What should I do?!?

[Peepchirpquack]

There is a rooster that lives a little less than a mile from my house, that appears to live in a 4x4" square, poorly made pen with a tarp like fixture on top. Every time that I go by this house, he is in that pen. Yesterday it was raining heavily, but he was still in that pen. He seems to REALLY want to come out. I don't know what to do. Should I confront the owner? I don't wan't to be rude but I feel bad for the rooster. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[cavemanrich]

LOOKS LIKE YOU ARE STUCK BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD SPOT. Do you know these people. ??? They might get ticked off at you and tell you to ming your own business. I am not sure if animal cruelty applies to this situation. . Of course I side with you as to provide better treatment. Maybe first confront some of his neighbors to get a feel of the situation.

 

[drumstick diva]

I would be careful - nowadays people seem to blow up about anything. Maybe nature (winds) will blow the tarp off and he will escape and find a better home. I wonder why they keep him anyway - maybe they just want an alarm clock. Do you know if they have other chickens?

 

[wolfrosie]

It doesn't look like he has any food or water, do you know why he is out? If you drive by at the same time every day he could just be out there temporarily for whatever reason, like maybe he's becoming a nuisance with something, but they can't get rid of them/or don't want to so they set this temporary pen up for until they can get supplies to build something proper? Or maybe they alternate him with their other chickens because he's getting picked on, etc.
You should just knock on the door and ask.
The chair is also set up weird and makes me think somebody was just sitting out there watching it not too long ago, so he may still be being looked after even though you are not around to see it.

If I could confirm that the rooster was just being neglected then I would call somebody to come help him because that's animal cruelty otherwise. No food, no water... it's sunny, and he has no shade being provided to him from the tarp. Which is also it's own question because if he was being left out there all day when it's sunny and hot then I'm sure he would've dehydrated by now.

 

[Lisa202]

I'd call someone regardless of what I knew for sure. Let them investigate.

 

[Peepchirpquack]

I would be careful - nowadays people seem to blow up about anything.  Maybe nature (winds) will blow the tarp off and he will escape and find a better home.  I wonder why they keep him anyway - maybe they just want an alarm clock.  Do you know if they have other chickens?

I don't think any other chickens live there, but someone I met the other day has also seen the chicken and they said that they saw another chicken right outside of his pen. I have never seen any other chickens, so I am guessing that it was just a wandering chicken from one of the other houses.

 

[Peepchirpquack]

Today I called animal control to see if they could do anything about the Roo, but they said that they have already investigated the situation and that as long as he has food, water and shelter, he is fine. He doesn't look fine to me. He looks rather lonely.


P.S. He does have food and water.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Today I called animal control to see if they could do anything about the Roo, but they said that they have already investigated the situation and that as long as he has food, water and shelter, he is fine. He doesn't look fine to me. He looks rather lonely.


P.S. He does have food and water.

This is often the case - there is frequently a disparity between the legal standard of minimum care and the human perception of minimum care that should be given which is frequently what leads to frustration about animal control "doing nothing" about a situation that is called into them. From the legal perspective he does have food, water and shelter. The space available to him is about what would be available for each bird in one of the pre-fab setups if filled to the capacity that is quoted on their packaging, just minus a hard shelter or roosting space/coop area which is where whether or not he has "shelter" could be debated. Overall, though, this situation as presented in the photos and description is not abusive or even neglectful.
Of course he looks like he wants out - my flock has a large coop with an attached run to move about in with plenty of space, shelter, feed and water and, guess what, they will flock to the side of the run and act absolutely desperate to be let out anytime they see someone look their way. This isn't because they are in poor conditions or being improperly cared for - it is because it is in their nature to desire to be roaming about vs. being contained.