80 chickens seek new home after heavy snowfall destroys their coop
THE race is on to re-home more than 80 chickens after severe snowfall destroyed their home.
The one-year-old chickens lived in a 70ft coop at Boultham Park allotments in Lincoln. But the recent snow and ice have destroyed the home and left it in ruins.
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Fred Hyde is appealing for a new home for his chickens.
Twelve guinea fowl have also been left homeless as a result of the damage. Now one of the owners, Fred Hyde, is trying to find new homes for the birds before they fall pray to foxes and other predators.
Mr Hyde said: "We need to find the chickens and guinea fowl new homes or the foxes are going to get them.
"We built the run especially for the chickens so they would be free range, but we haven't got the manpower or the resources to rebuild it.
"The hutch looks like a bomb has hit it – it's horrible what the snow has done.
"All the chickens have their own character and quirks. We need to find good homes for them
"It's really sad because mentally handicapped people from the nearby resource centre would come and feed the chickens and look after them.
"It was really relaxing to watch them run around, and funny to see their antics.
"Ideally, the guinea fowl really need to be adopted together and they need a home with space to run around in. They're about nine months old and they're not for killing or to be eaten."
The hutch is also the former home of Spike the cockerel, who appeared in the Echo's pages when the city council required him to be re-homed at the beginning of this year.
To adopt one of the chickens or guinea fowl, contact Mr Hyde by e-mailing hydefred@hotmail.com
7 Comments
by Gnome Chomsky, Nocton Cattle Farm
Tuesday, December 07 2010, 10:35PM
“I know it's come up before, but I need to ask again.
Do the allotment rules allow for battery hen keeping (not even the odd bird, but a whole bunch)? I understand, though, that guinea fowl would make ideal family pets, and were being kept as such, not for food or sale, and were being raised as such despite the allotmenteers' request that they be housed as a bunch.
Moreover, what size run constitutes free range? Not a big deal, but I do wonder about the motivation of livestock keepers. I would rather keep 3,500 - 8,000 cattle in indoor conditions with decent conditions and "access to grass" than 92 birds of mixed varieties in a ratrun in an allotment.
But I'm not best mates with these guys ... or local farmers ... and I chose my location to try to get some attention to a specific cause.
I don't live in Nocton, but the workers at the farm will contribute more to the local economy (meat pies, chips and cheese, burgers and beer) than most local people, who commute to work (or not, when it snows).”
by David, Lincoln
Tuesday, December 07 2010, 5:49PM
“Cheers Stephen, if I wasn't crippled with COPD, I certainly would offer to help.”
by Pete, Sleaford
Tuesday, December 07 2010, 4:29PM
“I myself would love a couple of chucks. The big problem is my cat would love them a lot more, but not for the same purpose (he'd be liable to eat them).”
by Billy, In a chip shop
Tuesday, December 07 2010, 4:07PM
“Could do with some chicken legs”
by Mick in the fields, in the field living eco life.
Tuesday, December 07 2010, 2:20PM
“This happened to mine as well with the roof of the run all piled up in the middle - trouble is the ground to too hard to rebuild the sides of my run, funny when things like this snapped like twigs when it snows .
I have sent a email to the person posted above as I still have space until the new coop/ark is built”
by stephen, lincoln
Tuesday, December 07 2010, 1:11PM
“Is that an offer of help David?”
by David, Lincoln
Tuesday, December 07 2010, 8:19AM
“Surely it would not cost the earth to replace their coop? It would be good to see them all housed nicely together again in a safe environment, so a new coop at their present location would seem to be the ideal solution”