Normal... or Unique.

People come to me and say, "Its great you are helping these special needs chickens, but once they die, you should really get some normal chickens." Normal. I hate that word. Who wants normal? Unique is much more interesting. When people tell me that, I'll just smile and say, "No way. I love my life and my animals, just the way they are. They aren't normal, but they certainly are unique." I still get asked every now and then if i'm gonna get chickens that don't limp, have blindness, crooked beaks, been bullied, twisted backs, breathing problems, drooling or have leg problems. And you know what? Chickens are chickens. But my chickens, they truly are special needs. They are special, very special. And they need someone who doesn't care about being normal, or eggs, or if you can run or fly, or if you limp on one leg or can't see well.

Penny is half blind.

Gloria has breathing problems, causing her to drool, cough, wheeze, and gap. She also has leg problems.

Nellie was bullied and when she first came to us, had no tail feathers because they all got plucked out.

Lucy has a crooked beak.

Sophia has a twisted back and one of her legs bends to one side.

And you know, I love my chickens just the way they are.

 

Thank you!

And the odd thing too, is that I am always telling my relatives how I am mending Gloria's foot and buying medicine for her breathing problem, and they are always congratulating me... or that I am in the process of renovating our shed to have the opportunity to help more disabled chickens.... but they always end each conversation with, "You should really get some young, egg laying chickens!" Its ridiculous. My chickens have and will lay eggs, with the proper care. Lucy and Sophia will start to lay eggs in a few weeks, Penny and Nellie are already laying and Gloria has and hopefully will once her leg is mended and her breathing problem is gone! I like challenges, and Gloria sure gives me one! She is well known for her stink eye, which I see everyday and love to see... but she has some many health problems that take hours out of my day. (Putting medicine down her throat, iodine on her leg, researching the type of medicine for her lung problem and just plain old worrying about her when she is acting funny.) I would hate to loose that bird... she is so special and loving.

Sorry, already making another rant!

Edited: One more thing I must say, is that any big farm farmer with chickens would most likely kill Gloria, Penny, and Sophia if he knew they had all these problems. That just scares me to think how many chickens in this world has had that happen to them. How can a person kill something with a disability, without even trying to help it or find it a home that will help it?