Ongoing care for rescued chickens

Hi, my name is Sally and I am the carer for 3 chickens with disabilities. 

2 of the girls were all rescued from ‘free range’ egg farms and were due to be culled at a very young age as they were deemed ‘non-profitable’. A kind soul stepped in to save their lives, along with 9 others and brought them to me. I nursed them back to health and we adopted two of them - Squidly and Pippin. 

Months later the vet contacted us about looking after another rescue chicken from a battery farm who needed lots of love and care, and we welcomed Fig into our lives as well. Pippin, Squidly and Fig have become part of our family. We love them dearly.

These are their stories…

Pippin (white) is a beautiful, adventurous girl who had a really rough start to life. In the shed she was held in, she could not access food and developed an awful respiratory infection. She was 0.65grams when she arrived in my care and nearly dead. Pippins immune system isn’t great and so she can get sick easily. She has had with chronic bumble foot (that we manage) and needed an implant to stop her laying eggs due to issues she was having. 

Squidly came with pippin, she has a slipped tendon in one of her legs. We call this her bung foot. Although she limps around, she is so full of life. Since Squidly arrived in our care, we’ve been managing her feet and are continuing to work on solutions for her. 

Both squidly and pippin were on medication (antibiotics, pain relief, tube feeding) for the first 4 months of their life. We fell in love with them and they became part of the family. 

They currently wear little hand made shoes to assist with their feet and make it easier on them. 

More recently, Fig was recused from a battery farm and came into our care. Fig is one a kind - she adores cuddles and just wants to be as close to you as possible. She was squished under other chickens most of her life, trapped in a battery cage. She is now free and slowly learning to become a chicken, with guidance from squidly and pippin. She has a wheelchair to help her stretch her legs as well.

Pippin and Fig both have implants to stop them laying, as this is a common source of reproductive issues for the girls. Implants needs to be replaced every 6 months and are around $250 for the implant and the procedure each time. Squidly will also require an implant soon to prevent any Issues. 

Due to their rough start to life, they often have additional health issues which we never hesitate to seek treatment for.  However, these vet visits end up costing a significant amount. The last vet bill was around $450.

This go fund me is for anyone who would like to help contribute to the ongoing care of Pippin, Squidly and Fig. A big thank you in advance to anyone who donates and to all those who have donated already! 

Here are some photos of our beloved family members: