It was difficult for us to imagine what life had been like for Rambo up until his arrival at sanctuary.   His first experience of the world was in a hatchery amongst thousands, of other chicks.  Instead of a bed of straw and a mother close by to comfort him, he took his first few steps on a tray, no doubt lost and confused.

For the chicken meat (broiler) industry in which Rambo had been bred, there was no time and no need for Rambo to feel comfort or protection.  No need for him to be shown the world by his mother, to nestle under her wing at night, to hear her peeps to warm him of danger as he explored his world, or to meet and frolic with his siblings in the sunshine.

He would have no need for these things, and no way to display his sociable, quirky and inquisitive nature.  His sole purpose was to put on as much weight as possible in the next 35 - 47 days.

But something went wrong with Rambo's processing, and somehow he was abandoned onto the side of a road, still in his broiler tray.  We can only imagine how petrified he must have felt.  And having never known the kindness, compassion and gentle touch of a human, when that caring person lifted him from the side of the road, knowing his fate was entirely in their hands, he must have been paralysed with terror.

Rambo's rescue story is literally a one in a million miracle, as that is the amount of chickens killed for their meat in Australia each day.

Since rescue, Rambo has shows us a strength and resilience just like his movie star namesake.    He is a super cool dude!  He can be protective and prickly with other roosters sometimes, but also a deeply caring 'dad' to new broiler arrivals to which he displays love, protection and tender care.  He seems to know to be gentle and make sure they do not get hurt.  We are constantly amazed to see this affection for others even though he was depraved of that very affection himself.

Rambo has defied the odds by passing his second birthday, almost unheard of due to genetic deformaties bred by the meat industry so that he would grow large quickly.  Rambo spends his days in and around the FAR  broiler pen, inside with the air-conditioning on warm days, or in front of the fan, ruffling his feathers.  He loves to have his beard stroked, and he loves his life.  He is a tragic hero, who shows us that his life is as important to him, as our life is to us.

Rambo is looking for a sponsor.  He carries genetic deformaties that will never go away, and he is on a strict diet to control his weight. If you like to sponsor Rambo, please click the button.