The Joys of Chicken Sweaters

If you don't visit our website (and you should!) or our facebook page (what?!), then you might not have seen the photos of the chickens in their new sweaters!

A knitting club created 10 sweaters for the birds to try out. The chickens live in a really large barn and it can be hard to keep them warm at night.

The risk of fire means we cannot use heat lamps, so we have to find other creative ways to keep the birds cozy. Chickens are descendents of wild jungle fowl and really dislike the cold. They can even get sick.

The egg-laying breeds suffer the most, as they are wasting all their energy on producing eggs, they are not laying down fat and muscle.

Sunny loved her sweater!

Killer poses nicely with his

Big Red looks nice in pink

Sharktooth didn't exactly enjoy the new outfit

Check Out Rescued Hens

Rescue Ranch is our most innovative program - there are literally no others of its kind in the country! We work to facilitate the release of "spent" hens from egg farms and assist local animal controls with cruelty or neglect cases involving farmed animals.

The animals we take in are rehabilitated and then rehomed! In 2011 alone, we've been able to save the lives of 2,000 chickens, 19 turkeys, 3 sheep and five pigs!

Here is a video of 225 hens recently rescued and up for adoption.

Help Prosecute Teenagers Who Strangled Hens

Animal Place Photo Flashback - Copper Chicken

Photo: August 6, 2010

Copper is a gold-laced orpington, another breed popular with backyard chicken enthusiasts. Like many chickens at the sanctuary, Copper is the result of the backyard chicken craze. She and three other orpingtons were purchased as chicks from a feed-store. These chicks came from a large hatchery where they were born in an incubator, not in a nest. Their parents live in small cages and are used as breeding machines.

Chickens were illegal where the woman lived. While chickens make wonderful companion animals, it is important to do proper research before bringing one home. Adopt chickens - don't buy from a feed-store or a hatchery.

Animal Place Photo Flashback - Looloo Hen

Photo: August 4, 2009

Loo-loo turned one this year in May. She is one of many faces from the backyard chicken craze. When, as a young chick, she was no longer wanted, Loo-loo was set free. The poult wandered into a backyard where several feral cats ended up attacking her. The owners of the home took her in and cared for her wounds. When she was healthy, they contacted Animal Place. How could we say no? Loo-loo is a buff orpington, a breed of chicken raised for their flesh and sometimes eggs. At the sanctuary, Loo-loo gets to be herself. She is one of the friendlier chickens and enjoys sitting on laps.

Hens Available for Adoption

Last month, 200 hens arrived safe and sound from a small egg farm. They are the very first residents of Animal Place's Rescue Ranch, a 60-acre farmed animal adoption and placement center located on the former site of the Animal Place sanctuary.
The hens arrived with leg trauma. When they were young, the farm manager attempted a new identification system- plastic-coated, wire leg bands. Unfortunately, while the legs of the hens grew, the bands did not. More than 90% of the hens had deeply embedded leg bands, some to the bone.

It has taken almost two weeks of intensive care for the first group of birds to be ready for placement.

The manager will not be using these identification bands anymore.

We are placing the hens into permanent homes. Check out the adoption information below.

How to Adopt Hens

These hens are all commercial brown layer crosses. They have been bred to produce an amazing 250-300 eggs a year - 5 times more than normal. When their production decreases, they are generally sent to slaughter. They are 1.5 years old and can live another 6-7 years.

All the animals received by Rescue Ranch will be placed into permanent homes. Those who cannot be placed will be sent to the 600-acre sanctuary in Grass Valley, CA.

All of the rescued hens are available for adoption. If you are interested in adopting, please contact Marji Beach at marji@animalplace.org or 530-798-5114. You will be requested to fill out an adoption form and, if approved, pick-up of birds will be arranged. Adoption fees are to be paid upon pick-up of birds. The fees cover the care of the birds and allow us to continue our life-saving work. Any additional donations are greatly appreciated!



The adoption fees are as follows:
1-4 hens: $10/each
5-11 hens: $7/each
12+ hens: $5/each

About the Farms
Animal Place's Rescue Ranch is unique in that we work directly with farmers to provide an alternative to slaughter for a small percentage of hens in the egg laying industry. There are more than 15 million hens raised for eggs in California. Most will never find true sanctuary. The farms we work with range from small, pasture-based operations to larger facilities.



Animal Place is honest - we are a vegan organization promoting compassion to all life. We may never see eye to eye with farmers on some issues, but we hope to find common ground in order to save as many lives as possible. Toward that end, we keep all information about cooperating farmers private, and they reciprocate by not using Rescue Ranch as a tool to promote the consumption of their eggs. We do not bring cameras or recording equipment into the farm and both parties sign confidentiality agreements. Again, Rescue Ranch's goal is save as many lives as possible without compromising the integrity of our organization.

Meet the Animal Place Chickens!

A sad day for "fighting" roosters

Yet again, the victims of cruelty are killed by their supposed rescuers without given a fair chance at evaluation and placement. Seventy roosters found on an Earlville, Illinois property were killed on-site because "of the conditions they were in." The picture in this article shows a perfectly healthy rooster. The roosters were part of an illegal fighting and gambling operation.

I suppose I should be thankful that officials didn't do what Moore County, NC animal control officers did with 74 roosters, shooting them all in the head, painting them as vicious, dangerous animals. But I'm not. I'm tired of reading about roosters not even getting a reasonable chance at placement.

Here's the truth about roosters - they're individuals. They're smart. Once, I was trying to help place a woman's rooster because he had started to crow. She decided to use her dog training skills and clicker train the rooster not to crow. Guess what? Rooster now has a permanent home. Crowing is part-instinct, part-learned behavior. It's self-reinforcing, just like barking in dogs. Absent any other cues, a rooster can in fact learn to remain silent or, better yet, get his kicks by crowing on request/command (not at all hours or whenever the mood strikes). With proper management, this rooster won't face death and all because someone thought outside the box.

Roosters from fight-busts are not bent on world domination. Heck, many of them aren't even bent on killing all males within a 5-mile radius. Some are social, given enough space and freedom. Some are downright friendly, only fighting because of drugs, fear or desperation. Others are scrappers, quick to fight, quick to back down as well. Some will, in fact, hate other males all their lives. Some like humans, some are scared of people, others are defensive. All may initially be reactive amidst the stress of a fight-bust raid - I would hope anyone with a modicum of understanding on animal behavior gets that. Most can be trained not to kick or bite people, and some can even be taught better methods of expressing their dislike rather than fighting. I'm not trying to paint roosters as angelic beings who can co-exist with all other animals (humans included).I am trying to get us to stop thinking of them as automatons, robots with a penchant for blood, and start thinking of them as unique individuals with different temperaments and, in many cases, the ability to learn better behavior.

Sure, it's unreasonable to think seventy roosters can realistically find homes. It's hard finding homes for tiny bantam, fuzzy-feathered roosters, let alone large ones with such a sad history. I get that. But that is what we used to say about pit bulls from fight busts. It's too hard to find homes. They're too dangerous. They are genetically wired to kill. They can't get along with other animals. The reality is far different and it is tragically sad to think of the thousands of pit bulls who were never temperament tested, never given a reasonable chance at adoption or sanctuary in the past. It's also sad to think of the thousands of fight-bust roosters who have been shot, electrocuted, gassed or "humanely killed" as well. When homes or sanctuaries are available for fight-bust roosters, there should be no question as to what should happen to the bird. None.

Right now, though, we have to get shelters and authorities to even ask the question, to even open up to the possibility of placement. Few shelters are trying. These birds, who have endured so much tragedy, do not deserve to endure more at the hands of rescuers. All that I'm asking is they be given a fair, reasonable opportunity at placement. Nothing more, nothing less. It may mean the birds are still killed, but it also means not killing them the millisecond the cockfight ends and the "rescue" begins. It means some may get placed and it means setting a precedent that killing a healthy animal before they even step foot off of the fighting pit under the guise of "preventing suffering" doesn't happen anymore. If we are to be a compassionate shelter community, we can't kill rescued animals before they are even rescued.

Backyard chicken redux

I was reading a Chicago Tribune blog whose author is irked by the recent release of a position statement on backyard chickens by the nation's leading farmed animal sanctuaries.

This is something that's been blogged here before. Animal Place currently opposes the creation of ordinances permitting chickens. We support and will promote the adoption of chickens into homes where they are legal.

Back to the blog, a point I'd like to touch upon:

But isn't a life in a backyard with a concerned, if novice, family better than being debeaked, forced to molt and jammed into a tiny factory farm cage for your entire existence? And isn't a short life in that backyard better for a rooster than being liquidized in a grinder as a chick?

There is an assumption here that chickens people purchase from hatcheries and feed stores are somehow intended for egg farms. They aren't. There are hatcheries that produce hens for the egg-laying industry. A recent example is Hy-Line hatchery, the world's largest producer of hens for the egg industry and embryos for vaccines. They also grind up all male chicks alive, which isn't something hatcheries producing chicks for backyard flocks do - chicken sexing is difficult and roosters make great packing material.

As to roosters, the author fails to realize that it takes 4-6 months for purchasers to know gender. That's 4-6 months of children bonding with an engaging little bird, 4-6 months of Mary Sue naming, grooming, feeding and adoring her feathered friend. I cannot tell you how many calls we've received of crying mothers, sobbing chicken guardians who so desperately want to save their companion bird's life. When the gender is known, that rooster is suddenly taken from all that he has known, shuffled into a cold cage at the local shelter and, if he is lucky, he is euthanized properly by qualified staff.

The blog ignores entirely the valid issues the sanctuaries brought up. Nowhere does the author mention that day-old baby animals are shipped through the postal service without food for up to 72-hours legally. The author doesn't mention that hatcheries use roosters as packing material, you know, like bubble wrapper or newspaper, and then those same hatcheries refuse to take back the roosters. The author doesn't mention the increased intake shelters and sanctuaries have seen of unwanted hens and roosters, the difficulty in placing chickens, and the extra burden this places on animal shelters and sanctuaries.

The author doesn't mention that chickens are not uber-easy-throw-out-in-the-backyard pets. Their medical care is expensive. They are carriers of normal chicken diseases that people cringe at hearing - salmonella, coccidia, giardia. They attract rodents and predators, which can be prevented with proper predator proofing and extra care in storing food. The author doesn't mention that chickens are not food, they are unique individuals with interesting personalities. Goodness forbid, they are viewed as companion animals and, as such, be offered the kind of treatment a good guardian would provide to their dog or cat.

Animal Place will be opening Rescue Ranch sometime in 2010. It will serve as an innovative animal adoption and placement center. The focus will be farmed animals, especially chickens. Our goal will be to legally rescue hens from cooperating egg farms and place those caged and bedraggled hens into homes where they can run free, scratch in the dirt, sun-bathe, you know - be a chicken. We'll work tirelessly with shelters to place needy hens in homes and also focus on networking homes for the most neglected, the roosters. There are too many being slaughtered, too many being killed in shelters, too many being purchased and dumped. We want to see more hens and roosters adopted into good homes.

But we cannot, in good conscience, support opening the flood-gates for more abused and unwanted birds. Not until the regions where chickens ARE legal show they can significantly reduce the rate of unwanted hens and roosters, ensure birds are not slaughtered in backyards, and where most birds are adopted from organizations like Animal Place and not purchased from hi-volume, puppy-mill style hatcheries. And we certainly cannot support more ordinances when the perception of chickens is as food source and not companion. We want people to like chickens, relate to them as they would a companion dog or cat. We want people to revel in the daily gossip of the chickens. We want people to make that connection, between their companion chicken and the chicken wrapped in plastic at the supermarket - they are one in the same, an animal with unique interests, a drive to live.

If you are truly, honestly interested in welcoming chickens into your life as companions and friends, not as food sources, wonderful. Find out if it is legal where you live by contacting your planning department or local shelter. Research how to build a predator-proof chicken coop. Meet with neighbors, ask for input, answer questions and concerns. Remember, unhappy neighbors can lead to conflicts and problems. Make sure your fencing is tall and secure, able to prohibit access from raccoons, dogs, dangerous humans, wild cats, coyotes. Research the dietary needs of chickens - some breeds do poorly on a cobb-based diet, others do fine. Most love fresh produce. Learn where your local avian veterinarian is and find out how much a visit costs. Learn about the common diseases and health concerns with birds and how to prevent them.Make sure if you live in a cold-region you can keep the chickens warm.

And if you want to be put on a waiting list for incoming hens or roosters, or when Rescue Ranch is up and running - contact us at info@animalplace.org. We get calls frequently on needy chickens, especially roosters, so if you can legally provide a good, safe home for one, let us know. Please do not buy from hatcheries or feed stores. Please call us or your local shelter first and adopt. If you have questions on caring for chickens, email us as well - we're happy to help. With a flock of more than 100 chickens and turkeys and decades worth of experience handling birds, it's safe to say we've got a bit of expertise on the matter. :)

ETA: I think the commenters over at The Oil Drum offer up reasons aplenty for not allowing more ordinances.

Arturo

On an online board somewhere out in the land of internets, there is a post about someone losing their chicken. Trust me, it's out there. And in the comment section, there is this - "It's only a chicken."

Not even a measly she or he, but the most distancing of pronouns - it.

Then there is the only a chicken part as if who we bond with must pass a litmus test, achieve something greater than the only a criteria. Only a dog. Only a cat.  I've heard well-meaning people try to comfort the grieving parents of a lost infant by opining that, well, at least they didn't live long, didn't suffer long, or hey, you didn't put them through college or anything grandiose like that.Only a...

Grief is grief is grief. It's a living, breathing thing. It can be the soul-eating grief of losing a beloved, someone so near and dear to your heart that they might as well have taken up residence amongst ventricles. It can be the mind-numbing unexpected loss, the kind that takes your breath away, leaving you empty and drained. Sometimes it is a passing thing, strolling through uninvited, shaking you up.Other times it sits there, waiting for an opportune moment to rear its head, make you remember, make you feel. And that ache can happen no matter who you mourn for - a neighbor, a beloved dog, a parent or child, your best friend, even a perfect stranger. It's a strange thing, grief. Never an only a deal.

I present to you, Arturo:

He is dead, no longer ruling leader of the chicken clan. I had a dream about him, flying over gates, spreading orange feathers gently over a small hen, cooing to his young, alive.So very alive.

Arturo was born at the sanctuary, a small fluffy creature, cheeping, calling, awaiting the day he too would be a big chicken. The hens loved Arturo. His mating ritual was a thing to behold, an intricate display of "rooster-ness" combined with gentleness. It is no wonder the hens liked him - he took his time, no "grab and go", nothing rough and tumble in the way he showed his love. He made it a point to interrupt the rougher roosters, shoving them bodily off of unhappy hens. He wouldn't take their place, only gently groom rumpled hens. I loved this about Arturo, a rare gem among roosters!

It was not like I was particularly close to him, I admired him from a distance. He rarely took a bad photo, and if he did, I'd never betray his secret. I loved how the other chickens would flock to him, watching him closely as he pecked in the grass or scratched in the dirt. When he would sun-bathe, flinging a wing dramatically out, at least three or four other birds would emulate. Yoga with Arturo, master of the Phoenix Sun Pose.

One day, seven baby birds emerged from the hills, trailing their mother. She had hidden her nest well, warming it every night, waiting for the perfect moment when tiny beak met shell and a new life emerged. While we cringed at adding seven birds to the flock, we marveled at these tiny lives, strutting, running, flitting from one spot to the next. As they aged, it was quite obvious who fathered them. Newman is large like Arturo but lacks his social graces, he is not a benevolent ruler. Arturo would not be proud. Kramer looks the most like Arturo with his speckled orange feathers. I am hoping he will turn out like his dad. And then there is Cosmos, who I am pretty certain is not Arturo's but that of Danny, a tiny Japanese bantam who had a secret rendez-vous with Cosmos' mother. All four hens look exactly like their mother, tiny, feisty, no-nonsense hens.

Arturo started to decline, hunched over more days than not. He would go up the hill a ways, crouched by himself. The day before he died, I watched a strange thing happen. More than a third of the birds walked up to where Arturo sat, uncomfortable. They surrounded him, several groomed him, and I had to run back to my office to grab a camera. Even the other roosters were coming up, keeping a respectful distance but not challenging him. I only caught a few of the birds surrounding him, but I think it speaks volumes about how important Arturo was to the flock. Even if they are crappy photos.

And then he was gone. Just like that, one day out there leading hens to prime dust-bathing spots, the next an Arturo-sized hole. I can't say the flock acted any different. I don't know whether chickens mourn, I like to think some do. I know they form bonds and make friends, along with enemies. They gossip all day long (Arturo never did, because he was kind like that). If some of the chickens did mourn, I did so right alongside them. He did not live as long as he should, though he lived every day gloriously and happily. A good life for only a chicken.

Windy days, unimpressed animals, learn to save

In a move only described as Epic Fail, I managed to delete the incredibly amazing, provocative, insightful, WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE post I was writing. I cried a little.

Now you will have to settle for the following.

Here is Willy. He is a goat, as evidenced by his horns, beard and caprine-like appearance.

Today is a very windy day - you can tell by the fact that the palm tree is about to topple over. Just kidding. Or am I? You would have to be present for the picture to know for sure.

If you look closely, you can see Willy's beard dancing in the wind to its own drumbeat.

I tried to get Willy to do something a little more exciting than lying down. So he turned his head to the side. You are as excited as I am by that pose, aren't you? Yes, well, goats rarely do what you ask them to do. This is a good thing, because even when goats do as you ask, they do it in such a way as to make your life a little harder. Funnier. But harder. Like for example, one time I asked Jeffrey to get his own leaves from the tree. So he attempted to use me as a climbing device. This was painful AND funny (in hindsight).

Moving on to some other animals and their methods of wind protection. Did I mention it is windy today? Oh yes, the palm tree. Anyways, it's gusty. I feel as if I might blow away at a moment's notice, yet the animals are all unperturbed.

Bruce is the pig in front. You can read his story here. It's a tear jerker.

He is snoozing as he is wont to do and, if you had been there, you would have seen his ear would flap upwards due to an unruly burst of wind. It was cute, yet I failed to get a shot of it. I apologize.

Behind him is Nicholas. To be honest, I am grateful Nicholas wasn't acting as if the wind was the best thing since alfalfa. If so, he would have been up, kicking and bucking, most likely within a two-foot radius of me. In play, jest, haha, you are so funny! I like not getting injured by frolicking bovines, so Nicholas is absolutely gorgeous lying there in the green, green grass.

Hazel is the blurry pink pig in the very back. And there is not much else to report about her, except that she was being the most exciting animal in this shot. LOOK AT THAT HIND LEG ABOUT TO MOVE!

And then there were the chickens. Oh, chickens. Surely there would be rambunctious hens and cavorting turkeys. They would be testing their wings on the updrafts, soaring high. Just kidding, they don't do that sort of crazy stuff. I mean, they could if they wanted to. But they do not. Want to soar on the updrafts, that is.

Instead they want to do stuff like this:

You cannot get much more awesome than Diablo and his blowing mane of feathers. YOU CANNOT. I mean, you could try, but you would fail and you would feel embarrassed that you thought you could. Try to make sense of that statement. Diablo was the ONLY chicken out in the grass. His head-feathers were blowing stylishly in the wind, his comb and wattles bright red and quite an appropriate testament to his namesake El Diablo.

If this changed your life, then my epic fail of before was not in vain - PLEASE TELL ME IT CHANGED YOUR LIFE. Diablo will thank you.

Taylor the chicken, mourning her friends

Meet Taylor, the hen, my friend and confidante (on all things chicken, mainly). She is a singer, a crooner, a speaker on all subjects large and small. Who stole her nest box. Who is hanging out with Diablo the rooster when they were last seen with Newman. Who likes Ferdinand, even though he's kind of a jerk. Why Willow the turkey pecks at Joan Jett, the hen.

Everything is fair game.

Yesterday, Taylor sat on my lap. She trilled and grumbled at the rest of the birds. Here she was, on stage, ready to perform for all of her chicken peons. No one seemed to be paying much attention. She had mine, though. Eye contact, direct and forceful. A small connection. This was serious talk.

Arching her speckled neck, she reached up and tugged on a strand of hair, tug, yank, pull. Ouch! My yelp gave her pause and she cooed like a hen does to a miffed chick. It's a sweet sound, full of maternal love. When you hear this sound, do not keep up with your temper tantrum. A hen's maternal love lasts only so long, soon she will change her tone and reinforce her message with a swift peck to the head. I quickly got over the pain - she was giving me the "I will peck you if I have to" look. Mothers can be tough.

I have found Taylor's sweet spot. Reaching my fingers up, I scratch along both sides of her neck. Scratch, scratch, massage, scratch. Her eyes close, she makes these indescribably precious sounds. Happy! If she were a dog, she would be kicking her hind foot in wild abandon.

There is no denying Taylor's pleasure, no ignoring her contented sighs and clucks of appreciation. You do not need to be an expert on chickens to observe Taylor and see a being who thinks, feels, experiences the life around her.

The more you get to know another species, the harder it becomes to excuse their exploitation and abuse. Chickens are fascinating animals. Their world is sometimes unfathomable to me, but many times it's so obvious - friendship, trust, betrayal, hunger, love, altruism, fear, suffering, pain, joy. Their movements are not pointless reflexes, random responses to their environment. They think and plot and make decisions. Which makes their treatment on farms so painful. Nine billion. 

24,600,000 killed every day. By the time you have read this sentence outloud, nearly 2,000 chickens - with unique personalities like Taylor's - have been slaughtered in the United States alone. They are not protected by federal slaughter laws. Some states exclude them from state slaughter laws. This means they can be killed fully conscious, no stunning required.

The numbers alone highlights their unbearable suffering. It is impossible to slaughter 24 million birds every day without stunning improperly, not fully killing birds before their still feeling bodies are dunked into electric baths or de-feathering machines. There are not 24 million slaughterhouses for each bird. They are killed by the tens of thousands in the few processing plants that exist solely to disassemble living, sentient animals.

Chickens are not dumb. They are not immune to pain. They are intelligent, emotional beings who can and do suffer. Their desires are not much different than yours - they want to live, seek out that which makes them happy, avoid pain, make friends, eat until they are full (and they like sugary sweets!), spend time with their family and loved ones.

We owe them. We have murdered them by the billions for decades. We owe them.

Please go vegan.

Backyard Poultry Position Statement

Collective Position Statement on Backyard Poultry

 

Background
In the past year, shelters and sanctuaries in urban and suburban areas have witnessed a dramatic increase in the intake of chickens, particularly roosters. Hatcheries producing day-old chicks for shipment to feedstores and individuals are backlogged with orders. The desire to raise poultry can be linked to organic backyard farming as well as a desire to have direct access to food (eggs and, in some cases, meat).
As a coalition of animal sanctuaries concerned for the welfare of hens and roosters, we have created this position statement on the keeping and raising of chickens. All of us have received calls to take in hens and roosters who are a) no longer wanted; b) not the correct sex; c) not legally permissible. As organizations with limited resources and space, it is no longer feasible to take in even a small percentage of these sadly unwanted birds. Even with placement assistance, most of these chickens, particularly roosters, do not find permanent placement. This leaves municipal dog and cat shelters the task of taking in, housing, feeding, caring for, and inevitably killing healthy, adoptable chickens.

Problems associated with urban backyard flocks
Hatcheries are like puppy mills: When animals are reduced to commodities, their interests are pushed aside in favor of profit. Hatcheries that produce chicks for backyard flocks treat chickens and their offspring the way puppy mills treat breeding dogs and their puppies. As there are no legal requirements dictating how breeding hens and roosters are housed, they’re most likely crammed into small cages or sheds without outdoor access.

Shipping day-old chicks is cruel: Most chickens purchased are bought from hatcheries or feed stores (feedstore chicks originate from hatcheries). Hatcheries ship day-old birds through the postal service without any legal oversight. Young chickens are deprived of food and water for up to 72 hours and exposed to extreme temperatures. As Dr. Jean Cypher, a veterinarian specializing in avian medicine states, “A day-old chick can no more withstand three days in a dark crowded box than can any other newborn.” Other experts in avian medicine and behavior agree that transporting day-old chicks in boxes for the first 24-72 hours of life is cruel and medically detrimental to the birds. 

Chicken sexing is more art than science: Using data collected from sanctuaries and rescues that field calls daily about unwanted chickens, we estimate between 20-50% of purchased “hens” are actually roosters. Depending on breed, visually identifying a rooster can take weeks to months.
Roosters may be unwanted and are often illegal: Male chickens are generally unwanted for two reasons: They don’t produce eggs and they are rarely legal in urban or suburban settings. Hatcheries may use rooster chicks as packing material, regardless of whether they were ordered. Most incorporated or urban regions that do permit chickens allow only hens, not roosters. Unwanted roosters may be abandoned to the streets, slaughtered, or end up in a municipal shelter to be killed. Very few find their way into a permanent home or sanctuary.
Chickens attract rodents: Even the cleanest coop is attractive to rats and mice who enjoy the free bedding (straw and shavings) and food. Rodents are generally viewed as pests and their presence is unwanted by chicken owners and neighbors.
Lack of professional medical care: Avian medicine has made progress but there are few vets specialized in the treatment and care of birds. Veterinarians who do treat poultry are often expensive, with a veterinary visit sometimes starting at a minimum of $100.
Concerns with new ordinances allowing backyard poultry
Enforcement costs: Municipal shelters run on a tight budget dealing with animal cruelty cases, dangerous dog calls, and the normal day to day operation of their facilities. Adding an extra burden, like enforcing chicken licensing laws and related complaints, is unwise amidst current economic concerns.
Slaughter: The average chicken guardian is ill-equipped to “properly” stun and kill a chicken. Further, slaughtering can be traumatic for neighbors, including impressionable children. If chickens are to be permitted in urban areas, they must be protected from cruel mistreatment, including a ban on slaughtering them for consumption.
Roosters will be killed: Creating new ordinances permitting chickens creates a market for killing 50% of all chicks born in hatcheries. Urban and suburban areas considering chickens generally ban roosters, yet male chickens comprise half of all chicks born. Hatcheries mail roosters as packing material, and sexing of chickens is more art than science (see above). When residents purchase chicks from hatcheries or feedstores and end up with roosters, they will be put in the position of having to rehome the bird(s). Most roosters are not rehomed and end up abandoned or dumped at shelters, where most will be killed.
Suggestions if you are considering a backyard flock
Make sure it’s legal: If you live in an unincorporated area, contact your planning department and ask about the zoning requirements regarding poultry. If you live in an incorporated region, contact the city clerk for information on ordinances regarding chickens.
Adopt: Avoid the cruelties of the hatcheries by adopting birds already in existence who need homes. Check out www.petfinder.org for animals available at your local shelter. Visit www.sanctuaries.org or www.farmanimalshelters.org and contact a sanctuary near you about adopting birds. If they do not have birds, do not give up. Sanctuaries and shelters receive inquiries daily regarding animals needing homes – ask that you be contacted if a chicken becomes available who needs a home.
Do your research: Chickens can be wonderful companions. While they are relatively easy to maintain, they do have special needs. Be sure to research housing, predator proofing, diet, and medical needs. Some things to be aware of:

• Some breeds of chickens are cold-sensitive: Hens and roosters with large single combs are prone to frostbite in cooler climates. Make sure adequate housing accommodates birds in both cool and hot temperatures.
  
• Predator protection is vital: Chickens should be locked up at night in a safe enclosure that prevents access by all predators, including dogs, raccoons, aerial predators, rats, cats, wild canines, weasels, etc. During the day, animals should be housed in a fully-fenced enclosure or yard with proper protection from aerial, day-time predators and neighborhood dogs and, in the case of small bantams, large domestic free-roaming cats.
  
• Veterinary care is critical: Avian medicine is still considered an “exotic” practice and, as such, is more expensive. A one-time visit may start at $100. Nevertheless, before considering housing chickens, it is imperative that they have access to veterinary care.

Supporting Organizations

• Animal Place (marji@animalplace.org)
  
  
• Chenoa Manor Animal Sanctuary (ChenoaManor@aol.com)
  
  
• Chicken Run Rescue (chickenrunrescue@comcast.net)
  
  
• The Chocowinity Chicken Sanctuary & Education Center, Inc. (evanssu@ecu.edu )
  
  
• Eastern Shore Sanctuary and Education Center (sanctuary@bravebirds.org)
  
  
• Farm Sanctuary (scoston@farmsanctuary.org)
  
  
• Poplar Spring Animal Sanctuary (poplarspringanimal@yahoo.com)
  
  
• Sunnyskies Bird and Animal Sanctuary (sunnyskies@optonline.net)
  
  
• United Poultry Concerns (karen@upc-online.org)
  
  
• Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary (jenny@woodstocksanctuary.org)

Rescued roosters need your help

Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary and Eastern Shore Sanctuary are both desperately seeking homes for roosters rescued in two separate incidents.

New York
New York City has hundreds of live-markets where people can purchase live animals for slaughter. Many of these markets are illegal. Animals are housed in overcrowded cages, abusively treated and cruelly slaughtered.


Recently, humane investigators in New York city confiscated 200 animals from a Bronx Halal market. Chickens, guinea fowl, rabbits and pigeons were among the animals saved. Woodstock agreed to take in the 120 chickens.



More than 80 of the birds are roosters. They are looking for compassionate homes. If you can provide a home to a rooster or two, please contact Woodstock with subject line "Possible Rooster Adoption".

Virginia
Several months ago, 21 roosters were confiscated from a cockfighting bust.  Eastern Shore Sanctuary, who specializes in rehabilitating and working with former "fighting" roosters, will take in 8 of the birds. The remaining need placement by October 6 - next Tuesday. Otherwise, they will be killed.

It is a common misconception that all roosters are highly charged, dangerously aggressive birds bent on world destruction. Roosters are protectors, providers and friends. With the proper hen:rooster ratio and enough room, multiple roosters can cohabitate peacefully for years. At Animal Place, we have 15 roosters, 13 of whom live peaceably with one another - minor squabbles do occur, but that is true of the hens as well.

Roosters from fight busts can be integrated into flocks, depending on their personality and temperament. Eastern Shore has graciously offered phone and email assistance in caring for and integrating a rescued "fighting" rooster into a flock.

For more information, please contact Eastern Shore asap.

Please feel free to crosspost and spread the word.

A hen profile in black and white

Isn't she beautiful with her feathered toes, her pea comb*, and full plumage. I cannot say I know her name, but I recognize her uniqueness, her individuality and her intrinsic specialness. She poses for this shot, peering up at me with a curious gaze, wondering what this shiny black object might be to her. Peck, it does not taste edible. Scratch, it cannot be perched upon. So she stares gloomily ahead, concerned by the lack of engagement the whirring camera provides. Seconds later, she is gone, off in the thick, dead grass where her friends cavort. She talks, clucking and chirping, yelling indignantly when someone tries to take her spot. I watch, mesmerized. She is all motion, flapping wings, darting legs, yet all I can capture is stillness, pressing  the pause button in her moving life.

And then there is Tulip, a name I cannot forget. My sweet, glaring, seemingly stressed out friend. She does not do black and white, because she does not do refined poses or elegant stances. She is in your face, a little perturbed with the world, always squawking indignantly. Newman, the rooster, follows at a safe distance, never sure when Tulip's ornery glare will focus on him. He is wise not to boss Tulip around, she is dazzling color, confidence blooming from deep within her chicken soul. She let me get this shot, but she is already moving off frame, after more important pursuits. Newman follows her too, hoping against all hopes, she might change her mind and perhaps become more than friends, more than mere acquaintances in Tulip's mind.




I love these moments captured with the chickens and turkeys. They have conversations and friendships, fights and arguments, theirs is a world I pretend to understand...but really I remain woefully ignorant. There are nuances I cannot begin to understand, different gestures and words that convey something. It is all sound and motion, some touch but mainly sound, a truly cacophonous affair.

If you ever get a chance to visit Animal Place, do so. Or a sanctuary near you or maybe a friend who has companion chickens (adopted from a shelter, of course). Just sit and be with these animals, these small beings who sometimes let us into their orbits. It will bring you great joy, trust me. And if you bring grapes and a kind word, the chickens will reciprocate (with kind words, they will eat the grapes). That is how it should be.

*The fleshy proteruberance on a chicken's head.

Dunkin' Donuts egg supplier up to code

When Compassion Over Killing asked Dunkin' Donuts to offer vegan donuts and to eliminate or reduce their reliance on eggs, they got a less than thrilling response. Mainly, they were told that Dunkin' Donuts sources their eggs from farms that meet or exceed the United Egg Producers (UEP) standards, including Michael Foods.

Here are some of the UEP welfare standards:
Housing: Space allowance should be in the range of 67-86 square inches of usable space. A standard piece of letter paper has 93.5 square inches. The UEP guidelines provides less space than an 8.5 x 11 inch piece of paper. Spacy!
Beak Trimming (euphemism for de-beaking): The beaks of chicks must be trimmed when chicks are 10 days old or younger. Birds have nerves and blood vessels that run to the tip of their beak. Beaks are vital for preening, eating and interacting with other birds.
Euthanasia (euphemism for killing): Methods currently considered acceptable for euthanasia and on-farm depopulation...include...cervical dislocation.

Michael Foods, by the way, is a $1.4 billion dollar producer of eggs and other products. Seventy-percent of their sales is from the sale of eggs. They are the largest producer of "extended life" egg products. Michael Foods has several farms that house between 12-15 million hens at any given time.

Back to Dunkin' Donuts. After COK received their less than thrilling response, they decided to investigate from where these eggs come. This is what they found:



Animal Place co-founder and board member Dr. Ned Buyukmihci was asked to view the video and had this to say:

As a result of crowded conditions and low height of the cages, the hens could not lie down or walk, spread their wings or rest without causing major disturbance to the rest of the birds in the cage.

The cages contained many dead birds. Many of these had been long dead as evidenced by their mummified state and sometimes being in pieces. This would take weeks to develop.

Even "properly" done cervical dislocation, the industry standard, may  not result in a painless and instant death.

You can certainly contact Dunkin' Donuts and ask them to offer vegan alternatives as well as eliminate their use of cruelly produced eggs. 

The best thing you can do is to start the process of eliminating animal-based foods from your diet, eggs included. Nearly 98% of all hens in the egg-laying industry are housed in battery cages, like that in the video. The male chicks are all killed. There are no laws defining "free-range" or "cage-free". There just are not any viable, commercially profitable humane egg farms. Not when male chicks are slaughtered. Not when hens are debeaked. Not when birds are denied expression of natural behavior. And certainly not when hens are killed at the young age of two. Be a part of the solution by going vegan.

A big thank you to Compassion Over Killing!

Rescued hens settling in

Several weeks ago, we received a call from a local shelter. They had confiscated twenty-five hens from a small educational farm. The farm receives complaints every year. In exchange for avoiding charges, the owner signed over 25 hens. Business as usual in the world of farmed animal prosecution - it just does not happen all that often.

Ten of the hens were in pretty bad shape with significant feather loss. The location of the feather loss indicates that the farm has too many roosters for their hen population. The hens are a variety of different breeds and have been moved into a special-needs enclosure until they are healthy enough to be with the rest of the birds, including our resident roosters. We maintain a healthy rooster:hen ratio which helps avoid fighting amongst roosters and overmounting.

In addition to taking in the ten hens, we agreed to take in one adorable polish crested hen with a split beak. We hope when she is released into the main group, she will fall totally in love with Diablo. I have named her Anastasia which may or may not be approved by the rest of the staff.

Some more photos:

They're murdering baby chickens. What's next?

People have been appalled at footage from Mercy for Animal's investigation of Hy-Line hatchery, the world's largest producer of hens for the egg-laying industry and embryos for vaccine research.The footage depicts how male chicks are killed - thrown fully conscious into an industrial grinder.



I was reading this article about one young girl's response to seeing the video. She, like so many children, loves animals. When she heard about Hy-Line's treatment of male chicks, she burst into tears. She's gone so far as to collect signatures at a grocery store for a petition. More importantly, she's done the easiest thing anyone can do to help both the male and female chicks in the egg industry - she's stopped eating eggs. It's that simple. Not extreme, not crazy, far-out stuff, just the most mundane thing you can do to stop contributing to a cruel problem.

But what struck me most in this article was a comment made by the girl's mother, the title of this post.

They're murdering baby chickens. What's next?

What's sad is how unlikely she is referring to the systematic slaughter of 8.9-9.3 billion 6-week-old baby chickens raised for consumption every year in the United States. Agribusiness accuses animal activists frequently of hiding the truth or appealing to emotion when highlighting how animals are raised on farms. Yet they have subverted reality for decades with their ads of pastoral settings, their claims of kind treatment, and worst of all, their lack of honesty on who once walked and ran in the whole body now neatly plastic-wrapped in pieces.

So now you know. You know that male chicks are killed the day they are born, females are debeaked and thrown into cages for two years before slaughter. You know that chickens raised for their flesh are bred to grow so fast, gain so much weight that in just six short weeks they can be shackled and killed by the billions. Knowledge is power. Use it to help animals - go vegan.

Hy-Line hatcheries, industry gold

Hy-Line hatchery is the world's largest producer of chicks for the egg-laying industry and embryos for vaccinations. Their "products" include: Hy-Line W-36 (world's most efficient layer!); Hy-Line Brown (pretty and balanced, an excellent combo!); Hy-Line W-98 (quick to mature, pops out big eggs); Hy-Line Silver Brown (she's silver. and brown!); and the Hy-Line Gray (tinted eggs is her specialty). It's great when living, sentient, intelligent beings are referred to as "products", really allows for us to disconnect from the cruelties we inflict upon them.

To say Hy-Line is a behemoth is an understatement, it is The Standard, the industry go-to corporation when it comes to egg productions, genetics, vaccine research and all the ways humans can use chickens to satiate or benefit humans. The company has a huge reach across the world with production facilities in dozens of countries.

So when you watch this video, know that it is not abnormal. It is not the outlier, it is the standard, the bell curve normal. This is what your average sorting facility looks like and this is what happens to your average male chick and your average female chick.



According to the AVMA's euthanasia guidelines, maceration is a really great death. It's so good that if you scroll down to its entry on page 17, you'll notice it's even underlined, that's just to emphasize is awesomeness. No one is signing their sick puppies or kittens up for this "good death" but it is how most of the 200+ million male chicks are killed in this country and across the globe, animals who have the same ability to experience fear and pain, perhaps even more so as sensitive, young animals.

Now, it very well may be true that maceration is more instantaneous, less painful than gassing or suffocation, a couple other methods of killing male chicks. Which misses the point, that male birds should not be killed at all - we don't need eggs to survive, we don't need those poor debeaked hens to produce eggs and thus we don't *need* male chicks to be grinded up alive or suffocated or gassed. It's an unnecessary cruelty that you can help stop - don't eat eggs, start today. You won't find a commercially viable egg farm where male chicks are not killed, where hens are not slaughtered at a young age. So why contribute to what is, by most people's moral compass, an unethical and cruel way to treat, raise, house, manage, kill nonhuman animals?

Mercy for Animals produced this undercover investigation - thank you! Visit their website ChooseVeg.com for recipes and reasons to commit yourself to an animal, health and earth friendly diet.

Please welcome....

Looloo, Boris and company! In the past few weeks, we have welcomed five new animals to the sanctuary. Here are a couple of the newest residents!

Looloo
Looloo is a 9-week old buff orpington with luck on her side. Most likely purchased as a day-old chick, transported through the postal service, at the young age of 2-weeks, she ended up in the jaws of a feral cat!

Someone abandoned her in a neighborhood right near a small colony of feral cats. As she was attacked, her rescuer appeared and saved her from death.

Her rescuers made sure she recovered from her bite wounds, nursing her back to health. With several dogs, a toddler and feral cats to take care of, they felt it better to try and find her a permanent home.

So now she is spending her days at the sanctuary, learning to be a chicken but still loving to leap clumsily ont our laps for some loving.

You can see another photo of her here.

Boris and Company
Several years ago, a teacher decided to release the classroom rabbits out onto school property. The rabbits were not castrated and soon began to reproduce. As people noticed the clearly domestic rabbits, the site became a dumping ground for unwanted bunnies. Not only that but people were allowing their dogs to kill the rabbits and teenagers were shooting the rabbits as well. It was an awful situation.

Rescue groups mobilized to trap, neuter and place the rabbits. We agreed to take a small number of rabbits, including Boris. Introducing rabbits to our current population is stressful for everyone and, with 24 rabbits, we are at our maximum. Boris is doing well with the new group and the remaining rescued bunnies will be introduced after they recover from surgery.