[in the hills]

My neighbour from along the lane called early this morning .... 'Had I lost a cockerel?'  Probably out all night she thought because wet and bedraggled.

All mine, I knew, were present and correct.

To cut a long story short, it appears that 3 cockerels have been 'dumped' here.  No way I can keep them as I already have too many.  They are in my neighbours garden/wandering the lane. She has decided to try and keep them. They have no other hens and never kept them before.

I've been to have a look. One cockerel appears to have problems with balance. Lovely red comb but tail feathers look bedraggled/dirty and he is wobbly.  Strange thing is that he has baler twine tied around each leg as though at some point he has been tied up for some reason.     Any ideas???

[Kimbo]

are they young? Maybe the baling twine was used (badly)  to try to correct splayed leg???
Or might it have been something to do with him being used to train fighting cocks??

[in the hills]

No, not young.  Two of them, I'm guessing, are young but 'mature' cockerels. Difficult to say exactly as they are 'pea combed'. The one with twine around its legs is also a mature cockerel.

So, not to correct splayed legs.

I know nothing about cock fighting  ..... do they tie them up? 

[Kimbo]

I don't know about cock fighting either ; just a hunch

[Marches Farmer]

I suppose they could tether them when training them, so they're aggressive but there's actually no contact that could cause injury ....?  Incomprehensible to me how anyone could do that, but they do.

[Fleecewife]

Or was he hung up by his feet and the twine, ready for plucking, but he got away? 

Sounds like they need some tlc if they're going to be kept.  Isn't it infuriating how some people just dump their responsibilities on others?  Nearly as bad as dumping an old dog by the side of the motorway - I've seen that a couple of times - horrific.

[lord flynn]

pea combed or dubbed? are they game fowl? game fowl are often tethered, at least in other countries-not sure its to do with making them more aggressive or just a means of keeping many aggressive birds in a small space without housing. I don't know if they tie one up during baiting but baiting does happen-are there any injuries? Poor things, there was a box of 6 mixed breed cockerels abandoned in out area a while back-people just don't think things (i.e. hatching) through.

[in the hills]

Didn't even think about them being dubbed!  I don't think that they are 'game'. The wobbly cockerel looks as though he should have a really long tail .... one that trails to the floor.


We are going down to help try to catch them up as it gets a little later and going to check for injuries and cut off the twine, etc.  We can't get near them yet. They are really 'jumpy'. One at least is very good at flying .... straight over a 5 bar gate. Neighbour has a hedge but no actual fencing so can't corner them anywhere and they are then straight onto the lane. They are putting together a pen and area where we can hopefully 'trap' them. 

We wondered if someone tied him up ready to dispatch and then didn't have the nerve to follow through/ botched it and so drove them here and dumped.  Don't think he could have escaped as we are miles from anywhere and there are 3 of them.

[Marches Farmer]

Dubbing is sometimes carried out to prevent frostbite on breeds with large combs that are kept in areas in the USA where it gets extremely cold in the Winter. 

[budharley]

Could you get some pictures up ?
Game fowl are tethered simply to prevent stags/cocks from getting near each other .
E2a fowl are tethered by one

[in the hills]

Well, they are caught. They were cuddled together on neighbours lawn. Two were caught easily but last one involved much chasing!

Cut twine off wobbly cockerels legs. It was tight and they are a bit rubbed but should be okay. Can't see any injuries but he is very thin/light. Eating and drinking though.

Other two are fine.

Googled photos of game birds and not sure if they could be these or maybe crosses of them. The game birds I'd seen at shows had wide chests and very upright stance but not all those shown on google looked so 'gamey'. 


I don't know anything about game breeds. Would 3 cockerels with no hens live together okay?

I have warned my neighbour that things might not work out but they seem quite taken with them. They've worked all day on a pen etc.