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SALT LAKE CITY — The allure of free(ish) eggs, locally produced food and DIY culture have led many people, including many Utahns, to get on the backyard chicken bandwagon. And while it's not a bad wagon to be on, many have found the care, cleanup and crowing are too much and have taken to abandoning their chickens, especially their roosters.
NBC reports that sometimes dozens of chickens at a time are being left at sanctuaries around the nation.
“Many areas with legalized hen-keeping are experiencing more and more of these birds coming in when they’re no longer wanted,” Paul Shapiro, spokesman for the Humane Society of the United States told NBC. “You get some chicks and they’re very cute, but it’s not as though you can throw them out in the yard and not care for them.”
The number of animals at the Chicken Run Rescue in Minneapolis has ballooned 10 times from 50 to 500 since 2001. Employees at the shelter said they see the problem as stemming from the "locavore" culture, that is, seeking food grown or raised as close as possible. Some may not be willing to put in the work.
Related:
More cities looking at allowing backyard chickens
More cities in Utah are considering or are already allowing residents to have backyard chickens. Those who own the birds say it's definitely worth it.“It’s the stupid foodies,” Britton Clouse told NBC. “We’re just sick to death of it.”
It's not clear how bad the problem is in Utah, though there's no doubt the popularity of chickens has been on the rise.
Salt Lake City, Sandy, Spanish Fork, Orem, Provo and several other cities have ordinances allowing people to raise chickens on their residential property under certain circumstances.
The Ching Farm Rescue and Sanctuary said that chickens have become their number one problem over the last couple years. Executive Director Faith Ching said they have roughly 70 chickens, including 12 roosters.
"We get calls of abandoned chickens in the canyons, downtown Salt Lake City," she said. "We've had to rescue them from all over." She said they'll get about four emails or calls everyday from someone looking to unload a rooster or a hen.
Ching said the problem is eggs. Folks want fresh eggs and intend to buy hens, but it is notoriously difficult to tell a male from a female chick. Six months later, after thinking they've bought only females from the local feed store, a rooster will start crowing and owners will realize they've bought a rooster by mistake.
Many cities allow for hens, but not roosters.
We have a lot of people who really love their chickens.
–Jenny Bloom of Wasatch Community Gardens.
"Basically there's nowhere for these animals to go," she said.
Carmen Smith, director of Wild Friends at the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, said there has been a "drastic increase in requests to take in flocks of females too. Unfortunately Wild Friends is filled to capacity with males."
Roughly half must have their own chicken run because of fighting, and having even one female around can lead to serious fights among the males, making it even harder.
On the other hand, Salt Lake County Animal Services has not reported a big problem.
"Knock on wood," said Sandy Nelson, with Salt Lake County. "Hopefully we don't."
Nelson said that there are two roosters in their care right now.
Nelson said that a license is required in Salt Lake City, which could be at least one reason people in the area seem less likely to abandon their chickens.
Of course, they could also be more willing to, shall we say, eat their problems if things get too hard.
