- Dec 14, 2007
- 4
- 0
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I work at Starbucks and I close very late. I live in an apt. complex in the middle of suburban Austin, TX. We're about a mile from The University of Texas. Certaintly not a farm community or outdoors area where one would normally expect to see a chicken...
I was coming home from work when a chicken fell from one of the balconies that I was walking under to get into the entrance of my apt. He fell right on me and of course I was very startled. Then after I ran away and looked back I realized that there was a chicken in my parking lot.
She (didn't look like a rooster from what I could tell) was very agitated and seemed like she was trying to get over the wall that separates our apt complex from a busy street. At first I was just going to chalk it off to a weird thing and let the chicken be. Then I thought that maybe she was someone's pet chicken in the apartment complex...weird as that might be. So then I started to worry. I am an animal lover and the only fate I could see befalling the bird was to get hit by a car or eaten by a stray dog/cat. It seemed a horrible way to go and I decided that I would see if I could do something.
So my fiance, good friend and I got an old cat carrier and managed to corral the chicken into it. It didn't put up much of a fight and quite willingly allowed me to touch its back and sort of walked into the carrier of its own free will. We managed to get a picture of it and I wanted to share it with some "chicken folk" who might know and understand what she is.
Here is my foundling chicken! Here's Ms. Cluck:
Its the best we could get because she was strutting around. What type of chicken is she and what in the world is she doing in the Middle of Austin Texas?!
I was googling to research and think she might be a "Black Sex-Linked Hen" . We got her some corn type wild bird seed, and water. We set the shallow bowl of water and block of seed (it sort of sticks together in a block) in the cage with her to peck at if she feels like it. I hope she is not too stressed out but I couldn't bare to leave her out in the parking lot where some idiot could speed through and kill/maim her.
We also have her indoors (specifically in a larger cat-carrier inside of a locked bathroom with the lights off) so that she is out of the wind/cold and away from predators. She just seems very frightened and we were wondering if this was the right thing to do? I don't want to stress her out, but she seemed quite happy to march right into the "coop" and rest a while. We didn't have to force her. We were all very surprised that she walked in all by herself.
We don't know anywhere that we could take her and honestly-- I know it sounds childish, but I don't really want to give her to someone who has a chicken farm who would send her off to the chopping block and not keep her for eggs or something more useful. Not that chickens don't make good food-- but I would hate to save her from the city's dangers just to have someone serve her up for dinner.
So I am wondering if any of you helpful folks who know a lot about chickens could lend me a hand. We are keeping her now just so she isn't run over or eaten by stray cats. However we can't keep her forever and would like to return her to either a.) her owner or b.) a farm that will let her be free-ranged, and not send her off to get eaten if that's possible.
Aren't there farms that allow a chicken to live out on the range clucking away or is it the natural order of things to eat them once they stop laying? I have no idea if this bird lays eggs...I guess we'll find out in the morning!!! hah!
I just want Ms. Cluck safe and well-taken care of. Any suggestions of where we might take her in central-southern Texas? Are any of you in this area that wouldn't mind taking an extra chicken? I know its a lot to ask, but maybe someone who eats eggs but not necessarily chicken meat...haha! I just can't think of her getting her pretty little head chopped off. My goodness!
Any help would be much appreciated.
Sincerely,
Paris
I was coming home from work when a chicken fell from one of the balconies that I was walking under to get into the entrance of my apt. He fell right on me and of course I was very startled. Then after I ran away and looked back I realized that there was a chicken in my parking lot.
She (didn't look like a rooster from what I could tell) was very agitated and seemed like she was trying to get over the wall that separates our apt complex from a busy street. At first I was just going to chalk it off to a weird thing and let the chicken be. Then I thought that maybe she was someone's pet chicken in the apartment complex...weird as that might be. So then I started to worry. I am an animal lover and the only fate I could see befalling the bird was to get hit by a car or eaten by a stray dog/cat. It seemed a horrible way to go and I decided that I would see if I could do something.
So my fiance, good friend and I got an old cat carrier and managed to corral the chicken into it. It didn't put up much of a fight and quite willingly allowed me to touch its back and sort of walked into the carrier of its own free will. We managed to get a picture of it and I wanted to share it with some "chicken folk" who might know and understand what she is.
Here is my foundling chicken! Here's Ms. Cluck:
Its the best we could get because she was strutting around. What type of chicken is she and what in the world is she doing in the Middle of Austin Texas?!
I was googling to research and think she might be a "Black Sex-Linked Hen" . We got her some corn type wild bird seed, and water. We set the shallow bowl of water and block of seed (it sort of sticks together in a block) in the cage with her to peck at if she feels like it. I hope she is not too stressed out but I couldn't bare to leave her out in the parking lot where some idiot could speed through and kill/maim her.
We also have her indoors (specifically in a larger cat-carrier inside of a locked bathroom with the lights off) so that she is out of the wind/cold and away from predators. She just seems very frightened and we were wondering if this was the right thing to do? I don't want to stress her out, but she seemed quite happy to march right into the "coop" and rest a while. We didn't have to force her. We were all very surprised that she walked in all by herself.
We don't know anywhere that we could take her and honestly-- I know it sounds childish, but I don't really want to give her to someone who has a chicken farm who would send her off to the chopping block and not keep her for eggs or something more useful. Not that chickens don't make good food-- but I would hate to save her from the city's dangers just to have someone serve her up for dinner.
So I am wondering if any of you helpful folks who know a lot about chickens could lend me a hand. We are keeping her now just so she isn't run over or eaten by stray cats. However we can't keep her forever and would like to return her to either a.) her owner or b.) a farm that will let her be free-ranged, and not send her off to get eaten if that's possible.
Aren't there farms that allow a chicken to live out on the range clucking away or is it the natural order of things to eat them once they stop laying? I have no idea if this bird lays eggs...I guess we'll find out in the morning!!! hah!
I just want Ms. Cluck safe and well-taken care of. Any suggestions of where we might take her in central-southern Texas? Are any of you in this area that wouldn't mind taking an extra chicken? I know its a lot to ask, but maybe someone who eats eggs but not necessarily chicken meat...haha! I just can't think of her getting her pretty little head chopped off. My goodness!
Any help would be much appreciated.
Sincerely,
Paris
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