Rescue & Adoptions

Past Featured Rescues

Sybil and Her Friends Were Rescued Before They Could Be "Disposed" Of

Before their rescue, Sybil and 21 other chickens were unhappy participants in a university layer hen project. When the school was done with the project, the hens were to be "disposed" of. Unwilling to kill the hens, the person charged with their "disposal" instead gave them to a local family. The family then called Farm Sanctuary, and we happily agreed to take the hens.

Sybil and her friends arrived at our New York Shelter in terrible condition. They were all infested with lice, pierced through the wings with ID tags (see photo left), and grossly underweight. Most of the girls are layer hens who are no longer in production, or what the industry calls "spent" hens. Each arrived debeaked and most had had their combs cut off, or "dubbed." Used to prevent crowded birds from pecking and to further increase egg production in hens with large combs, respectively, debeaking and dubbing are common yet painful industry mutilations. These mutilations are also dangerous, causing the deaths of millions of layer hens each year.

Shortly after the hens arrived, caregivers removed the ID tags from their wings, which seemed immediately to brighten their spirits. After removing the tags they gave each hen a thorough examination and found bruises and abrasions on many of the girls' bodies. Hoping to help the hens feel better, caregivers tenderly treated their bruises and cuts. They also gave them much needed worm medication and topical treatments to kill their lice.

Having been offered this second chance at a happy and comfortable life, Sybil and her friends are now thriving at Farm Sanctuary. They are settling in well to their new home, spending their days scampering about in the cool dirt of their pasture, exploring the straw in the chicken barn and roosting in their cozy nest boxes. Watching Sybil and her friends each day, it is easy to see how happy they are. Anyone can see it. . .they are savoring the precious freedoms that they have just now been given, but have always deserved.