Blackie came to us in early 2012 from a couple in town who no longer wanted their two hens. They were (of course) un-named, so J gave the black Australorp the most original name of, “Blackie” and her Rhode Island Red friend, “Rhonda”. You see, most people believe that chickens are dispensable. They believe that chickens aren’t pets for life and whenever you are sick of them you can just kill them or give them away. That’s how most people view their backyard chickens. Don’t get me wrong, some people love their backyard chickens so very much and would never think about dumping, killing or giving them away, but most people do.
Blackie is like royalty. She carries herself like a Queen and everyone treats her like one. She is a beauty and she still sleeps up on the perch at night with her old friend Rhonda.
Chickens are for life, not just until you are sick of them.
Please don’t use my images without permission. All images are Copyright Tamara Kenneally
I picked up Hoppy and 11 other ex-battery hens from Edgar’s Mission in July, 2012. Edgar’s Mission had rescued thousands of hens from a cage egg farm who was going out of business and the farmer agreed to let Edgar’s Mission rescue all of them. Hoppy was lucky enough to be one of them. She got another chance at life.
I named her, “Hoppy” because it was very evident soon after she arrived that she had a limp. It turned out that she had a broken bone in her leg. After many months of attempting to get it to heal, my vet and I gave up. There was no way it was ever going to heal and the pain was too much for Hoppy to live with so Hoppy’s right leg was amputated. You may think it was extreme, but it was the only thing to give Hoppy that second chance at life. She adapted so well and she could even keep up with the fastest of them on her one leg with the help of her wings.
Hoppy lived another happy year until eggs finally killed her. She developed egg yolk peritonitis and passed away despite her and my best efforts to beat it.
She was one determined little lady. Her will to live despite her one leg reminds me every day how much we need to make people realise that chickens are more than just an egg and more than a piece of meat, they are intelligent, emotional birds who just want to live.
Please don’t use my images without permission. All images are Copyright Tamara Kenneally
She came from a battery cage egg farm in Pearcedale, Victoria in late 2011. A farm whose sheds where so old they felt like they were haunted with the millions of souls of hens who had been trapped there all the decades past. She was so lucky. She was rescued. She came to Lefty’s Place to live out her life.
She was an incredibly stern hen. She was very dominant and liked to keep everyone else in order. She was at the top of the pecking order and she was a girl who always got her own way.
I named her “Mrs Appleyard” after the school principal in one of my favourite films, “Picnic At Hanging Rock” because her sternness reminded me so much of her.
Mrs Appleyard died one sunny day in November 1.5 years later. She had been ill and I had been treating her for egg yolk peritonitis. She slipped away peacefully one night full of pain killers, oats and happy memories about the second half of her life.
I will never forget her always watching. always stern face trying to keep the other hens in line. She was a sergeant major for sure.
I miss her.
Please don’t use my images without permission. All images are Copyright Tamara Kenneally
Beautiful Marilla, she really was such a beautiful chicken. She was big and stood over everyone, yet she was so gentle and timid. I named her “Marilla” after the character in, “Anne of Green Gables” as she seemed like an old soul who was very practical and got things done without a fuss, and also because she was a bigger boned lady!
I picked up 12 ex battery hens from Edgar’s Mission in July 2012. They had been rescued by Edgar’s Mission when a farmer decided he wanted out of egg farming and asked them to take all the hens, which they did. Marilla was one of those girls.
Marilla spent a very happy 2 years at Lefty’s Place before she succumbed to a reproductive tumour. If commercial egg layers don’t die of egg yolk peritonitis, it is usually some other issue of the reproductive tract that kills them. These poor girls are destined to such short lives because of their selectively bred bodies, just so humans can eat eggs.
I will never forget her stature and her beautiful face. She used to grab grapes and run for her life with them and find a place to hide so she could eat them all alone and savour the moment.
Please don’t use my images without permission. All images are Copyright Tamara Kenneally
In October 2015, on a farm a past Mildura, an undesexed Koolie working dog had puppies. Farmers often do not bother about desexing their dogs, they are there to work you see, no extra money should be spent on them in their eyes. So, this farmer had all these puppies and didn’t want them, so a fabulous dog rescuer got involved and put a call out on facebook for homes.
Molly and Jackson’s “adopt me” facebook photos from an irresponsible farming family.
My good friend saw this call out and drove 4 hours each way on November 7, 2015 to pick up two of the little Koolie puppies from this unwanted litter. On her way home from Mildura, she stopped in to Lefty’s Place and it just so happened that these two little puppies went no further. They had found their home as soon as J saw them. J had been without a dog since his beloved elderly dog, Buster, had passed away in July, 2015. He is a dog man and was missing having a dog in his life desperately. These two lucky puppies just happened to stumble across the man who needed them most.
J named the little white female puppy, “Molly” and the male puppy, “Jackson”. Being Koolies, they are so incredibly smart and pick things up so quickly. Koolies are working dogs and their instincts to round up the sheep and the chickens is powerful. So far our sheep have head butted them a few times to let them know exactly who is boss! Molly is the boss of the two dogs. She is super smart and is always thinking. Her mind never, ever stops. She works out problems incredibly fast and loves a challenge. Her eyes aren’t quite right, but our vet is hoping they correct themselves as she gets older.
Jackson is the more gentle of the two dogs. He is a bit more of a “daddy’s boy” and gets scared easily. He cries a far bit when he gets scared and follows his sister around like a shadow. He is getting more confidence every day though and his cheeky side is starting to show.
Molly and Jackson were extremely lucky to find a home. Over 200,000 dogs and cats are euthanised in this country each year because people do not desex their pets. Most unwanted puppies end up in shelters and are euthanised because of selfish, stupid people who do not desex their pets. It’s not that hard. Be a responsible pet owner.
Molly and Jackson’s life in photographs will be recorded in this slideshow below. Check back every now and again to see how they’ve grown.
Please don’t use my images without permission. All images are Copyright Tamara Kenneally
Blackie is like royalty. She carries herself like a Queen and everyone treats her like one. She is a beauty and she still sleeps up on the perch at night with her old friend Rhonda.
Molly is the boss of the two dogs. She is super smart and is always thinking. Her mind never, ever stops. She works out problems incredibly fast and loves a challenge. Her eyes aren’t quite right, but our vet is hoping they correct themselves as she gets older.
