Thumbelina

Terrified is the first word that comes to mind when I think about Thumbelia. When I first met her  in 2017 she was terrified from her beak down to her toes. She was beyond scared. She would shake when she saw me or any other chicken. Her little body was bald and featherless and she was absolutely tiny. Rescued from Star Poultry abattoir, Thumbelina was named by others and given to me to care for.

For about a month, Thumbelina refused to come out of the chicken coop, she was terrified of the other chickens and the world. I waited and watched as she slowly formed a friendship with another little hen who was also rescued the same night that she was. Both had lived in the same awful cage egg farm, both had travelled in crates on a truck to the abattoir and both were so lucky to be rescued that night. Thumbelina became friends with a little hen named Cruskit. Cruskit was also small and tiny, but Cruskit always had an energy about her that was fierce. Cruskit always knew she was going to be unstoppable and I think Thumbelina knew that and knew that Cruskit would always have her back. Making friendships with loyal, steadfast souls is very rarely something you regret.

This is a post I wrote about Thumbelina and Cruskit back in Novemeber, 2016.

Thumbelina (aka “Finch”) and Cruskit (aka “Sparrow”) have become the best of friends. They do not leave each other’s side – ever. They both came to me bald and terrified. Thumbelina refused to leave the coop and hid in a nesting box for many days, terrified of the other chickens, but these two found each other and now absolutely love each other. They were both battery hens who were rescued from the abattoir by some friends a few weeks ago now.

It’s things like this that make my heart soar. I have literally smiled each and every time I have seen these two trotting around the place together, constantly talking to each other. It’s a rare thing to find a friend who will stick by you in all times, but I believe these two will have each other until one or the other leaves the world.

I’ve had a rough few weeks with my chickens, I’ve said goodbye to a few. I’m in a unique position in life where I can photograph, rescue, take home and then care for these birds until they die. Being in such a position honestly makes me quite emotional about these birds (some might say crazy), but I’ve seen exactly where they have come from, I have seen their suffering and I find it difficult. I find it difficult burying them, but I have to do it over and over again. It’s not something I can talk about at parties – “Oh, what did you do today?” ….”Oh, I buried a hen who I rescued from hell who was dying, nursed her for months, watched her live happily for two years and then watched her die”. It’s just not something maybe people understand or WANT to understand. People wonder why I don’t do something more “important” or “worthy” – “why don’t you have children?” they say. This is important enough to me (and to them) to find myself smiling with joy and crying in sadness more than I can explain. More than I can explain.

I hate chickens, they break my heart. I love chickens, they break my heart.

 

Thumbelina is now a beautiful, confident hen who loves her life and her chicken family. She can still be seen trotting around the place with Cruskit on a daily basis.