I have a little backyard flock, and had my broody silkies hatch two eggs this summer, we ended up with a rooster. I live in the burbs in CT and can't keep him, so went to a local farm to ask if they could take him. I had often seen roosters and hens wandering around free range among the horses. A man came out to take him from me (who didn't speak English I should add), he gestured that he was taking him to a coop around the side of the main building. This farm provides 'fresh' meat, they keep pigs, sheep, chickens and cart horses for showing. We followed him, and watched him throw our rooster into this coop that was just horrific. There were four dead birds laying among the others, one picked completely clean, no food available whatsover, almost every live bird hunched up, shuddering with eyes closed, sitting in years worth of feces. I waited until the farm hand walked away, they jumped right in there and pulled my rooster out. He eventually went to another farm in the area, with far better conditions that I found later in the day. I went home and immediately called the animal shelter that covers this farm,on the Orange/Woodbridge border, and later drove over there and gave them a written report. You hear of animals kept this way, but to witness it first hand is just heartbreaking. The shelter said they've already removed a dog from the premises, and intend to do a complete inspection, as I'm not the only one to complain apparently. I hope they remove every animal from the property.
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