Earlier this year, we were alerted to a situation in California where chickens on a backyard farm were being neglected and, in some cases, facing health conditions that needed treatment. Environmental contamination in the area—including polychlorinated biphenyls, commonly known as PCBs and believed to be cancer-causing in humans, meant that the birds could not be slaughtered for human consumption but would possibly still be killed.

In March, Farm Sanctuary provided a grant to help Viva Rescue save these birds. Sadly, of the 52 birds originally on the property, one had already died when help arrived. Three weary birds could not overcome the conditions they had been forced to endure and were gently euthanized by veterinarians, while another passed away unexpectedly.

The veterinary care the birds desperately needed revealed many challenging health issues, from ascites (fluid buildup in the abdomen) and respiratory infections to eye inflammation and lung damage from chemical reactions. Sadly, those birds who died all had developed late-stage tumors, believed by Viva’s veterinarian to be the result of neglect and exposure to chemicals.

Thankfully, most survived, and as Viva provided the chickens with health checks and safe quarantine, we stayed in touch to follow this critical rescue operation. Viva placed many of the chickens in new homes, and we happily connected Viva with a home for 12 birds through our Farm Animal Adoption Network (FAAN), while 10 others came to us at Farm Sanctuary.

On May 2, 10 flock members reached their forever home at Farm Sanctuary Los Angeles!

The lovable group of hens is now named Aurora, Betty, Kauai, Florence, Glenda, Maui, Moana, Smokey, Tango, and Te Fiti.

As they settle into the peace of sanctuary, where they feel safe enough to be themselves, their personalities begin to emerge—but we can already see that Aurora (pictured below) is happily settling in.

One of their favorite activities is kicking at the straw and wood shavings in their barn, and these adorable moves never fail to make us smile.

Despite their past trauma, the hens are doing well at the sanctuary, say our caregivers. They have quickly made themselves at home and are very vocal and talkative birds. We are providing special food to help them gain weight, but their favorite snack is salad!

Working across the sanctuary movement is crucial to our efforts to save and transform the lives of as many farm animals as possible. Farm Sanctuary is thrilled to have had the chance to work with Viva Rescue to give so many chickens a happy and healthy new life.

We can’t wait to see Aurora, Betty, Kauai, Florence, Glenda, Maui, Moana, Smokey, Tango, and Te Fiti continue to relax in the peace and freedom of Farm Sanctuary. Follow us on social media for updates on these sweet hens and our hundreds of other rescued residents.