If you need to rehome chickens, your best options are farm animal sanctuaries, local poultry rescue groups, agricultural networks, and online rehoming platforms. Most traditional animal shelters and humane societies do not accept chickens, so finding the right placement takes a bit more legwork than surrendering a cat or dog.
Why Most Shelters Won’t Take Chickens
Standard animal shelters are typically set up for dogs, cats, and small pets. Organizations like the Animal Humane Society explicitly list chickens as livestock they cannot accept, alongside pigs and goats. They simply lack the housing, veterinary knowledge, and feeding infrastructure poultry require. This catches many chicken owners off guard, especially people who adopted backyard hens without realizing how long they live (5 to 10 years for most breeds) or how noisy roosters can be.
The good news is that many shelters maintain referral lists pointing you toward organizations that can help. Calling your local humane society or animal control office is still a smart first step, not because they’ll take the birds, but because they often know exactly which local rescue or sanctuary will.
Farm Animal Sanctuaries
Farm animal sanctuaries are purpose-built to house poultry and other livestock for life. They exist in nearly every state, though capacity varies widely. Most operate on donations and volunteer labor, so space fills quickly and waiting lists are common.
When a sanctuary does accept a bird, the intake process is thorough. New arrivals are quarantined away from existing residents, examined within the first 24 hours, checked for external parasites, and have fecal samples tested for internal parasites. Staff document the bird’s sex, approximate age, behavior, and any health concerns. This isn’t a drop-off situation. You’ll typically need to schedule an appointment, provide the bird’s history, and sometimes cover a surrender fee or make a donation to offset care costs.
To find sanctuaries near you, search “farm animal sanctuary” plus your state or county. The Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries and the Open Sanctuary Project both maintain directories. Some well-known national organizations like Farm Sanctuary (New York and California) and Chicken Run Rescue (Minnesota) accept birds directly or can connect you with a closer affiliate.
Poultry-Specific Rescue Groups
Smaller, volunteer-run chicken rescues operate in many metro areas, often run by a single person or a small network of foster homes. These groups tend to be more flexible than large sanctuaries and may be able to take your birds faster. They’re also more likely to actively rehome chickens to screened adopters rather than keeping them permanently, which frees up space.
Finding these groups requires some digging. Search Facebook for “[your city] chicken rescue” or “[your state] poultry rehoming.” Nextdoor, Craigslist (under “farm and garden”), and local homesteading forums are also common places where rescue coordinators post. Many don’t have formal websites, so social media is often the only way to reach them.
Rehoming Directly to Another Owner
If rescue organizations near you are full, rehoming directly to another chicken keeper is a practical alternative. Backyard poultry groups on Facebook, Craigslist’s farm and garden section, and apps like the Chicken Swap app connect owners looking to place birds with people looking to expand their flocks. Local feed stores often have community bulletin boards where you can post a flyer.
A few things to keep in mind when going this route. Ask potential adopters about their setup: coop size, predator protection, existing flock, and why they want the birds. Hens in good laying condition are easier to place than older hens or roosters. Roosters are especially difficult because many municipalities ban them, and most flocks already have one. Be honest about the bird’s age, health, and temperament. Listing birds as “free to good home” attracts more responses, but some rescue advocates recommend charging a small rehoming fee (even $5 to $10) to discourage people looking for free meat birds.
County Extension Offices and 4-H Programs
Your local cooperative extension office, run through land-grant universities in every U.S. county, can be a surprisingly useful resource. Extension agents work with poultry farmers and hobbyists regularly. They may know of 4-H families, FFA programs, or small farms looking for birds. They can also tell you about any local poultry swaps or auctions where birds change hands.
Poultry swaps are informal events (often monthly or seasonal) where people buy, sell, and trade birds. They’re common in rural and suburban areas. While this puts your chickens in front of experienced poultry people, you have less control over where the birds end up compared to a direct rehoming or sanctuary placement.
What Not to Do
Abandoning chickens in a park, on rural land, or at someone else’s property is illegal in every state. Virginia law, for example, classifies animal abandonment as a Class 1 misdemeanor. Most other states carry similar penalties, sometimes including fines of $1,000 or more. Domestic chickens cannot survive on their own. They’re highly vulnerable to predators, weather, and disease without shelter and supplemental feed.
Releasing chickens near farms is equally problematic. Stray poultry can introduce diseases like Marek’s disease or avian influenza to established flocks, creating serious agricultural and biosecurity concerns.
Preparing Your Chickens for Surrender
Whatever option you choose, a little preparation makes placement easier and faster. Most rescues and sanctuaries will want to know each bird’s approximate age, breed (if known), sex, egg-laying status, any health issues you’ve noticed, and how they behave around people and other animals. Having this information ready shows you’re a responsible owner and helps the receiving organization plan appropriate care.
If a rescue asks for a health check beforehand, look for a veterinarian with avian or poultry experience. Not all small-animal vets are comfortable with chickens. Your state veterinary medical association or the Association of Avian Veterinarians can help you locate one. Some rescues handle all health screening themselves at intake, so ask before scheduling a vet visit you may not need.
Transport chickens in a well-ventilated pet carrier or cardboard box with air holes. Avoid wire-bottom cages, which can injure their feet. Keep the carrier dark and quiet to reduce stress during the trip. Birds that arrive calm and healthy are easier for rescues to evaluate and place.