Onetangi roosters

Caring for the large colony of abandoned roosters at Onetangi Sports Park.

History of the Onetangi roosters

Dumping pet roosters has been a problem on Waiheke since the late 1990s when a colony of abandoned birds began to grow at Mātiatia. Tourists and locals fed them, and they became a bit of a visitor attraction.

Rather than culling the birds, the community encouraged Auckland Council to relocate them to the entrance of the Onetangi Sports Park.

Volunteers

Volunteer groups, including Caring for the Roosters of Waiheke (CROW) and Friends of the Onetangi Roosters, then began feeding and caring for the birds to help prevent disease and to support their welfare.

These groups relied on donations from the Waiheke community to pay for food for the roosters. With up to 70 dumped roosters at any one time, funds, and food, often ran out.

Over the years our wonderful volunteers have installed coops, water stations and customised feeding stations for the roosters. These help provide the roosters with good hydration and a dry environment for those that might choose not to roost in the trees.

The feeding stations are designed to make it difficult for the greedy duck population to freeload on the roosters’ food.

Our volunteers manage a ‘rooster roster’ to make sure the boys are fed and watered every day.

In 2025, WISCA began paying for all food for the roosters.

Abandoning or dumping a rooster is a breach the Animal Welfare Act 1999.

This act requires owners to meet an animal’s basic needs (food, water, shelter and care) and prohibits neglect or abandonment.

Under this law:

  • abandoning an animal can be treated as ill-treatment or neglect

  • you can be fined or prosecuted for dumping a rooster

  • authorities like SPCA or local councils can intervene.

Dumping a rooster and leaving it to fend for itself can be considered animal neglect and abuse.

Dumping roosters is illegal

Penalties

If someone abandons an animal without reasonable excuse and without providing for its physical, health and behavioural needs, they can:

  • be jailed for up to 12 months, or

  • fined up to $50,000, or

  • both of the above.

Refer to Section 14 (2) of the Animal Welfare Act 1999 for more information.

Dumping roosters is cruel

People dump roosters because they aren’t allowed to keep them in residential areas. This is because of the loud crowing noise they make throughout the day and sometimes during the night.

Some people think the colony in Onetangi is a great option for their unwanted roosters, but sadly this is not the case.

An unnatural large group of male birds can be a very violent and aggressive environment for a rooster. Fighting amongst them can cause starvation, dehydration, severe injuries and death. When new birds are abandoned at the park, they are attacked by the older roosters and it takes a long time, if ever, for the flock to accept them.

Roosters dumped in this area are also often attacked by dogs or run over by passing cars.

It is not a sanctuary nor a holiday resort for the roosters.

How to prevent abandoned roosters

Don’t breed chickens

If you breed chickens, chances are 50% of them will be roosters. If you live in a residential area, you cannot keep the roosters.

Instead of breeding chickens and facing this difficult situation, we recommend adopting hens from animal welfare or hen rescue groups like:

Find them a new home

Ask around and post on our community Facebook groups. There are often people who live in rural areas on (or off) the island who are happy to give roosters a home.

Speak to us

If you are really struggling to find a new home for your rooster, get in touch with our animal advocate for further advice.

Email wisca@wisca.co.nz or call 027 539 5107.

Keeping roosters as pets

If you live in a rural area and have the time and the right facilities, keeping a rooster as a pet can be a great experience.

  • Roosters make great additions to rural properties, especially ones with established hen flocks.

  • They protect hens from predators and hens lay more eggs with a rooster around. As long as you collect your eggs daily, they won’t hatch and produce more chickens.

  • Chickens are highly social animals with a strong ‘pecking order’ so they are often happier with a rooster at the head of the flock to keep everyone in line.

  • They are beautiful birds and a joy to watch.

You should know

Although you can keep more than one rooster, they are more likely to fight with each other when there are hens around. Because of this, it is best to have just 1 rooster per 8-15 hens.

More information

For more information about keeping roosters as pets, visit SPCA New Zealand: Debunking rooster myths.

For information about keeping chickens in general, visit SPCA: Keeping your backyard chickens healthy.

For information about chicken health, or to book a consultation with a chicken expert, contact Avian Empire.

Watch our video about the roosters

*This is an old video so the bank details mentioned for donations are no longer valid.

To make a donation, visit WISCA - How you can help.