October 24, 2019 10.52 am This story is over 52 months old

Cockerels found trapped inside supermarket trolley cage in Spalding

They are being looked after at a local boarding centre

Two cockerels were found trapped inside a supermarket trolley cage in Spalding before being rescued and taken in by RSPCA officers.

The RSPCA was contacted on Wednesday, October 16 after someone found the two cockerels abandoned and confined inside a roll cage trolley at around 7am.

The roll cage was on its side and had a wooden pole going through the centre, which had been covered in plastic and dumped beside a garage off High Road in Spalding.

RSPCA animal collection officer Amy Reiter took the birds to a local boarding centre, who will care for them for two weeks. If they are not claimed then they’ll look for a new home for the pair of cockerels, who are said to be in good condition.

Photo: RSPCA

Amy said: “The member of the public who contacted us said they thought they’d heard the birds crowing the previous day and made the discovery after going to investigate. Therefore we believe they were dumped at the site sometime on Tuesday.

“The cockerels are both really healthy and appear to be in good condition. I believe the wood had been pushed through the cage to create a perch for the birds and takeaway scraps had been left for them to eat.”

Photo: RSPCA

The RSPCA is encouraging anyone who wants to get hens and a cockerel to consider adopting through Find A Pet here.

Amy added: “It’s become really popular to keep chickens but, unfortunately, many people take them on without properly understanding their needs. Sadly that means we are finding hens and cockerels are being abandoned more frequently.

“Cockerels can be difficult to keep – and rehome – as they can be extremely noisy and will crow early in the morning. Some new owners simply aren’t aware of how loud they can be and may be forced to find them a new home if their neighbours complain.

“We’d urge anyone thinking of getting chickens to speak to their neighbours first and to check that they don’t have any rules in their area that prohibits keeping them in back gardens.”