501(c)(3) non-profit org focusing on rescue/rehab of unwanted/abused chickens throughout California.
Hen Harbor is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to the rescue and rehoming of unwanted hens and roosters.
The chickens got on the local news this weekend! Feel free to leave a nice, pro-rooster comment under the story on the news website!
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (KION-TV) — The recent bust of a cockfighting ring in Santa Cruz county has raised concerns about animal cruelty in the community. I had the opportunity to speak with Ariana Huemer who runs hen harbor for cockfighting refugees. She tells me she's deeply concerned for the welfare...
If you love animals, please don’t abandon them in the park or side of the road because they’re too much trouble.
When you see feral chicken colonies in Florida & Hawaii, they are mostly gamefowl descendants— not your typical backyard breed of chicken. Ninety five percent of domesticated breeds, like this little guy here, have zero chance of survival on their own. 😥
Another day, another abandoned rooster …
Please meet Tim. The other day someone told me they saw him running around an empty lot by their storage facility, but that he was behind a fence so “he must be okay.”
Well, he wasn’t okay; he was frantically pacing back and forth along the chain link fence surrounding a vast empty lot. He probably was trying to get out so he could chase after whatever car left him there as it drove away.
Catching him was easy; he was so docile and tame. But he is just one of countless thousands of pet roosters already this year who have been driven out to the middle of nowhere and dumped — with no food, shelter, water, or ability to survive the onslaught of nighttime predators.
I wouldn’t be surprised if his former people actually loved him but felt they had no choice because of anti-rooster laws almost everywhere. Most likely he (like 95 percent of unwanted roosters) was mislabeled and sold as a baby female chick at the feed store.
If you love animals, you can stem the flow of unwanted, abandoned roosters by (1) choosing to adopt adult chickens-in-need (visit ) and (2) vociferously opposing rooster bans/restrictions in your community.
** If you’d like to support our work, we have a Venmo () and a PayPal (PayPal.me/henharbor). **
❤️🐓
With the push to outlaw pet roosters in counties throughout California and beyond, the number of abandoned pet roosters left to die on the side of the road has increased dramatically. No, they can’t survive on their own because they are domesticated and all but defenseless against the myriad of predators waiting to kill them. As long as people push rooster bans, these innocent birds will continue to suffer and die.
Happy ValHentines Day from Biggie Smalls, one of the 1000s of pet roosters left at animal shelters each year because of rampant anti-rooster laws.
Biggie’s tiny crow is barely audible and he weighs less than a pound, but his former people still were coerced into evicting him from their household. Although most unwanted roosters never find a safe home, was caring enough to find him a safe, forever home ❤️🐔
Urgent
These two beautiful young roosters have been abandoned without food, water or shelter in a parking lot in San Jose, California. Can anyone open their hearts and their homes to them? If you are anywhere in the state, we will try to transport them to you ❤️🐓💔
** TIME SENSITIVE ALERT -- deadline Monday Jan. 29 **
Things are about to get even harder for roosters in Santa Barbara!
In just a few days, the Board of Supervisors in Santa Barbara County (Calif.) is expected to pass a set of anti-rooster laws that will be terrible for our feathery friends! Even though roosters are already banned almost everywhere in the county, the proposed restrictions seek *further* restrictions, severely limiting the number of roosters allowed in rural areas, (overriding the allowances under existing zoning laws).
Although this measure claims to be targeting cockfighting operations, the fact is that it will hurt *all* roosters – including pet roosters who have absolutely nothing to do with cockfighting and just want a chance at life.
If these restrictions pass, anyone who wants to help out the endless stream of unwanted roosters in shelters or abandoned on the side of the road (by, for example, creating a bachelor flock) ultimately won’t be able to keep more than a handful of roosters, no matter how remote or spacious the property is. This is unfair to people who moved to agricultural zones to have animals, and it's unfair to the scores of roosters who will have nowhere else to go.
Even if you don't live in Santa Barbara County (but especially if you do!) please email these five members of the SB County Board of Supervisors and *ask them to oppose the proposed roosters restrictions* – at the very least, until they can be reworked to allow for pet roosters and rooster-rescue organizations. Let them know that further restricting roosters in SB County affects rooster welfare everywhere, because it forces people with (accidental) illegal pet roosters to look outside the county for (already limited) placement options. Let them know that these misguided regulations will hurt more animals than they will hurt!
The vote on this is Tuesday, January 30, so please get letters in this weekend (or by Monday 1/29 at the latest)!
Das Williams, First District Supervisor: [email protected]
Laura Capps, Second District Supervisor: [email protected]
*Joan Hartmann, Third District Supervisor: [email protected]
**Bob Nelson, Fourth District Supervisor: [email protected]
Steve Lavagino, Fifth District Supervisor
[email protected]
*Hartmann authored the unfortunate restrictions
** Nelson opposes the restrictions and should be thanked
Read more: https://www.santamariasun.com/news/rooster-rules-15419279
Info on bachelor flocks: https://adoptabirdnetwork.com/topics/bachelor-flocks
Biggie Smalls is a feisty fella who grew up in an animal shelter! His wife Bertha is a “meat” chicken (aka Cornish Cross) rescued from a live market, where people pick out individuals and have them killed on the spot 💔
Together they are a happy couple with (hopefully) many long years of marital bliss ahead of them.
Thanks to the backyard egg trend, rooster abandonment is at an all-time high. Because they are banned almost everywhere, the fate of an “ooops”rooster is grim. People will kill them, abandon them, or drop them off at animal control. In all cases, the ending is usually grim.
People who adopt adult hens don’t have to worry about one of their purchased chicks growing into roosters, and fewer animals die. “Adopt don’t shop” applies to all pets, including chickens
Chickenadoption.com
Whenever I find an abandoned bird who is particularly friendly, I pause and wonder how someone like that — clearly once loved & cared for — ended up unwanted & discarded. Upon her arrival, Maize’s ebullient demeanor belied her scruffy appearance. But now it’s safe to say that her outsides definitely match her insides! Please consider supporting our ongoing rescue efforts on behalf of our feathery friends!
Venmo: henharbor // PayPal: [email protected] // or see link in bio! ❤️🐔
Got a saucy rooster in your life? Learn how to get him in line with happy cohabitation at this free webinar on rowdy roosters, Oct 24 (9 AM EST)
https://facebook.com/events/s/dealing-with-aggressive-rooste/287177920729628/
(Or click the “events” tab on the Adopt A Bird Network page.)
Who’s that mysterious chicken in the window and why does she keep copying me??? I’m the only hen allowed in this house!
This week we said goodbye to Chief, a lovely feathery fellow who was a friend to many. As companions, turkeys are funny, curious, emotive, and always engaged in their surroundings. Some are cranky, some are docile, and some like Chief are middle of the road. All of them are individuals with unique preferences and expressions.
We are grateful to at least have been able to grant Chief a peaceful passing, absent the fear and suffering that beset so many of his kin on Earth.
Some animal welfare organizations are trying to push rooster bans in a misguided attempt to reduce cockfighting.
But the bans are killing countless thousands of backyard pets by leaving them nowhere to go. Nobody suggests banning all dogs to stop dogfighting, so why are they doing it to roosters?
We need 1 or 2 more volunteers in (or near) San Jose, Ca., to help care for colonies of abandoned chickens. We’re hoping for a reliable person who would be willing to bring water (and food) to the birds and monitor their general condition— with an eye toward ultimately finding them placement— at least once a week. We also need local volunteers willing to foster abandoned chickens waiting for their adoptive homes. ❤️
Please message us here or e-mail [email protected] if you can help!
Tomorrow! (Weds 8/23)
Hi Guys! Just a reminder that we are having a free virtual webinar on starting bachelor flocks this Wednesday, August 23 at 1 pm EST. Sign up via link in our bio or by clicking here - https://www.eventbrite.com/e/starting-a-bachelor-flock-tickets-691316806177
Sooo many sweet roosters are discarded and dumped because outdated ideas about rooster “aggression” towards each other make people think they can only have one rooster at a time.
The fact is that roosters have always coexisted peacefully within large flocks since their jungle fowl days. Similarly, domesticated roosters, if given enough space and things to do, can thrive in a bachelor flock. There’s no reason to get rid of your extra roosters!
Follow to find out when their next (free) webinar on Bachelor Flocks takes place!
Sadly, many animal control agencies are mired in antiquated notions that birds taken from cockfighting situations are vicious and— in the words of one local officer— “unfit for adoption.”
Nothing could be further from the truth. Most ex-fighting roosters are docile and absolutely loving toward their humans. The reason is that they have been bred this way so that they can be picked up and handled during staged cockfights —even in the heat of the battle— without slashing their humans with the razor sharp knives strapped to their legs. Any rooster who turns on his human is culled and his genetics eliminated. The result is an extremely stoic and gentle family companion who does best as the solo rooster in a flock of hens. They are as loyal and gentle as any dog you will ever know.
Please help spread the word about these gentle guys in hopes that more people will give them a chance.
Mitchie and Della were once unwanted and unloved “spent” hens who no longer laid eggs. Now as sweet chicken ambassadors they know nothing but love.
If you can provide love to a beautiful rescued chicken, please visit chickenadoption.com
Happy adoption news! A few weeks ago, ten beautiful ex-egg factory hens left Hen Harbor to live with Lindsay into her little sanctuary space of rescued animals!
“We introduced the hens to the full flock/farm today and they did great! And they’ve learned how to bob for frozen peas,” says Lindsay.
Although not all pigs may be as peaceful around birds as this one, Lindsay (a veterinarian with a keen sense of animal relationships) explains that “pot bellies are fine with chickens, and our pig tries to defend the chickens when we chase them to catch them up for deworming or health checks; he loves them, they groom him and cuddle with him.”
If you’re in California and would love to provide a safe space for a few rescued ex egg farm hens, see henharbor.org/adopt. 😍🐔
Loaded the kids into the car 4 camp & got halfway there b4 realizing today’s a holiday & no one’s there. Then I realized that among the 3 of us we hit the holiday color scheme spot on! Happy July 4!
Pro tip: if you’re driving your Honda hatchback and find an injured peacock, yes you *can* coax them to sit quietly in the passenger seat footwell for an hour while you drive home.
Happy Adoption Update!
So far this year, we've adopted out and facilitated with the adoption of more than 2,000 rescued egg-farm hens (also a few roosters)!
Meet Jenny, Penny, Ruthie & Betty! They are just four out of over 2,000 rescued hens we've adopted out (or facilitated the adoption of) this year.
These four lucky cluckies avoided the slaughterhouse and landed in chicken paradise with our lovely neighbor Eva.
"Your babies are super happy and doing fantastic," writes Eva. "They dust bathe all the time. My hens are tolerating them. They are so docile; they just stay out of their way. Sweetest hens I've ever had!"
Thank you for all your support so far. It's really paid off for our feathery friends! ❤️🐔
You can support our hen (and rooster) rescue program via Venmo (henharbor) or PayPal ([email protected]). 🧡
Recently the local media here did a story about a cockfighting bust where animal control "rescued" over 200 birds by killing them upon intake -- roosters, hens, and chicks alike.
I was able to chime in that euthanasia of healthy, adoptable animals is not the same thing as rescue, but the spurious claims of animal control about the birds being "unadoptable" otherwise went unquestioned.
https://lookout.co/santacruz/civic-life/story/2023-05-23/cockfighting-santa-cruz-county-hen-harbor-santa-cruz-county-animal-shelter-animal-control
Take note that animal control's justification for ending the lives of 200+ healthy, adoptable birds -- that owning gamefowl is illegal and that vitamin supplements/steroids make the birds permanently unadoptable-- are patently false and easily disproved.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
If you could either send a message to the reporter ([email protected] ) or a short letter to the editor ([email protected]) pointing out the hypocrisy of an animal “rescue” operation that kills healthy, adoptable animals *without even giving them a chance* at adoption, that would be a great service for these poor, sweet birds.
This is a government agency propped up by our tax dollars and should be held to account for spreading misinformation and its draconian policy on birds taken from cockfighting operations.
With two cockfighting cases pending in Santa Cruz Superior Court, it's “a serious issue in the community,” said Todd Stosuy of the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter. Beyond animal cruelty, the illicit activity is often tied to organized crime and money laundering.
Running to your best friend's house on the first day of summer vacay!
Free rooster behavior webinar TODAY, Tues April 25
4:30 PST/ 7::30 EST
Know someone who is having issues with their rooster? Please share we are having a FREE webinar on rooster behavior this Tuesday, April 25th.
Sign up here - https://www.eventbrite.com/e/609494734157
Rowdy rooster got you down? It's ok; it's just spring! 🐓🌱
Join 's *free* webinar tomorrow (april 25 4:30 p.m. EST) on rooster "aggression" and keeping the peace!
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/dealing-with-aggressive-roosters-tickets-609494734157
Final push for the Great Hen Rescue on $5 Friday!
This weekend is the last chance to get hens out of the Midwest egg farm before they are slaughtered and we need your help to save as many as possible. Five dollars will literally save a beautiful hen’s life, so every last dollar truly makes a difference.
These birds are healthy, full of life, and have huge personalities. Don't let their scruffy feathers fool you! They run toward everyone with enthusiasm and an unmatched zest for life. It is so tragic how many of their lives end prematurely in the egg industry, and we are grateful this farm is allowing so many to be rehomed. Please help get this final group of hens to safety.
Venmo Hen Harbor
Paypal paypal.me/henharbor or [email protected]
Please give what you can. This is their last chance!
Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Hen Harbor posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Send a message to Hen Harbor:
If you love animals, please don’t abandon them in the park or side of the road because they’re too much trouble. When you see feral chicken colonies in Florida & Hawaii, they are mostly gamefowl descendants— not your typical backyard breed of chicken. Ninety five percent of domesticated breeds, like this little guy here, have zero chance of survival on their own. 😥
Another day, another abandoned rooster … #adoptarooster #abandonedrooster #abandonedpets #dontdumpyourpets #dontdumproosters #urbanchickens #petrooster #roosterfriends #roosterrescue #rescuedrooster #rescuedchickens #endroosterstigma
Please meet Tim. The other day someone told me they saw him running around an empty lot by their storage facility, but that he was behind a fence so “he must be okay.” Well, he wasn’t okay; he was frantically pacing back and forth along the chain link fence surrounding a vast empty lot. He probably was trying to get out so he could chase after whatever car left him there as it drove away. Catching him was easy; he was so docile and tame. But he is just one of countless thousands of pet roosters already this year who have been driven out to the middle of nowhere and dumped — with no food, shelter, water, or ability to survive the onslaught of nighttime predators. I wouldn’t be surprised if his former people actually loved him but felt they had no choice because of anti-rooster laws almost everywhere. Most likely he (like 95 percent of unwanted roosters) was mislabeled and sold as a baby female chick at the feed store. If you love animals, you can stem the flow of unwanted, abandoned roosters by (1) choosing to adopt adult chickens-in-need (visit @adoptabirdnetwork ) and (2) vociferously opposing rooster bans/restrictions in your community. ** If you’d like to support our work, we have a Venmo (@henharbor) and a PayPal (PayPal.me/henharbor). ** ❤️🐓 #stoproosterdumping #endroosterbans #endroosterdiscrimination #rescuedrooster #roosterfriends #dontdumpyourrooster
With the push to outlaw pet roosters in counties throughout California and beyond, the number of abandoned pet roosters left to die on the side of the road has increased dramatically. No, they can’t survive on their own because they are domesticated and all but defenseless against the myriad of predators waiting to kill them. As long as people push rooster bans, these innocent birds will continue to suffer and die. #stoproosterdumping #stoproosterbans #stoproosterstigma
Happy ValHentines Day from Biggie Smalls, one of the 1000s of pet roosters left at animal shelters each year because of rampant anti-rooster laws. Biggie’s tiny crow is barely audible and he weighs less than a pound, but his former people still were coerced into evicting him from their household. Although most unwanted roosters never find a safe home, @pasadenahumane was caring enough to find him a safe, forever home ❤️🐔 #valhentine #rescuedrooster #adoptarooster #urbanchickens #roosterfriends #valhentinesday #shelterpetsofinstagram #endroosterstigma #petrooster #petchickens #backyardchickens #endroosterdiscrimination #stoproosterbans #dontdumpyourrooster #houserooster
Urgent These two beautiful young roosters have been abandoned without food, water or shelter in a parking lot in San Jose, California. Can anyone open their hearts and their homes to them? If you are anywhere in the state, we will try to transport them to you ❤️🐓💔
Thanks to the backyard egg trend, rooster abandonment is at an all-time high. Because they are banned almost everywhere, the fate of an “ooops”rooster is grim. People will kill them, abandon them, or drop them off at animal control. In all cases, the ending is usually grim. People who adopt adult hens don’t have to worry about one of their purchased chicks growing into roosters, and fewer animals die. “Adopt don’t shop” applies to all pets, including chickens Chickenadoption.com
Whenever I find an abandoned bird who is particularly friendly, I pause and wonder how someone like that — clearly once loved & cared for — ended up unwanted & discarded. Upon her arrival, Maize’s ebullient demeanor belied her scruffy appearance. But now it’s safe to say that her outsides definitely match her insides! Please consider supporting our ongoing rescue efforts on behalf of our feathery friends! Venmo: henharbor // PayPal: [email protected] // or see link in bio! ❤️🐔 #henrescue #chickensanctuary #petchickens #backyardchickens #urbanchickens #animalrescue #adoptachicken #chickensarefamily #henfriends
Learn to spot the signs of ThanksLiving! #thanksgiving2023 #ThanksLiving #turkeyday #turkeysarefriendsnotfood #chickensarefriendsnotfood #petturkeys
Got a saucy rooster in your life? Learn how to get him in line with happy cohabitation at this free webinar on rowdy roosters, Oct 24 (9 AM EST) https://facebook.com/events/s/dealing-with-aggressive-rooste/287177920729628/ (Or click the “events” tab on the Adopt A Bird Network page.)
Who’s that mysterious chicken in the window and why does she keep copying me??? I’m the only hen allowed in this house! #petchicken #chickenfriends #adoptachicken
This week we said goodbye to Chief, a lovely feathery fellow who was a friend to many. As companions, turkeys are funny, curious, emotive, and always engaged in their surroundings. Some are cranky, some are docile, and some like Chief are middle of the road. All of them are individuals with unique preferences and expressions. We are grateful to at least have been able to grant Chief a peaceful passing, absent the fear and suffering that beset so many of his kin on Earth.
Some animal welfare organizations are trying to push rooster bans in a misguided attempt to reduce cockfighting. But the bans are killing countless thousands of backyard pets by leaving them nowhere to go. Nobody suggests banning all dogs to stop dogfighting, so why are they doing it to roosters? #stoproosterstigma #roosterfriends #petroosters #petchickens #dontdumproosters #stoproosterbans
Back in June, we took in a load of 70+ former laying hens who were being sent to slaughter. They were so neglected that I had never felt birds that emaciated who were still alive. Sadly, two died en route to the sanctuary but amazingly, all the rest survived and found homes! Six were adopted by veterinarian and longtime hen-friend Lindsey Nielsen. “I can’t tell you how happy the hens are, and how happy we are having them,” writes Lindsey. “They have all come out of their shell and love their day to day life of dust bathing, exploring, and eating. And once again Rory [the pig] has made friends with several of them, several of them groom him, sleep next to him, and ride him before lunch time. ;).” As a veterinarian, Lindsey took on the neediest of the bunch and named her Tectium (after a Dr Who character). Please enjoy her amazing, 2-month recovery story in photos. Please also consider adopting your next hens! ❤️🐔🐓 chickenadoption.com #exbatteryhens #exbatts #henadoption #chickenadoption #rescuechickens #chickenrescue #backyardchickens #petchickens #eggindustry #chickensareawesome #chickensarefamily #adoptdontshop #adoptahen #adoptachicken
This little fella had been running the streets of San Jose since he was abandoned months ago, evading dangers with impressive agility. Today, however, was different. Instead of zipping away, he stood in a corner with his head down. Closer inspection revealed that he has fowl pox, a highly contagious virus spread by mosquitoes that can kill a bird by blinding them with infection. Since this was a medical emergency, leaving him behind wasn’t an option. 💔#dontdumpyourpets #dontabandonyouranimals #easterpets #petchickens #backyardchickens #roosterrescue #roostersanctuary #chickensanctuary #chickenrescue #chickenadoption #adoptarooster #adoptachicken
UPDATE on the dumped chickens: We went back the next day and found the forlorn flock. Sadly, it appears that one of the little guys had vanished overnight. While we continue to hold out hope for him, the remaining 3 are safe, sound, & reunited with their brother Ketchup — a friendly little fella who was rescued a month earlier when the chickens first appeared. May they never be separated again. ❤️🐓 #chickenrescue #chickensanctuary #dontdumpyourpets #dontabandonyouranimals #rescued #petchickens #backyardchickens #backyardflock #petrooster #roosterfriends
Dear Chicken-Dumper:Remember that flock of 20 chickens you “set free” at the park last month? Here’s what’s left of them. The others, including all the babies, aren’t around anymore. Perhaps it was the searing heatwave that did them in, perhaps it was the scores of predators that traverse the parking lot nightly, or perhaps it was one of the neighborhood kids who have been using them as target practice. I tried to catch these remaining four, but as you can imagine, they’re not friendly anymore. I’m going to try again in a few days but just so you know, they’re not doing fine. Wish me luck. 🙁henharbor.org/donatePayPal: henharbor@gmailVenmo: @henharbor
Sooo many sweet roosters are discarded and dumped because outdated ideas about rooster “aggression” towards each other make people think they can only have one rooster at a time. The fact is that roosters have always coexisted peacefully within large flocks since their jungle fowl days. Similarly, domesticated roosters, if given enough space and things to do, can thrive in a bachelor flock. There’s no reason to get rid of your extra roosters! Follow @adoptabirdnetwork to find out when their next (free) webinar on Bachelor Flocks takes place!
Sooo many sweet roosters are discarded and dumped because outdated ideas about rooster “aggression” towards each other make people think they can only have one rooster at a time. The fact is that roosters have always coexisted peacefully within large flocks since their jungle fowl days. Similarly, domesticated roosters, if given enough space and things to do, can thrive in a bachelor flock! There’s no reason to get rid of your “extra” roosters! Follow @adoptabirdnetwork to find out when their next (free) webinar on Bachelor Flocks takes place! #roosterfriends #bachelorflock #petroosters #petchickens #dontdumpyourrooster #roosterflock #adoptarooster #rescuedroosters #roosterrescue #chickensanctuary #roostersanctuary #petrooster #petchickens
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Hen Harbor is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to the rescue of chickens and other birds exploited by the agriculture industry.
The 3-acre sanctuary in the mountains of Santa Cruz, Calif., was originally dedicated to providing refuge to hens discarded by the egg industry. However, our mission quickly expanded to include the rescue and re-homing of birds discarded by the backyard egg industry as well -- unwanted roosters as well as older hens whose owners don’t value them for anything beyond their egg-production. In addition to our approximately 80 permanent (older/special-needs) birds, we regularly rescue and re-home abandoned, domesticated poultry. In 2017, we we able to re-home close to 200 formerly unwanted, doomed chickens and ducks.
