Ain't No Sunshine When She's Gone
Posted on Jul 16, 2015
By Ellie Laks, Founder of The Gentle Barn
Sunshine was rescued from a pet store where she and her 29 siblings were crammed in a dark, dirty, crowded cage. After many complaints they released the birds to us.
Sunshine was scared of people at first but soon became a most cherished ambassador allowing visitors to pet her and small children to hold her while she held still, teaching them kindness and compassion.
Hens are genetically engineered to lay eggs earlier than normal and in higher quantities than normal. By the time they are middle aged the hens uteri either rupture, get egg bound, or develop cancer.
Sunshine suddenly lost weight and seeming lethargic. We brought her to our avian veterinarian right away and discovered her uterus full of cancer. Our vet tried all he could but say Sunshine passed away a few days later.
We miss her happy sounds and the feel of her soft, fluffy feathers in our arms. But most of all we are heartbroken that chickens are created to fail from day one, all for an omelette. We hope Sunshine's story will inspire people to adopt kinder food choices, and maybe one day we'll have a gentler world.