Jo Immig, Location withheld.
Dear rooster dumpers: Dumping roosters is not cool for a variety of reasons. Over the past year eight roosters have been dumped near us. These roosters were young and obviously cared for until the point someone discovered they were roosters, then, like many male animals, they were discarded.
These young roosters, unable to fly to roost in trees and hungry, made their way to people who they associate with food. They huddled outside the front door, petrified, trying to perch on the shoe rack. We’re not in the business of killing your surplus roosters for you, so they stay here and make their way as best they can. Three are already dead by fox.
Two people on our road are gravely ill and need their rest. Being woken at 4am to loudly crowing roosters is not restful. They attract foxes, wild dogs and chicken hawks to a place where we are trying to reestablish habitat and wildlife, including koalas. They gang up and attack brush turkeys who are breeding at the moment. They poo everywhere.
Don’t think you are doing something noble by giving them a life ‘in the wild’. If you’re in the business of keeping and breeding chickens, then you need to take responsibility for these creatures.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
