Discovering Sanctuary
My first experience with chickens in real life was unforgettable, but for all the wrong reasons. As a young teen, my dad brought me to a chicken farm in rural Quebec to pick up an order for my uncle’s catering business. I remember the rows upon rows of wire cages, and the sight of chickens who were clearly unwell. It broke my heart, and I went vegetarian on the spot, even though I didn’t yet realize that the hens I had seen were part of the egg industry. It would be many years before I met another chicken face-to-face
Then, in 2018, I met Ellen, a rescue chicken. She was nothing like the thousands of chickens I had seen as a young teen. Ellen was soft, healthy, and made her bold personality evident right away. She had undeniable individuality, and seeing her thrive planted a seed. My partner Craig and I began dreaming of having our own sanctuary one day, inspired by the kindness of Ellen’s caretakers.
That dream came closer when we looked at a house on the market that would become our home and sanctuary. In the backyard was a chicken coop, and when we asked the realtor about it, we were told the chickens would be “taken care of.” We couldn’t imagine them being killed, so we insisted they stay, and that we’d take over their care. We didn’t realize how run-down the coop was. That first summer, we rescued the seven hens left behind on the property: Peggy, Betsie, Margaret, Maggie, Georgie, Cora & Sophie.
Soon, our Instagram started to fill with chicken stories and word spread. The Montreal SPCA connected us with two roosters surrendered simply for being boys. We drove three hours to pick them up, and three years later, Rolo and Hershey are still the best boys. Next came June, Emily, and Alma from a neighbour’s friend who couldn’t care for them over winter. We continued to rescue chickens and over the past three years, we’ve rescued 34 chickens, almost all surrendered from backyard flocks.
Why Chickens
Billions of chickens are killed for food every year, and countless others are used for egg production. In Canada, the average egg farm confines about 23,000 hens, and 83% spend their lives in wire cages.
Beyond this, there are an unknown number of backyard chickens across Canada. They are governed by municipal legislation, resulting in a patchwork of inadequate protection and a lack of registration requirements. There could be more chickens than cats in homes across Canada: 8.9 million chickens, or there could be four times as many: 35.6 million chickens.
Like other companion animals, sadly, forever homes are not always forever. We see requests to rehome chickens nearly every day. The Ottawa Humane Society and Kingston Humane Society do not accept surrendered chickens. The responsibility falls on a small handful of nonprofit sanctuaries like ours, and we are one of only two chicken-specific sanctuaries in all of Canada.
Chickens, like cats and dogs, can be excellent companions. They are incredibly intelligent. They can solve dog food puzzles, count to five, do basic arithmetic, and recognize up to 100 different faces. Chickens are also deeply social and form lifelong bonds with each other and with the humans they trust. They have best friends, remember past interactions, and can communicate dozens of distinct messages through vocalizations and body language. Some enjoy sitting in laps, others follow their favorite people around the yard, and many show clear preferences for certain foods, places, and companions.
Every chicken has a unique personality. Take Ezra, our six-year-old rooster on his fourth home. He was hatched in a backyard flock, surrendered to the Montreal SPCA, adopted by another sanctuary, and came to us when they closed. Yet, despite how he’s moved around so often, he’s still the most trusting and loving chicken we have. He demands cuddles by throwing his head into your arm and shaking it – a request to be picked up and perch on your leg. Ezra doesn’t just share his adoration with humans; he is a brilliant rooster for his hens and will “tidbit” for them – a vocal call to let them know there is food nearby. He’ll pick up blueberries and drop them at the feet of his hens excitedly.
Challenges
One of the hardest things to witness is the cruelty and stigma roosters face. In the egg industry, male chicks are killed on their first day because they can’t lay eggs and aren’t bred for meat. Backyard flocks have the same problem. Half of all hatched chicks will be male, but most municipal bylaws prohibit roosters. For many roosters, surviving long enough to crow doesn’t guarantee safety. They often face death in the backyards that were once their homes.
Even wanted chickens face uncertain health. Because they are often viewed primarily as “food animals,” access to veterinary care for them is severely limited. Few medications are tested for their safety or dosage, surgical options are minimal, and the ongoing vet shortage makes finding help even harder. In Smiths Falls, for example, there’s only one vet who will see chickens, and only for a single shift each week
Inspiring Compassion
Our sanctuary’s mission is simple: to inspire compassion for chickens through rescue, education, and advocacy
We hope that through our work, people will begin to see chickens not as “poultry” but as individuals. Individuals like Alma, Annie, Ari, Bubba, Chickpea, Daisy, Eggie, Emma, Etta, Ezra, Gunta, Hershey, Lottie, Mocha, Oats, Olive, Oscar, Rolo, Ruthie, Sophie, Suzie, and Tofu.
Every chicken has a story worth telling and a life worth protecting. We invite you to meet our flock to experience their curiosity, intelligence, and joy.
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A beautiful sanctuary and amazing chicken parents. I love the ways that Liz and Craig do outreach and allow many interested folks come and meet the chickens, in all their various moods and families. Please, leave chickens and other sentient beings off your plate. Their lives matter too.
Definitely an amazing place. They educate both hearts and minds to see the sentient characteristics of the chickens.