Rescue & Adoptions

2006 Featured Rescues

Yonkers

Yonkers and her friends were rescued from a factory farm in Central California. From the day they were born until they day they were transported away from the farm to safety, these unhappy hens lived in tiny, filthy cages inside a giant warehouse. They were brutally debeaked as young chicks (to prevent them from injuring one another by pecking) and several of the birds suffered deformities to their beaks as a result. Then they were packed so tightly into their cages they could not lie down, stretch their wings, or even reach food or water without climbing over one other. Month after grueling month, their bodies were pushed to lay far more eggs than they ever would in nature, and they were never given the chance to feel sunshine on their backs or breathe fresh air. Just like the rest of the 300 million egg-laying hens raised inside battery cages in the United States each year, Yonkers and her companions lived a life of misery, frustration, and despair.

Although Yonkers probably had given up hope that she would ever see outside her wire prison, she and 58 other hens finally found freedom. Here at Farm Sanctuary, the hens felt cool earth beneath their feet for the first time in their lives. As they were being unloaded from their carriers into a spacious rehabilitation pen, they felt the warmth of sunshine on their faces and soon began scratching excitedly at the dirt. Each new experience for the hens, from their first dust bath to their first sprint across the green grass in their outdoor yard, evoked in them a tremendous and tangible joy. Caregivers smiled and laughed as the hens scampered to and fro across the grass, jumping, weaving, and dodging on legs that had never run before.

The 59 hens rescued in this case have now fully recovered and are loving every minute of sanctuary life. They spend their days eating grass and exploring outside, dozing in piles of warm straw, and greeting visitors to their barn. They especially love feeding time, and even flap and jump into food buckets or perch on the shoulders of the caregiver bringing their meals to show how gleeful they are about the impending feast. Yonkers has proven to be a very curious and independent soul. Her twisted beak and inquisitive nature make her stand out from the other hens. But, just like the rest of her sisters, she is grateful to have found a home where she will be loved and cared for forever.

UPDATE
Sadly, just a few short weeks after she arrived at our California Shelter, our beloved Yonkers passed away. She wasn't even two years old at the time of her death, yet in the end, her body was tired and weak, worn out by an industry that pushed her beyond her biological limits. The egg industry denied her the chance to live a long, healthy life, but thankfully, she did get the chance to know peace and happiness while here at Farm Sanctuary. We all loved Yonkers and can't help but miss her sweet, welcoming face when we enter the chicken barn these days. But it does comfort us to see her friends Manchester, Riga, Bordeaux, and many others, doing so well and enjoying their newfound freedom. Everyday, they give us a reason to smile and to keep our chins up.