opinion please

[tlck9]

I know of some chucks, that are kept in a run around 9ft by 3ft ish, there are 5 and a cockerill.

they have a small plastic container for their water, but no food containers - they are very good at knocking over which then means they have no water for however long the owners decide to leave them

they cannot be moved, so they seem to be in constant mud and their food is placed onto the mud, so they trample it in....

Apparently someone called the rspca, but they said that they were kept okay - although at the time I understand from one of the others that at the time there were no water at all, which is why someone obviously got annoyed - but by the time they turned up the owners had been warned and had put a water container in.

Whenever you go near them they are jumping up as though they are hungry, so others are even putting grass in to ensure they have something to eat

Ummm, I'm not at all happy at how they are kept, but am I over reacting???

Should I leave them to get on with it

[walldanzig]

I don't think you are over reacting I would call the RSPCA and ask them to come meet me and if they say everything is ok I would ask for an explanation. But you live along these people and only you know the reaction you will get. Good Luck

[RichmondHens]

Doesn't sound good to me but appearances can be deceiving. The run is too small for 6 birds. Care should be taken to ensure the birds have enough water to last the day and can't knock it over. Feeding is a difficult one as some birds react as though they haven't had food even though they have had plenty - some of mine come begging at the back door with bulging crops telling me they are starving .............. Can you see if the birds have full crops or not? Keep an eye on them and go back to the RSPCA if necessary.

[Bramble-Poultry]

Yep - you can call teh RSPCA for advice and get them to come out to site if you like - trouble is if the owners get wind of the situation they can make sure that everything looks fine for when they turn up.

Always keep a diary of what you have seen etc so you have it straight in your mind when you speak to the inspector, its also good evidence if ever you are asked to produce some, take photos if you can - although this can be difficult to be inconspicuos.

To be fair to the inspector there is very little he can do with regard to the space they are in as there is no legal minimum, he can only interviene where the animal is in dire danger - apart from that all he can do in the first instance is offer advice to the owners and tell them he is popping back - they must come to site several tiems and see the animals in poor circumstances before they can do anything. If when he came they had water then there was nothing he could do - their hands are tied in that respect.

[walldanzig]

such a shame they are so easy to look after and a run is relativley inexpensive

[tlck9]

I think your advice is good. The chairman is considering speaking with the RSPCA as to giving all allotment holders advice. This may be the right way forward

I am not adverse to telling the owners they need to sort them out but they didn't listern to the chairman

[Bramble-Poultry]

yes and of course you don't want to get into a neigbourly fight, they may be vindictive - and then you are only inviting trouble for yourself. Then if anyone does call teh RSPCA then it is automatically gonna be your fault whether it was you or not an dyou will get the backlash!!

Getting the RSPCA in to discuss chicken husbandary on site is great asuming this person actually turns up to the lecture!

Its hard when you know animals are in need and it feels like there is nothing you can do. You can also try your local animal welfare officer - not sure if they would come out though they are there to monitor animal welfare on registered holdings etc

[MaureenHall]

Its hard when you know animals are in need and it feels like there is nothing you can do. You can also try your local animal welfare officer - not sure if they would come out though they are there to monitor animal welfare on registered holdings etc

The Animal Welfare Officer paid my Becci a visit a few weeks ago because a "worried neighbour" thought that a fox had got into the run as the girls were making a lot of noise. The noise was the girls telling the neighbourhood about the eggs they'd just laid The visit was about a week after Becci had got the recent batch of ex-batts and they looked even worse than mine! The Welfare Officer was more interested in getting more information about ex-batts once Becci had told her that according to DEFRA, the girls were fine. She was horrified though, having never seen anything looking so bad. She re-visited a month later (not for an inspection, just out of personal interest) and was really happy with everything. So yes, in Staffordshire, the AWO does visit non-registered holdings.

[bluemoon]

Are you absolutely certain they have no food? I had taken to putting the feeders indoors as the weather has been so awful and I was sick of the feed being ruined. A tip on here has meant that I've managed to rig up a lid for it, so it can go back out. As for water, we always put out two drinkers, one of which is tied to the run so that knocking it over is impossible and one is large and heavy when full, so would be difficult to tip.

[tlck9]

Unfortunately on the food front, I am there morning, afternoon and night, no food is ever placed in a container - they tell everyone they spread a bit on the floor but i'm not sure as food means a bit of hay apparently!

apparently someone has already called the rspca, and as you said they had water but did give some recommendations which the owners still havent done anything

Having heard some of the backlash the owner gave another lady who made a comment about the poor state only yesterday I am best to keep out...

But im not happy about it

[bluemoon]

Hay?????? It really makes me cross when people treat their chickens like this. We both work, keep our chooks on an allotment 3 miles away and still manage to care for them, hopefully extremely well, if you're going to keep them then you have to be prepared to spend time and money on them and anyone who doesn't should definitely be reported. Do these people think that eggs magically appear with no effort on their part? I have encountered people who seem to think that if you keep a few hens then the eggs are 'free', but in the main these are not fellow chicken keepers.

[walldanzig]

I think the best course of action is to go to the allotment society as many as you can complain and let them handle it if enough people bring it to the allotment societys attention they should do something about it

[tlck9]

it took alot of thought and investigation into cost and my time before committing to my hens, even now they take more than I had bargined for, but its a commitment and I enjoy them...but unfortuently some see it as eggs and wanted to be part of the crowd

perhaps they will see sense

[Maddie106]

It doesn't sound good tlck9.
At the very least the chooks should have water and a supply of pellets at all times.
It's NOT difficult to provide a drinker and feeder that they can't knock over.
I do put straw/ wood shavings in the run when it gets muddy, but they do seem happy to wade thro the mud

Mine still behave as if they are starving when I go towards their run, but that is only because they are used to giving them treats of greens/garden weeds/ rice/pasta etc!


I really think you should contact the RSPCA again...they ought to have food and water at all times.

I had a panic some years ago, because the RSPCA came out to investigate a report of a "Dead Horse" in my neighbours field ( The horse was acutually laid out asleep in the sun!).....but theRSPCA lady wanted to look at my chooks as well!

Turned out she just indulging herself and said it was nice to see the gals free-ranging!
I told her all about the ex-batts that came to me with few feathers and who had no idea about perching or scratching...all of them old biddies by then, who raced down the field and hassled us for corn with that lovely happy-chicken "Bok, bok, bok " sound!
She wasn't too impressed with the geese, who ran over with their necks out, hissing like mad!

But seriously, if those chickens aren't getting water and food then their owners need more than "Reccomendations".Get the RSPCA out again PLEASE!

[tlck9]

I thought I would drop a quick update on the forum....after some discussions with the chairman, its seems they have been given a kick in the right direction...good

there is now a food container attached to the side of the pen (which still stinks but I cant have it all ways) and 2 water containers, one is never filled but it looks good for appearance (apparently they only drink from one which is why its always empty (some people must think we are stupid)

they have put a cover up to keep some of the rain off (although I suspect its so the kind hearted people putting in grass can no longer do it, or indeed see in

Call me cynical

there is a meeting this evening and I shall be requested a "mimimum" care level for all allotment holders for their chickens, as I've heard another two intend to keep chickens

I'm sure since the said person will be attending there is going to be a back lash but we will see

I also suspect that because said allotment is after funding and one of the allotment holders was going to give money but then said unless something was done they would without funding - I suspect this is why something has been done to get the said owners looking after their chucks

anyway fingers crossed, as to be honest I dont care about the allotment holder, only the chooks...fingers crossed they keep it up, but with winter approaching I suspect there will be a lot of frozen water and lack of food since its just too cold to go and check on them (i hope not)