Well I’m sure you saw this one coming…

si
If you remember, Si the foster chicken came to us in late November after having survived a raccoon attack that killed her friend. Both she and her friend were rescued after being dumped in a forest, but their pen wasn’t as safe as her rescuers hoped it would be.

recover
So Si came here to recover from her eye infection and minor raccoon bite wounds. She needed to be here 7-10 days for treatment, but we offered to keep her until her pen could be made more secure.

couple
A couple of weeks turned into a month turned into two months and, well… she’s still here.

better
Her eye is all better, her feathers have grown back in and she’s a happy little hen.

friendly
She’s a very friendly, talkative lap hen too.

not
But her rescuers have changed their mind and decided they aren’t ready to take on the responsibility of chickens right now.

as much
As cute as this little rescued hen is, I was hoping we could give her back so we’d have room here to foster the next bird in need.

think
She’s been here too long now, and I think another adjustment just wouldn’t be fair to her. She’s become attached to me and is comfortable in her routine. I think we’ll be able to eventually move her in with the other hens, but it is going to take quite a while.

here
But she’s here for now and likely here to stay.

carol
I haven’t broken the news to Carol yet though, so let’s keep this news between us.

of course
Si is of course a wonderful, lovable and friendly hen. Hopefully we can just get her settled in soon so we can keep a space open for the next bird in need.

never
We never recommend backyard flocks to anyone because over half of all chicks hatched never make it to their first birthday. Most male chicks are killed at birth, either suffocated or thrown in a grinder. Other chickens are dumped (like Si and her friend), attacked, get sick or are surrendered to shelters after people tire of the work and mess they can be. In the past week alone, the Seattle Animal Shelter has received thirteen hens who need new homes. THIRTEEN OF THEM. Two were left in a donation bin at night, one of them so sick she had to hold a wing out to keep her balance. (The other 11 were left behind when people moved out of a home. They just abandoned a flock of 11 chickens unattended in their vacant yard).

some
Hens like Si can live to be over a decade old. Our rescued hen Olivia is somewhere north of 13-years-old now and still going strong.

please
Please do me a favor. Do Si and her chicken friends all a favor and DON’T HATCH CHICKS this year. Tell others to avoid a flock all together, or adopt. There are thousands upon thousands of egg-laying hens available for adoption right now on PetFinder.com. Just enter your zip code and read all about them.

join me
And while it wasn’t what I was expecting, please join me in officially welcoming Si to the family. She’s a wonderful, sweet, darling kid… even if Carol doesn’t agree.

Welcome to the motley crew, Si. Make yourself at home.

23. January 2014 by Silly Human
Categories: Happy Endings, New Rescues | 6 comments

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