Please be aware that it has recently become very ‘fashionable’ for people to hatch out chickens, they are animals and not toys! There will ALWAYS be more cockerels than hens and many people find that their neighbours complain about the noise! It really is no use thinking that people will want to ‘swap’ cokerels for hens. No one wants cockerels and hens are very popular and consequently fairly expensive to buy even battery hens now are nearly guaranteed homes because thay have become popular. Cockerels can live together if given enough space and enough hens to go around. Please THINK BEFORE you decide to have some ‘fun’ and hatch out eggs, there are consequences for bringing life into the world. Thank You.
This all began with ONE cockerel my uncle asked us to have because he had been found roaming the streets and the neighbours didn't like him digging up their gardens! Since then the population has grown considerably.
Some taken in when homeless, some have wandered in themselves, some have been brought from farms where they have been treated poorly and some have appeared with their mothers, who must have found somewhere to hatch the young (sometimes this is up to twenty young!).
Too often the hens hatch out large numbers of chicks (in a variety of places), as they are completely free range hatching can even happen in the snow!! Sadly there is not room to mention all the wonderful stories but here are a selection:
Meet The Birds
All of the animals taken in by the Alternative Sanctuary will remain here for life unless specifically put up for adoption on our Adopt An Animal page.
Geese
Since arriving in Lincolnshire I have taken in a number of geese who have yet to be named.
Geese & Ducks
Since arriving in Lincolnshire I have taken in a number of ducks and geese who have yet to be named.
Lilac, Letty, Lizzy & Image
Lilac is part of a happy family who live with two of the rabbits. Lilac lives with her mother and three sisters and adopted father. You may think you are seeing double, you aren't, Image is Lyle's brother and he lives with Pixie and two of the rabbits.
Lulu
The mother of the bunch she is quite badly disabled but this doesn’t seem to affect her at all and she lives happily with her children.
Lyle
This is the family's adopted father and they are very fond of each other. For some reason people think that chickens don't get as attached to each other as other animals do
Pigeons
Over the years I have taken in injured pigeons and also those who do not make it back from races as their owners are not interested in failures and usually kill them if they are back late because the are exhausted. I have even had ones who have demanded to be let in with mine! Now in Lincolnshire they have a massive loft where they can fly in and out as they wish although they of course have food on tap so the best of all lives and they have even been inviting their wild friends in for a bite to eat and a sleep over!
Pixie & Robin Hood
This is Robin Hood with his hen Pixie. They live with four rabbits and the now sadly only one pigeon as he was bullied by the other cockerels.
Rocky
This is Rocky who looks a bit like a cartoon character he is a lovely speckled colour and is the smallest cockerel but he doesn't let that bother him.
Rocky, Noir and Neddy
Rocky was very ill a few years ago and was actually paralysed for a while and the vet thought he would not make it.
Amazingly he made a virtually total recovery but as he has got older he is a bit unsteady sometimes.
He lives with his sons Noir and Neddy quite happily and soon I hope to get them some hens due to be slaughtered.
