Awwww they’re all gorgeous! I’m way jealous of you being able to spend time there. As far as I know we don’t have any animal sanctuaries here.

Awesome visuals & words. I can’t fathom not caring for animals & I’m always perplexed by those who choose to turn a blind eye to cruelty.

I’ll bet the roosters pick up hens and cruise around the sanctuary in that old Buick on the weekends.

Great blog, Isa. I’d really like to have my own animal sanctuary.

what do they do with all the eggs?

i used to have a pet chicken and she was the world’s happiest, best-treated chicken. i had no problem eating her eggs, since she laid them regardless and didn’t have much use for them, herself.

What an insightful post. I think you really hit the nail on the head about people not wanting to know about the cruelty…. they’d way rather hang out in their own little heads without a thought for anyone else.

Bowie is beautiful. Are you bringing her home?

That black rooster is especially gorgeous. I don’t usually like to point out spelling errors in people’s blogs, because I know I have plenty. But I’m just afraid someone is going to say that with your spelling “Eatern” in the title means you have some hidden desire to eat those chickens. Enjoy your week!

josy – many people who run sanctuaries feed the abandoned eggs back to the chickens or to other animals. Apparently they love it.

Dawn – thanks for pointing out the spelling error! It was late, what can I say!

Isa modestly neglected to mention that she’s been cooking up a storm, entirely undaunted by things like wildly tilted countertops and baking powder that expired ten years ago. (When she noticed that the pancakes weren’t rising due to the dead baking powder, she added a few things and — presto! — fluffiness.) The broken-down Buick is our feed shed. (We’re pretty freegan around here.) The birds don’t go cruising in it but some of them do use it as a jumping off point to get up into the trees at bedtime. I’m hoping Isa can get a picture of that!

lovely post.

is there an online guide to animal sanctuaries in different places?

wow, love your blog!
Is Loca/Bowie in need of a home perhaps?…if so let me know, I live in washington dc area and would love to take her!

This is so beautiful. Whenever people ask me why I don’t eat eggs (and think they’re introducing me to the concept of free-range), I try to explain about the real lives of chickens in hatcheries, and people just don’t want to believe it. I think most people would be appalled at the cruelty if they could see it, but they’re happy to remain in willful ignorance.

Not to be nit-picky as well, but you have an extra http in the link to the sanctuary’s website. It makes the link not work, though it’s easy to fix.

Loca is very happy here with the extended family of cats and dogs who extended love and care to her when she arrived as an orphaned kitten last fall. (You can read all about it here.) But I’m sure that, wherever you might be, there’s a Loca-like cat or kitten at a nearby pound or shelter.

does this organization take donations? how can i give them?

Ducky, I am so glad that you asked! I hope to do some fund raising for the sanctuary in the near future. For now, please go to their website:
http://www.bravebirds.org/

And there is a donation link at the bottom of the page.

A lot of people don’t realise just how soft chickens are. Especially the feathers underneath the chin/beak area, and then they close their eyes and start clucking softly. What lovely creatures.

^uh, edited to add, if you stroke them underneath the chin/beak area …oops.

Isa and Patrice you are both inspiring. The animals are all so beautiful. This blog entry made my day.

I am curious what Isa used to get the pancakes to rise in lieu of active baking powder. My nephew has a bunch of allergies and cannot eat yeast or baking powder. So, what is left to leaven things like pancakes?

Oh man! I would have so much trouble keeping myself from stuffing Loca in a pocket and kittynapping her! What a beauty! Love the chickies!

Pattrice–Just looked at your blog about Loca’s adjustment to her new home. Made me sniffle terribly. (I just lost one of my two in December.) I’m happy she’s in a happy home!

Vegan Dad – I used baking soda and vinegar, which makes me think your nephew will still be allergic to that solution.

I’m hoping Loca has a messed up grill to match those eyes.

What a great experience. SO nice to see happy, living animals.

what they’re doing up there is just awesome. the pictures on their site you linked are amazing! i had no idea that roosters liked to perch in trees. i’m so glad that those guys and gals have a safe comfortable home!

What a great entry. The pictures are beautiful and you express yourself so eloquently. If I wasn’t already vegan, this would inspire me to become one.

such a wonderful, heartwarming post – the Eastern Shore Sanctuary should definitely be commended for their efforts!!

I watched the “Earthlings” movie last month and swore off meat forever. It actually made me ill for DAYS. I had no idea what went on in the meat industry. Thank you guys for showing us great alternatives rather than killing off our fellow earthlings.

Bless you guys.

That cat is sooooo beautiful! I loved seeing pictures of the animal sanctuary.

I love that cat! And the chickens. Roosters always look so proud to me.

“Roosters always look so proud to me.” Ha ha! I’ve always thought so too – they look like they’re saying “Check it out, ladies!”

They’re so beautiful! I love the way roosters strut around.

Some roosters think very highly of themselves, others not so much. Dancing and feather display is a part of the courtship ritual for all roosters but, otherwise, there is a lot of variation, both between kinds of roosters and within those kinds. Big “broiler” roosters tend to be gregarious and goofy. Little bantam roosters tend to be hyper in the same way that small dogs can be hyper in the same way that small dogs can tend to be hyper. The stereotyped “cocky” rooster does exist but is just one of many different personalities… and doesn’t tend to be preferred by the hens. They like to hang around with the nice guys instead.

Hi Isa,

In the last few months, you may remember receiving an email invitation to become a part of the Foodbuzz Featured Publisher Program. With all the recipe-writing and food photography to be completed, we know emails can easily get lost in the shuffle, so Foodbuzz would like to re-extend our offer of inviting you to be a part of our food blogger network. I would love to send you more details about the program, so if you are interested, please email me at Shannon@foodbuzz.com.

Cheers!

Shannon Eliot
Editorial Assistant, Foodbuzz.com
shannon@foodbuzz.com

bowie rocks my world – can I take him home with me?

Ooooh, I don’t think I could survive a second so close to a chicken plant (on account of I’m a big wussy), but it would be worth it to hang out with these little creatures and absorb some of their awesomeness. I’m referring to the chicken and human people at the sanctuary.

Seeing things like this further confirms my belief that consuming animal products is in know way justifiable. I would love to go spend a week at a sanctuary.

that is a nice animal sanctuary, and nice photo.

Adorable chickens! Having worked with many many free-ranging chickens on a couple of different farms, I can vouch for the fascinating personalities chickens have. This sanctuary sounds amazing, and as a Marylander I would love to check it out.

I also think it is really important to realize that yes, chickens love to eat eggs for the calcium in the shells and the nutrients in the eggs themselves. However, they generally don’t eat them as frequently when they aren’t craving the nutrients the eggs provide, and don’t mind when the eggs are respectfully shared with their human friends. If at least some of the eggs aren’t eaten, they will be often be eaten by snakes and other predators. Not who chickens want to have on their side of the fence!

I think factory farming is always wrong, as are corporate “free range” farms that are just glorified factory farms (think:most of the “free-range” products available in chain grocery stores). But many (though of course not all) small farmers have incredibly deep and complex relationships with the animals, even at times when eggs are used and even (believe it or not) when some of the animals end up being killed. Check out what Derrick Jensen says in “A Language Older Than Words”.

I’m a vegan chef, but I just wanted to give y’all a different perspective. Thanks for reading this long post!

I visited this sanctuary too before graduating from the nearby university last spring and though I had been a vegetarian for 2 years prior to that it really changed my perspective on chickens. I held one for the first time there. It’s a wonderful place and I agree that it is extremely in contradiction to the culture of treatment for chickens on the Eastern Shore. Keep up the good work Patrice!

Will you eat their eggs?

All my respect goes to those suffering, be it you personally or a loved one. My hope is for a major development in the near future to help all those in need.