Matakana animal rescuers were shocked to find a rooster among 109 hens, which they rescued from a battery hen farm, reports New Zealand news service Stuff.co.nz

The Sanctuary owner Shawn Bishop says she has helped to rescue more than 2000 battery hens, which were about to be culled at 18-months of age, and has never discovered a rooster that has survived life inside a battery hen farm.

"We have done rescues for many years and we have never heard of this happening before."