Hope & Francis

Hope - 1 week old

Hope is the baby duckling hatched with only one leg that works -the bad one is stuck in the bent position and won't move.... anyway, I was never sure she would make it at first. She could barely reach the food or water, and didn't seem interested. I held her up to the food and water several times a day and she would eat and drink, but would not eat or drink on her own. I just couldn't let her die - she was too special.

Here she is 3 weeks later eating, hopping around on one leg and eating like a duck (if anyone knows ducks, they eat a LOT for such a small critters.) She is so full of life that nobody would ever suspect she had such a rough start, except for her size. She's much smaller than the other ducks hatched around the same time.

Hope 3 weeks old (on right)

Today, I saw the most amazing act of kindness between two different species I was completely warmed and had to share.

Francis (named after St. Francis) is a beautiful Pea Hen who has been in my company for about a year now. She decided this spring it was time to expand her family, and laid on about 4 eggs for almost 2 months. Poor Francis did not have any success. We eventually had to remove the eggs as we discovered they were not going to hatch, but eventually rot. Francis has been ok with this fact and has gone on to do the 'Peacock' things she loves to do. However, after noticing baby ducks that spend time outdoors, she showed a special interest in Hope. I believe she feels motherly toward her because she is always hanging around her when she is out, in what a human would perceive as "being protective".

Today, it got a little nerve wracking for me - Hope can't get away like the others. With her one leg she can manipulate herself around pretty well, but tends to go in circles before getting there....she does get where she wants to go, but it takes awhile, and she's a little unstable.

Anyway, Francis was dangerously close to Hope with her beak and Hope didn't seem to mind, so I just watched. Francis was actually showing Hope foodstuff on the ground, and Hope responded by trying to eat the same food that Francis was showing her. It was so loving that I let it be - and trusted that it would be OK (Francis could really hurt Hope with one peck).... and it was. Hope and Francis have bonded - and I think Francis actually found a baby of her own to protect and help feed. Right now, they are still close and I feel confident that Francis is only being a Mommy.

Francis & Hope

I love this life - sharing it with the most amazing animals I've ever known.

Francis and Albert

I never realized how incredibly intelligent peacocks were, nor how loving or monogamous. Francis (yes, named after St. Francis) is laying on 5 new peacock eggs, and Albert (named after Albert Einstein) is hovering - making mating calls, following the chickens around and acting like a nervous father. It's adorable. He sleeps in the tree above Francis as to protect and look after her, and when she comes out, he follows her around like a little puppy.

We are into week 2 with the eggs - and I promise photos and a peacock update when they hatch!

Also, Missy, our best brooder duck is laying on 8 fertile duck eggs and they should hatch about the same time!

Spring - the time for renewal and birth - my favorite time of the year :)

Hanna & Annie

This past week I experienced another amazing act of kindness by a sweet hand-raised, jump in your lap for love - hen named Hanna. She's been diligently sitting on eggs for the past 3 weeks, and that task paid off well, with a new little black baby chick recently hatched, we call Annie.

We have a separate chicken coop, in which the large chickens and turkeys live in together, and a baby coop, for baby chicks to live with their Moms until large enough to move into the 'big pen'.

This particular evening it was feeding time, and Hanna always makes sure her baby gets fed first - however, while feeding peas and corn, I noticed something quite unusual and very heartwarming. Hanna, realizing that Annie's beak was too little to fit the corn and peas into - was breaking them up into little pieces - yes, its true - so that Annie could eat.

What really astonished me was that Hanna didn't take a single bite of those tasty tidbits of which she loves so much - until after Annie got her share and was full.

I've always known how incredibly loving hens are and what exceptional mothers they become, and now I have visual proof. This was truly heartwarming...


With love for ALL,
Tina

Thelma and Beauty

Taking care of animals has been the biggest joy of my life, and a return to my childhood of having farm animals as friends. I started an animal sanctuary here in Parks, Arizona, and began rescuing animals - only to be distracted from having a full fledged sanctuary, and presently accepting just the mini-sanctuary that I wake to every AM - anxious to see my friends. I can't help but want to share some of the amazing acts I witness on a daily basis by these wonderful beings.

This farm is home to 3 lambs, 5 ducks, 2 turkeys, 7 chickens, 2 peacocks, a single male red golden pheasant, 2 African gray parrots, and 2 Labradors. Every animal has a name and a unique personality. The turkeys, Thelma and Louise are as different as day and night. Thelma is loving, caring and attentive to humans, and Louise is aloof and not as trusting (for not a single reason I can fathom...they were raised in the house with me, picked up and hand fed and lived in a playpen).

The story today is about Thelma and Beauty. A few days ago Beauty, the Rhode Island Red I've raised since a chick and is now 5 years old, hurt her leg and will not step on it, but jumps around on one leg. (I've examined her, but it's simply swolen and iced daily).

Every morning when I let all of them out of their coop to roam around on this beautiful 10 acres - she struggles getting to the feeding area and most times I carry her. This morning, she stopped midstream and stood there for what seemed like forever, holding her precious foot up. Thelma the turkey decided that Beauty shouldn't be alone and stood right next to her, eventually laying down next to her, in what seemed like an effort to communicate to Beauty, it was ok to lie down - she was there with her to protect her and be her friend.

This, to me, was indescribably kind - a turkey, forgoing the feed area to protect and accompany her friend Beauty. What really struck me was the fact that Thelma is a turkey and Beauty, a chicken. What barrier was crossed to find that kind of love for another species?

I only hope that someday we become as Thelma to all living beings. I see them all and wonder "how on earth could anyone kill and eat these amazing little beings".

With love for all,

Tina Volpe
Author, The Fast Food Craze, Wreaking Havoc on Our Bodies and Our Animals -
and... The Missing Peace, The Hidden Power of our Kinship with Animals....
Also, host of "Wake UP America" on Voice America Health & Wellness channel.