I was hatched along side a whole bunch of other chicks, most of them my sisters (I think, we never knew our mom). After a while I was put into a
box with some of my sisters and taken to a nice place with green grass and interesting flowers. We had a house to live in that kept us safe at night and we spent our days wandering around investigating and finding little bits to eat.
I don’t know why my mom wasn’t there when I hatched, but my sisters and I got on great. Slowly we were all growing bigger and our feathers were changing, we felt safe and well-fed and our days were happy and eventful. I was so happy I opened my mouth and made a huge noise to celebrate how wonderful everything was.
Not long after, I was grabbed by rough hands and put into another box. I waited for my sisters to come in the box too, but the lid closed and I was alone. After going over bumps and hearing some strange noises the box opened and I dropped to the ground. I looked around and I couldn’t see anything that I recognised. I went looking for my sisters, searching for them high and low, but I couldn’t find them anywhere.
Eventually it got dark, I climbed up into a tree to try to be safe but I wasn’t sure where my food was or how to get back to my nice safe house. For a few days I tried my best to find my sisters and find something to eat. I was doing my best to survive alone and then one day I was walking along and a net came down on top of me!
After more bumps and strange noises, the box opened again and I was able to step out onto the ground. I thought I saw my sisters and I ran to them, but when I got there I realised they weren’t my sisters but they did look like them. So I started settling into this new home. It was smaller than where I was before, and I missed my sisters, but it had green grass and there was the bowl of food that I hadn’t been able to find in the other place.
I was just starting to get used to this place when I was cornered and put into a different box. This one had lots of holes in it and I could see outside. More bumps and noises and then I was placed into a house that had food and water, and then once it started to get dark some new girls that looked like my sisters came to join me. When we got up the next day I realised that I could go anywhere I wanted. There were no fences or cages, I could explore everywhere!
There were many many girls that looked like my sisters here, and some boys that I am a little afraid of but they seem OK. I’ve also seen four-legged animals and a huge pink one that likes to sit outside our house at night. I’ve been paddling in some ponds, walking in the forest, foraging on the grass and watching out for these new little sisters. I’ve never been so busy.
I wonder how long it will be before somebody puts me in a box again. Or could this really be where I get to stay?
Colin is 6 months old.
Hundreds of roosters are dumped in Queensland every month because they don’t lay eggs and becsause they crow, constantly overwhelming shelters and sanctuaries. The kindest thing you can do for roosters is to not eat eggs. The egg industry shreds millions of baby roosters every year in Australia because people eat eggs, and those that end up in people’s back yards are almost always dumped or surrendered. Every second chick hatched is a rooster. Please do the compassionate thing and leave eggs off your plate.
Colin is available for sponsorship, and donations towards his care are welcome.
