a guest blog by Herbivorous Acres, January 2023

National Bird Day is January 5th, and to celebrate this, we wanted to highlight some of our feathered friends. Roosters are highly exploited in the animal agriculture industry and we are proud to provide sanctuary to three roosters on the farm. Herbivorous Acres has two roosters under our “wing”, and the property owners of our sanctuary also have a rooster named Tony that we help care for. Dennis (Brahma Cross breed) is around 6 years old and is a handsome gentleman. Dennis rules the roost and has three ladies that he cares for. He dotes on his ladies constantly and is the best boyfriend to Nooch, Tempeh, and Seitan (our three hens).

Cornelius is a stunning and quirky 5 year old Welsummer rooster and lives with our duck family. Cornelius needs to be housed separately from other chickens due to some aggression issues. It keeps other chickens safe, although he still has some strong opinions about people from time to time. He doesn’t do very well when he has hens around and is much more calibrated with his duck friends. He has some “funky feet” that make him extra special. This deformity has been with him since birth and it causes some health issues from time to time. 

Both Dennis and Cornelius are what we call “oops roosters” in the sanctuary world. More times than not, folks purchase baby chicks from feed stores that state all the chicks are female, and then they start crowing a few months later. From issues such as zoning issues, people not understanding rooster behavior, or they already care for a rooster and can’t incorporate another one into the flock, they are often needing to be rescued. This results in a lot of rescue requests for these lovely beings. 

We are happy that we have the set up to accommodate multiple roosters and that they provide so much joy to the farm. Roosters, just like other animals, have unique personalities and are often misunderstood as being aggressive. This is usually not the case once they acclimate to their flocks and have the space they need to accommodate their individual needs. 

Veganuary is here and is a great time to try going vegan for the month of January. We hope that Dennis and Cornelius are two adorable reasons to give it a try and improve your health, the health of the planet, and save some farm animals as well. Visit veganuary.com to find out more or reach out to us for support on your plant-based journey!