Read Finbar's Story ^{(In Memoriam)}

There was a woman who wanted a female chicken as a pet for her apartment. She ordered one to be delivered to her from an egg company. When she went to the post office to pick her up, there were 15 chickens in the box. Alarmed she called the company to report the mistake. They told her that they put roosters in the box as packing material. She did not understand, so they explained that in the egg company roosters are useless so they are thrown away at birth. Instead of throwing them away to die they thought that the roosters would be useful as packing material for the little female chick. Horrified, she asked what she should do with 14 roosters and the egg company told her to throw them away.

Thank God this woman had more compassion for living beings than the egg company and raised all 15 chickens in her apartment. About 3 months later the noise and the mess was overbearing and she found homes for the roosters. When she found The Gentle Barn she had 6 roosters left who were happily adopted into our family.

Chickens treat you the way they are treated; if they are raised with little or no attention they will grow up doing their own thing and pretty much ignore you. However, if they are raised with love then they grow up and desire that same affection for you their whole lives.

Because Finbar was raised with so much affection he was like a dog in feathers. He always came to say good morning, and followed us around the barnyard. He loved being carried and would tap us on the leg to ask to be picked up. He loved children and would sit with them and allow them to hold him. He was always gentle, he was always kind, and he was always loving and cuddly with us. When he would come across some food he would make a loud cackling sound to call the hens. The hens would come running to him and he would show them the food. He would then stand proudly as they ate. He was a gentleman.

He showed hundreds of people that chickens are smart, affectionate and wonderful creatures. For us he was more proof that we really are all the same, we just come in different bodies.

In the morning I automatically look for him and when I realize he is not here, my heart hurts and my arms aches to hold him. He is sorely missed.