153 chickens rescued from man’s bedroom??
Yes, it’s true!
And I thought having five cats was bad…

Here’s the story:

The SPCA has confiscated 153 fertile broiler chickens from a Rylands man who was keeping them in a darkened bedroom.

The man told SPCA inspectors, who arrived at his home late last week, that he was a former employee of Rainbow Chickens. (Maybe it was this place.)

City SPCA boss Allan Perrins said the man claimed he had “rescued” eggs from his former employers and put them into his oven where, “to his surprise”, they hatched.

Neighbours called the City of Cape Town health department complaining of a stench emanating from the house, and officials from the department who inspected the property found the chickens.

They called in the SPCA.

Senior SPCA inspector Peter Lombard said: “The place was a mess and the room was dark.” (I looked but couldn’t find a single picture of a dark bedroom full of chicken shit. I did find this.)

Lombard told the homeowner he had 12 hours to find a more suitable home for the chickens, which were evidently neglected and badly fed.

The man called the SPCA on Thursday and signed the chickens over to inspectors – but then contacted them again, asking for the animals to be returned to him because he had found a home for them on a Faure farm. (Probably doesn’t look like this.)

But if it looked like this, it might not be a bad place.

Many of the birds had already been put down, Lombard said. (I’d like to think it was something merciful and soothing … like … well … this)

“Broiler chickens are genetically bred to feed 24 hours a day and resort to cannibalism when they don’t get enough food,” he said. (Be very grateful that I didn’t put some pictures of that here!)

The SPCA ethics committee will consider the man’s request about the Faure farm and make a ruling.

By Janis Kinnear