Aries

Aries was found at abattoir in January, 2017. She was found in crates with thirty of her friends. It was quite baffling to us why these hens were at the abattoir as they were so young, only at point of lay age. All thirty were rescued and I kept three of these beautiful girls. Two golden beauties who I called “Leo” and “Aries” and one gorgeous brown girl who was so timid, sweet and scared who I called, “Pisces”.

Aries is a leader. Her golden feathers shine as she walks through grass first, as she leads the other hens through a forgotten path on the property. She leads like an  aries and she walks like an aries. She is incredibly selfish when it comes to food and is not afraid to peck others in the head if they come anywhere near her food.

Brave, strong, independent and clever. Aries is not just a chicken, she’s a super hero chicken.

Leo

Leo was found at abattoir in January, 2017. She was found in crates with thirty of her friends. It was quite baffling to us why these hens were at the abattoir as they were so young, only at point of lay age. All thirty were rescued and I kept three of these beautiful girls. Two golden beauties who I called “Leo” and “Aries” and one gorgeous brown girl who was so timid, sweet and scared who I called, “Pisces”.

Leo was beautiful, proud and headstrong from the first moment I saw her. She kept her head held high and knew how beautiful she was. I took all three lovely young hens to Lefty’s Place and introduced them to Super Chicken’s flock where they fitted in beautifully.

Leo spends her time hanging around with Super Chicken and with Aries. She also has an independent streak, which means I find her wandering off every now and again looking for puddles to gaze in to to see her beautiful gold reflection.

Cashew

Cashew was rescued from Star Poultry abattoir in 2016. She was found squashed in to transport crates with thousands of other hens awaiting their death the next day. Cashew had travelled from the cage egg farm she lived in for almost two years, after having been thrown in to crates roughly along with her thousands of her farm sisters. These hens had been so roughly handled that most of them had broken legs and wings. Many of them had suffered  internal bleeding and were bruised all over their bodies.

Little Cashew suffered a broken leg, bruising and a broken wing. Along with two of her rescues friends, Almond and Walnut, she underwent surgery to pin her leg together so she could live a happy life as a chicken. These days Cashew is a cheeky little lady who loves to sunbake near the willow tree and always has her eye on her boyfriend, Popeye.

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.

 

Frodo

“And there was Frodo, pale and worn, and yet himself again; and in his eyes there was peace now, neither strain of will, nor madness, nor any fear. His burden was taken away.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King

Frodo spent the first year of his life living in a backyard in Euroa (picture below). Once a cute little lamb fawned over turned in to an older lamb who was put out in to the backyard and forgotten about. His name used to be “Billy” and all he was fed was bread which stopped his little body from developing and growing and also caused rickets, his back legs were bowed and weak. At one year old, Billy became unwanted. His human “caretakers” were moving house and needed him gone. This is where Karina from Lamb Care Australia stepped in. She secured a home for Billy and gave him a future full of light.

I picked Frodo up from a wonderful temporary home and he was just skin and bone. He was tiny. I picked him up in my arms, put him in the car and his new life began. I changed his name from Billy to Frodo because he is so small, but also so very brave just like Frodo in Lord Of The Rings.

Frodo’s first time meeting other sheep was very exciting for him. He ran straight in to the middle of them with relief in his eyes. A sheep alone is a miserable sheep. Sheep need other sheep to feel safe and happy.

Frodo’s nickname is “Pocket” because he is small enough to fit in a pocket.

Out of all the sheep in the flock. Frodo has picked Pancho as his favourite friend. He has picked the most headstrong, stubborn, forthright boy in the flock to be his Samwise. This sweet little sheep, who couldn’t head butt a cat, has decided that the head butting King of Lefty’s Place, Mr Pancho, is his favourite friend.

Frodo is now a happy little sheep who has a family and will never be alone again.