Hi Ho Silver… A Voice in the Wilderness

Perched atop a fence in a Melbourne suburb, a young rooster sang his heart out, seemingly calling for love. Just how he came to be there, we shall never know. But his age fits an all-too-familiar pattern.

For dear Hi Ho Silver, his tiny spurs just sprouting, had found his voice. And, like so many young roosters, in finding it, he had apparently lost his home. “Oh, we love him dearly and would keep him, except the council won’t allow us to.” How often we hear those words.

And surely it is time our thinking, our compassion and our local council laws caught up with what we know about these remarkable birds.

Rescue groups and sanctuaries simply cannot keep pace with the ever-growing number of unwanted roosters. Add to this the chicks hatched in classrooms, where programmes intended to teach children about life too often end with living beings handed elsewhere when caring for them becomes inconvenient.

Surely the lesson should be about responsibility, not how to pass it on.

But back to Silver.

It seems he chose the right fence, perhaps enticed by the lovely, feathered ladies on the other side. With neither the local council nor the animal welfare agency approached able to assist, somehow we found room for one more.

But only for a whistle-stop stay.

For Silver, still finding his way in the world, is not yet the sort of fellow who rushes forward for affection. Perhaps kindness has simply been too scarce in his young life for trust to come easily.

What he seeks is wonderfully simple: a few lovely hens, a safe and secure coop, and someone willing to give him the time and understanding he so richly deserves.

For finding his voice should never have cost him his home.

And perhaps, with your help, Hi Ho Silver can finally ride off into the sunset, towards a forever home and harem where his voice will always be welcome.