While most people’s only contact with chicken is original recipe and chips, those people who’ve experienced the love of a chicken, their engaging personalities and their quirky birdy behaviours, know they are one of the worlds most underestimated animals. And they are winning converts around the world.
“In the same way that a dog wags its tail in response to your voice, a chicken will actually answer you back verbally. It’s that conversation that people are really warming to.”
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall – The Times Online
But being a chicken lover is not without it’s perils. The Atlantic reports on the difficulties faced when baby chicks are sexed… but they get it wrong;
Simply put, it’s not easy to size up a chicken’s true leanings, at least not right away. That’s a lesson many urban chicken owners learn the hard way, because no matter how attached they become to this creature they’re raising from an egg, even chicken-friendly cities such as Portland (where a tour highlighting the best in backyard avian architecture—think coops with eco-roofs and heated floors—attracted more than 600 people last year) draw a firm line at roosters. So the question becomes: How to get rid of them?
Turning them into dinner does not seem to be popular, sustainability benefits aside. Instead, other, more decidedly urban solutions have emerged. New postings pop up almost daily on Craigslist featuring roosters that need to leave Portland, pronto: “cute rooster who crows too loud for the neighbor. very sad to let him go, but we must until the city changes its mind.†Like personal ads for humans, many include descriptions of the ideal match, mentions of farm fantasies, and attempts to warn away the wrong partner: “Too small for a chicken dinner.â€
“I’ve had grown men in tears because they raised them as babies and they live in the city and can’t have a rooster,†Rushing says from behind the feed-store counter.
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And like all pets, chickens need care and vet attention. And dedicated owners see no cost too much for a loved family member.
(US) Couple pays $4,000 for leg surgery on pet chicken
This could be the world’s most expensive chicken leg.
When Lily the chicken needed surgery, her owners sacrificed to do whatever it took to help their pet. She had gotten her left leg stuck in a barbed wire fence.
The veterinarian told Lily’s owners, Vicky and Sam Mills, that it would be extremely costly to save her leg. But the couple told the vet to do whatever it took to save their pet chicken.
It took seven operations and a leg amputation to get Lily back to normal. The Mills have paid almost $4,000 for their pet chicken’s medical bills. They took out a bank loan, and lived a minimal lifestyle for a year to pay for Lily’s treatment.
But the Mills said it is completely worth it to see a smile on Lily’s beak.
Initially, treatment failed, and the veterinarians said that Lily’s leg would have to be amputated in order to save her life. And then, the pet chicken was diagnosed with depression after the operation.
Pet experts said Lily was sad when she was alone in the house, so the UK couple left the television on whenever they left home.
Vicky Mills said: “She’s worth every penny. I love her to bits and it would break my heart if anything happened to her.†The couple said they couldn’t bear to put their beloved chicken down. They added that Lily is a happy hen again and is fine hoping around on one leg, but when she tries to scratch herself with her missing leg, she does fall over. ref
… going to show species is no barrier to empathy, compassion and deep bonds between pet and owner.
So when you’re sitting down to christmas lunch this year, give a thought to the humble chicken. She is a complex, lovable creature who deserves respect. And if you feel compelled to help a rescuer caring for chickens here in Australia, check out A Poultry Place;
Bede Carmody offers a sanctuary to injured or abandoned chickens, ducks and geese at his property near Canberra.
