they get desperate,” she said. “Maybe they’ve reached out to farming groups, maybe no one responded and then there’s a crisis.”

Kamloops resident Theresa Ledger owns 29 hens of all ages and one rooster. A few days ago, she found seven hens and some species of heritage bird abandoned in the woods where she goes to walk her dogs and ride horses.

“They’re in really rough shape,” she said. “They’re either moulting or they might have mites, or they just haven’t been fed properly.”

Along with the seven hens were three dead ones. Ledger was able to collect the living ones and put them in a horse trailer while she set up a pen for them, not wanting to mix them with her flock in case they have mites.

“The first night I left a bowl of food and water for them and the next morning the water bowl was empty, they were so hungry and thirsty,” she said.

Last year, Ledger rescued 15 young roosters she found in the woods in Kamloops near a horse camp and was able to rehome them all. The two incidents are the first she has seen in almost four decades of living in the area.

“Fall is a common time to see birds dumped because people don’t want to winter them or they’re old and not laying as many eggs,” she said. “I’d rather somebody chops off their heads then throw them out for coyote bait or let them starve to death, people make me sick.”

In late June, Kamloops resident Ashley Gribble found three hens in the forest more than 20 kilometres up a forest service road past McQueen Lake. She was able to rescue two of them using borrowed dog kennels. The third was killed by a predator.

“I’m a dog walker and was taking dogs out when I saw something red in the forest and stopped my vehicle,” she said. “It’s a difficult road to get up, it’s in bad shape. People dump animal carcasses up there, it has been a problem for years, but it’s the first time I found something alive up there.

“I still don’t know who dumped them up there or why. Just dumping them is so irresponsible. Why take them that far up a road with no hope of survival, it’s just cruel.”

Chickens can get to the point where they are spent and not laying as many eggs so they’re not as productive anymore. Roosters are more apt to be dumped as too many roosters in a flock will attack each other, but Ledger said they can alternatively be killed humanely and eaten.

Ironically, there doesn’t seem to be shortage of farmers willing to take rescued birds in.

“I usually get people reaching out to take on animals, especially in unique situations, they’ll take them by the half dozen,” Runnalls said. 

Similarly, Gribble and Ledger had several offers for re-homing the birds they rescued.

“I had three different people reaching out saying they have room,” Gribble said. “If you can’t take care of your birds, why not just put an ad out?”

There are things the public can do when they stumble upon animals found in suspicious places.

“The most important thing is to report it to us and attempt to secure the animal if you can,” Runnalls with the humane society said. “If you have a blanket throw it over them and scoop them up. Once its secured or tethered we can rally the troops and do what we can to help.

“We’re not judging anyone, we’re trying to bring animals to safety and will figure out their stories after the fact, then call in authorities if we have to.”

Go here to volunteer, donate or make a report to the Okanagan Humane Society.