There is a huge gap in the animal rescue community that leaves chickens and other domesticated fowl neglected and consequently killed for lack of homes. We strive to resolve this by working with rescue groups, as well as community members, to help families appreciate their chickens & ducks as valuable companions rather than disposable pets. With our network of volunteers, we supplement this outreach with rescue, rehab, and sanctuary for discarded pet ducks & chickens who would otherwise perish.
Few people are aware of the pet-poultry overpopulation crisis, thanks to misperceptions of domesticated fowl as "easy," disposable pets. Retailers sell millions of chicks and ducklings without disclosing 2 key facts: (1) That one in every ten chicks sold as female will mature into a rooster and (2) Most hens will only lay for a few years, but can live up to 10. The result is a flood of unwanted chickens -- young roosters and older hens, abandoned in parks or roadsides, where they can't survive.
We provide several educational programs, including our Rooster Retention program, to teach people how to appreciate their birds instead of dumping them. Additionally, our regular on-site tours and social media education emphasize the largely unknown intelligence of our feathered friends and their positive contributions as household members. Once community members recognize domesticated poultry as valuable companions, they can appreciate them as friends, not as production units.
Hen Harbor's goal is to recast chickens and ducks as loving companion animals rather than as disposable commodities. Like any dog or cat, these domesticated fowl have complicated social and veterinary needs. By helping communities view them in this light - as animals with the intelligence and sociability of any other pet, we can rewrite the narrative of exploitation and cruelty that has long governed the existence of these magnificent but misunderstood birds.
