Rescue & Adoptions

2007 Featured Rescues

Brooklyn Ducks, Chickens Find Refuge at Farm Sanctuary, Now Seek Permanent Home

Brooklyn's Avenue W isn't known for its duck and chicken population. So when a box full of ducklings-and a separate box full of chickens—arrived at the New York City Animal Care & Control office on the exact same day from the exact same street, it left a lot of people scratching their heads.

A closer look at the animals provided a possible clue to the mass influx. All are about eight weeks old, their age coinciding with an unfortunate seasonal occurrence: the sale of peeps, ducks and bunnies around Easter—and their eventual abandonment.

To many parents, a peep or duck seems like the perfect gift for a child. But when those cute fuzzy babies grow up, many families find themselves unprepared for the reality of caring for the adult bird. Many are either given away, dumped in the wild—or left to fend for themselves on busy Brooklyn streets.

But the rescue of these ducks and chickens is just one part of their story. Short on space, the AC&C quickly needed to find another home for the animals. They turned to Farm Sanctuary, and now the ducklings and chickens—along with another duck and chicken from the AC&C-reside at our New York Shelter.

Right now, the birds are resting up in our Emergency Rescue and Rehabilitation Center, but already, it's easy to see they have a lot of spunk and personality. The chickens are little cannonballs of energy barreling around the barn, while the ducklings are Chatty Cathys, socializing with each other and any visitors who happen by.

One of Farm Sanctuary's key missions is to provide a home for abused and neglected farm animals. A crucial component of that work is to identify and place adoptable animals into loving homes. These ducklings and chickens are looking for just such a place to land.

More placements into our Farm Animal Adoption Network means more space for emergencies just like this one. Click here for information about our Farm Animal Adoption Network.