Sorbet's Sanctuary

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Sorbet's Sanctuary

Rescued and forever loved 💚🧡
Mardi😻Cherry😻Bramble😻Strawberry🐓Babs🐓Zira🐓Boots🐓Erys🐓Falkor🐓

26/08/2023

🥰

24/08/2023

So Delta is slowly settling in and her slightly drippy bottom is also getting there (nystan and canesten deployed and lots of probiotics) alongside a bath twice a day.

Shes been hiding in the coop a bit so we’ve been making extra efforts to give her VIP time to herself and taken the back off the coop to encourage more socialising and ventilation around her nether regions!

She absolutely loves cuddles, is a darling for her medicines bit isnt sure about baths and would much rather do it herself in the dust.

Everyone else continues to be cheeky and chatty, just the way we like it 🥰

20/08/2023

😍🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰 💙 Cuddles with our newest gently chatty girlie. Just soaking her in … love you too Babs 😜 (someone is jealous)

19/08/2023

Welcome Delta 💙🧡🐓

Delta was has come all the way Teeside to stay today. She was a lone hen (save her cutie friend Patch 🐶) and was a bit too mean to her sister Echo (yes Jurassic Park names!) so they have gone their separate ways to live happier lives in other fun places.

She has a slightly squiffy tummy from all the change but nothing that more baths, cuddles and probiotics won’t remedy! Nystan on hand if it gets any more problematic.

Her Mummy, Laura, brought her over to make sure we are providing top facilities and B&B refreshments at our little place of sanctuary.

Babs and she have had initial “conversations” and Strawberry has given her a gentle telling peck. Babs’ top hen status remains intact for now 😉 A couple of scuffles with Zira too but otherwise all fairly calm!

Delta is currently enjoying exploring her new home, having good snacks and dust bathing.

19/08/2023

A beautiful Strawberry feather to start the day 💚

15/08/2023

Mardi spent the last few hours of the sunshine this evening like this… professional sunpuddle catcher 😎😎😎😂🥰🥰

15/08/2023

New feathies, sunshine and pottering. 🥰

13/08/2023

Good morning from the Flock 🥰

09/08/2023

Some of today's chook fun! Erys let me hold her for a minute or so, which is really good considering how timid and worried about contact she's been 💚 Boots and Zira and Falkor have all had shoulder or arm rides today 😍 Strawberry has mostly accepted the newbies while Babs is still bullying Erys and others on occasion.. but with a little less gusto so she's getting there slowly x x

Such a flock we have right now.. The newly homed girls are so grateful. Having Zira and Boots follow us around, affectionately pecking us any time we stop, warms out souls.

Who can look at a hen and not see the spectacular, loving, and unique spark in each and every one of them?

We love seeing them get the chance to live happy outside of their past life 💚

06/08/2023

The newbies continue to settle into their new world. Babs is still bullying Erys and Falkor a little, Strawberry's still not entirely sure.. but the girls are enjoying learning that they're not having any expectations placed on them any more 💚

Hens are remarkable souls. Zira and Falkor have quickly shown us a great deal of affection and trust despite their past of being considered nothing more than egg machines. Boots is slowly learning from their example, looking to her flockmates for guidance and comes to give us some gentle pecks 💚 Erys is still working through her trauma, but will tentatively let us hold her now x x x

For just over a week of freedom they're doing so well in adjusting and we're very proud of them. Babs and Strawbs too, despite their protestations at their new sisters muscling in on their territory 😉

We are so very honoured that these girls have started to show us such trust so soon. If only humans were so ready to open their hearts 💚💚

Suffice to say we absolutely love them. Seeing the garden more full again fills our hearts, though we will always still see all the girls before them from the corner of our eye 💔

01/08/2023

Zira has decided that actually she quite likes her new humans 😍❤️‍🩹

01/08/2023

After the sorrow of our recent losses, we opened our hearts and home on Sunday to four more wonderful souls.

It wasn’t long after Willow passed that the next round of Fresh Starts for Hens rehoming near us was coming up. We knew we had to offer our space to more hens in need.

So on Sunday we went from two, Babs and Strawberry, to six 💚

Please welcome (Big) Boots, Zira (Azirphale), Falkor, and Erys 💚💚💚💚

These free range girls are in physically “ok” (kinda.. 😔) condition best as we can tell, as far as ex-working girls go, but they’re really not used to human touch, treats, or even a coop to sleep in at night 😭

Zira did enjoy a very happy dust bath though, Erys and Boots have been scratching away at the floor this morning, and Falkor was first out of the coop to embrace the day 💚

Boots is named for coming out of the carrier and getting right on with things like a “big boots” girl! She’s gone toe to toe with Babs and held her own 😉

Zira, or Arizaphale, arrived with a pale complexion and a gentle look in her eye. She reminds us a little of Binky’s spirit. So she followed her with a name from Pratchett’s world ❤️‍🩹

Erys is the most timid of the new girls. She’s the most wary of humans and the most skittish. So she is named for the Erysimum wallflower, much like which she will bloom 💚

Falkor is quietly confident. Friendly with her rescue-mates, doesn’t cause a fuss with Strawbs or Babs, she gently moved with grace and care.

There is a clear separation between Babs & Strawberry and the newbies though. Stressful day for all yesterday really! The worst of the fisticuffs has passed hopefully and we are into begrudging sharing of the space 😆

As these new girls are settling, we will support them, love them, and spoil them as best as they will allow us while we help them adjust to life to free from commercial obligations and pressures. We will show them that human hands can be kind and gentle, we will help them understand that life can be more than being an egg-machine, and what treats and a varied rich environment is.

It breaks my heart when girls come to us so wary of people, and so unfamiliar with even sunflower seeds.. that’s no way to live their first 72 weeks of life 😭 They didn’t even recognise the coop as a safe place for sleeping as I found them huddled together in a corner of the run (before safely tucking them away)💔 We’re showing them the good things, and will take the time to earn their trust and for them to be comfortable around us. It’s time for us to show them that some humans see their true value 💚

27/07/2023

Happy 4th Gotcha Day, Bramble!

Four years since we formally adopted you after pretending we were only going to foster you 😉 Who could possibly give back this cheeky scamp of a face??

Every day bramble, along with her feathered and furry sisters bring us, so many smiles and chuckles. Bramble does everything with gusto, be that demanding to play out in the morning, running around the garden, or very urgently, needing a cuddle 💚

17/07/2023

Theres no pictures with this as we want to do individyal posts for each girly with much more celebration of life💕💕

So in the last 11 weeks since we welcomed our own little chick 👶 we have said farewell to Heidi, Binky and Willow. 💔

We suspect, as with so many of our girls, that the side effects of breeding for excessive egg laying and the after effects of a first year of intensive commercial farming finally left an irrepairable mark. We lost Heidi peacefully and with a rather stoic air of dignity, and fairly quickly, Binky once again fought so long and hard and sadly Willow, our golden girl, left us less than 2 weeks ago and with so much sadness…she really didnt want to go but her body gave out before she did.

We tried so very hard with all our girls giving them our everything alongside a newborn and very little sleep or energy and vet care. No expense spared, but it wasn’t enough and we are finding more and more how we just can’t do enough for them excrpt yo open pur hearts even more in their honour to keep rescuing, keep loving and let them thrive as much as possible in whatever time these brilliant souls have on this earth with us.

🧡Heidi 🧡cheeky, chatty and our littlest cutie boss. Thank you for making us smile so brightly on your happiest sunshine days. You helped Binky feel better before you got poorly and became true friends in such a short time. You admitted defeat with such grace and strength that gave us comfort in those final moments. Daddy will forever be grateful to you for that at such a challenging time. You are such a little steadfast girlie ❤️

🧡Binky 🧡our dear beautiful strength, we knew sometime something would eventually take you from us given your adventures! But you battled with such determination each time something got on top of you but this was it and we were not ready for you to go. Our dearest little woop woop girl with the flary nostrils and the most demanding VIP seed snacker. Thank you so for showing us such love and happiness and sharing one last beautiful sun puddle with us.

🧡Willow 🧡- you weren’t meant to go yet 😥, you were so strong and wise and you were meant to help our little one understand how to love gently around chickens with your gentle loving ways and cuddles. We miss you dearly, at 5 years old you did so well, but for us it wasnt enough for you. Old age should have come to you steadily and gently. We had wished so much for that for you. Strawberry misses her friend dearly and, while begrudgingly has let Babs snuggle up to her at night, is not letting her get ideas above her station. She would much rather have her Willow Pillow to snuggle up to. Dont you worry though we will love her that bit more just for you and we will find her new friends to brighten her days and give her the best life we can. Hopefully someone to keep that pesky darling Babs entertained too.

We miss you all so very much and there’s
a real emptiness in the garden and house without each of you. We will always remember your ways and the light and love you brought into our lives.

Never just a chicken, always so much more and always so blessed to share our lives with such wonderful little souls.

We love you Heidi!🧡
We love you Binky! 🧡
We love you Willow! 🧡

Until we meet again 💔❤️‍🩹

Special thank yous to Lucy and Haidy (WoodwardHens and Belle and Fleur say NO to commercial Eggs x) for their constant support, guidance and love on life’s journey with our girls...it means the world to them and to us. 🧡🧡🧡🙏🙏🙏

17/07/2023

Babs and Strawbs wishing everyone a happy Monday 💚💚

22/04/2023

Yesterday was Mardi’s 5th Gotcha Day!
Five magnificent years of love, nonsense, cuddles, and snuffles and squeaks as she plays with her “dragon eggs” 😻

5 years since we peered into a pen at Bradford Cat Watch Rescue & Sanctuary to see a worried looking tabby and white soul. It wasn’t long before she was out to meet us, giving us boops and love and saying that maybe she might like to come home with us.

She is a cornerstone of our little family. Such a unique soul, as they all are, and an inseparable part of us.

We love you, Mardi Star 😻

05/03/2023

Good morning, world! ~ Bramble 💚

03/03/2023

Happy 5th Birthday, Willow!
This golden girl is still going strong, long may that continue 💚
Still a no nonsense girl with no interest in the drama of the flock, she merrily potters about gently chattering away to us. Bring out the sunflower seeds or the lettuce and she’s going to move though!
Willow has been with us longer than any of the rest of the flock, she came home with us from our first Fresh Start For Hens rehoming 💚 She’s seen too many friends come and go, but she remains chipper and loving.
We love you, Willow, our wise gentle girl. Keep chattering and quietly guiding the rest of the flock 🥰

27/02/2023

Binky and Strawberry had their next implant today.
Binky has been doing much better with her medicine, emptied her crop this morning too. They were both ever so well behaved at the vet.

Strawbs and Binks were taken good care of, and throughly checked over as I discussed with the vet best course of action. He agreed they would both benefit from a further implant. The vet was assisted by a nurse and the both kept telling our girls how brave they were and talking to them throughout implanting. They were then told a resounding “well done” when all finished!

It makes such a difference having vet teams taking that kindness with our feathered family members.

Binky and Strawberry got treated to an extra tasty lunch once they were home too! Binky’s appetite is coming back, and Strawbs’ never went away haha!

They’re tucked in with Heidi and Willow now, while Babs is having a little more snack before turning in for the night 💚

Big thanks again to Tom at Holly House Vets exotic team for looking after our girls today.

25/02/2023

So yesterday we booked in Binky and Strawberry for their second implants for Monday. Both were implanted May 2022 and June 2022 respectively for eyp and salpingitis and neither have shown signs of laying but we’ve been monitoring increasing bottom size this last week and Binky has today shown further signs that all is not well in her nether regions! - hunchy, crop watery and didn’t empty overnight, looking a bit forlorn in corners sometimes and comb more flush and generally less Binkyish!

So… one emergency appointment later (due to it being the weekend 😣) and some antibiotics and metacam and a really good check over and she’s back home with her sisters. We know we couldn’t wait til Monday to get the antibiotics started as she was less interested in food and shes the little soul in our flock who has had the most traumatic adventures to date and we just simplu don’t wait.

We’d already given her a dose of metacam this morning and I think its already helping and kicked in to at the very least help her feel more comfy. A couple of sneaky sweetcorns to cheer her up and say well done for being super good at the vets and calm in the car and she plods on back in the coop. She even tried to eat her antibiotics herself but they were a bit big for her beak so needed help.

She knows shes being helped as we always talk to her and tell her whats going on and she seems to understand the sentiment and gets on with it mostly. Hopefully, like with Willow, second implants will go in with a gentle moult and not too much fuss needed save a few extra snack pots and some B vitamins.

Strawberry is noisier and bum is a bit swollen but she’s still charging about and eating as normal and crop moving so I think she should be good with a straight implant on Monday to switch things off again. 🤞

24/02/2023

Feeling pecky. Given Mum a leg bruise this morning and tried to have off with her zip toggle already.

- Babs Feb 2023

17/02/2023

Taking some time with our beautiful girls and a little pot of Feast yummies and a Babs egg!

We think Heidi did a softie this morning too - been keeping a close eye on her recently after a random lash egg -not convinced it was her but no one else showing signs of laying -and if she’s done the softie this morning so a bit of extra calcium for her the next few days to see if that helps but i think of the lash was her it was a good clear out as shes doing much better after some good probiotics and oreganico and two quick bum baths (not vent gleet just a bit mucky and she does like a bit of pampering and house adventure 😜)

14/02/2023

💖💖 🐓Happy Gotcha Day Heidi! 🐓💖💖

2 years ago we collected you from your wee home in Castleford after you lost your sister and you settled in near enough straight away, a few days of good food and friends and you started laying again. This year you’ve decided to prioritise regrowing a stunning set of new feathers and now have a fully fluffy butt to match. A few new feathers still working their way out too.

We love you so 💕💕 our little valentines gal, we love your chatty nature, your little precious eggs to match your little hen-ness but none match the Boss Hen that you are. Your personality and friendliness spills out of your little hen body. You especially love your new friend Babs (pictures sharing snax with her here) - she too lost her sisters and was a lone hen so we think it’s birds of a feather stick together.

Thank you for sharing your joy, love and fun with us this last year little one. Here’s to many more days of your love and being loved by us and your feline sisters. 🥰🧡🐱🐓🐾

12/02/2023

Strawberry wishes everyone a happy Sunday 🥰

10/02/2023

Just as a visual reminder of how far Binky has come (she’s at the back in both pics from 2020 and 2021)… so proud of her and I suspect her best friend Peaches is very much her guardian angel now 💖✨🌟

Binky has triumphed over recovering from her pre-rescue days, going off her legs due to stress, eating foxgloves (discovered after much sleuthing and backtracking - safe to say all removed and checked for regularly for sneaky self-seeders!) and losing her sight for a few days - scary few days that was!! …and very likely squishy bum peritonitis recently. 😔BUT! She had her first implant in May 2022 and it did wonders for her swollen bum (along with some antibiotics and anti-inflammatories) and her bottom is now happy and empty and yuck free and her feathers are glorious. Still waiting for signs of needing another implant there’s always a hope that her body will just naturally have decided to be done laying 🤞… bums, tums and signs of coming back into lay checked each morning (much to her disgruntlement) and a loving cuddle too🥹🥰

Most importantly she is HAPPY and HEALTHY and LOVES her home here especially telling Babs and Strawberry to get in line for snacks 😆😍

09/02/2023

Happy Birthday, Binky!
Today we celebrated Binky’s 4th birthday 💚

Lots of dust bath happies with Heidi and chatters with everyone. Birthday lunch of grapes, buckwheat, split peas and sunflower seeds in the lovely spring sunshine 🥰 Birthday dinner treats of “cheesy” (not actual cheese!) sweetcorn shared with her sisters (though Binky got dibs!).

This wonderful girl has been through some hard time and some health challenges but her spirit shines through always. Today she is a bright girl full of beans and full of life! She doesn’t take any nonsense from anyone.

Happy Birthday, brilliant Binks!

09/01/2023

Did you say it’s playtime now? 😻

27/12/2022

Our Cherry Lovebug 🥰 Bestest loving girlie right now. ######

20/12/2022

Babs says “good morning!” 😍

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Videos

Babs did well overnight. She found her way into the coop all on her own, sneaking in after everyone else had gone to bed. Today, she enjoyed a treat of some breakfast corn! She’s doing ever so well. She’s nearly friends with Heidi and I’m sure the others will follow in good time. 💚

Power Snacks and Power Naps - Aila x

Power Naps and Power Snacks! Goodness knows where we'd be without Auntie Haidy reccomending feast a year or two back! 🧡Today's menu🧡 - yobyob (dairy free probiotic yoghurt and a bit of heggstra henergy) - feast (crumbly chicken nom noms with all sorts of goodies in, with hidden crumbles pellets 😜) - Fresh delectable cool beak dip (water) - disappearing beak powers naps Aila - bit worn out but working in getting Mum to give me the best snacks and tlc so I can feel good and strong again. Lots of happy gurgles and hopefully better poops soon to make for a happier hen. And... A BIG OL' BURST PURR! 💓💓💓 And breathe a bit more Mama hen! ☺️ 🧡💞 #ailatherescuehen #hentegration #newbie #henergy #tlc #chickenmama #treasureeverymoment #whateverittakes #rescuehens #findingstrength Belle and Fleur say NO to commercial Eggs x

Bea's first egg (with us here)

🧡 Bea is most definitely not required or needed to lay. She is here regardless and for always. Day 1 with us and she has.. and it's beautiful. Thank you beautiful sweet Bea! 🥚🐔🐝 #rescuehens #saynotocagedeggs #sweetbea #eggcited #eggstraordinary #eggceptionalweegirl