Ls Land Issue 32 Thumbelina Added By 138
Numbers Slyter
Thumbelina was one of thousands of birds packed into plastic poultry crates, stacked and held down by straps, being transported down a highway on their way to slaughter. These trucks, driving at or even above the speed limit, carry thousands of these birds at a time, and this one truck had crates improperly secured.
Because of the loose strap, the crates that held Thumbelina and more than 100 other chickens fell off the truck and onto the Staten Island Expressway. Many of the birds died on impact, and others were humanely euthanized due to the severity of their injuries by the Animal Care Centers of NYC, the agency that rescued the survivors of the accident.
Thumbelina was injured, but also underweight, likely due to her crossed beak. Like the other birds from the rescue, she had suffered abrasions from the fall onto the highway. Many of the birds, like her friend Avalon, needed more serious care, including wing and toe amputations due to compound fractures suffered in the fall.
For weeks, this flock of injured chickens lived at our Melrose Animal Hospital and our outdoor hospital shed, where they received daily treatments ranging from antibiotics, wound care, and pain management to post-surgical care for those who required it.
I think the most important thing to remember is that these chickens, though large enough to be sent to slaughter for meat, are only babies. But they are also around five to six pounds. Five pounds is more than a full-grown leghorn layer weighs, so to see them, you may not realize they are just youngsters.
Thumbelina, like so many of these birds, quickly learned her name, and she soon became a favorite of caregivers who spend time ensuring that she is healthy and happy. She remains on a special feed and is separated from her flockmates during mealtimes, since she cannot consume food as quickly as the other birds because of her beak issues.
And Thumbelina still loves her caregivers and enjoys spending time with them. She is a huge fan of helping with things like charting, as seen below in photo by Senior Caregiver Abbie Rogers, whom Thumbelina loves hanging out with. She loves to just plop down beside you and see what you are up to (and of course help when needed).
So during this week where we should all be kind to animals, remember that for the 8.8 billion chickens who make up the majority of the land animals killed for food in the U.S., kindness begins on your plate and with the choices you make every day when you are deciding what to eat.
7fc3f7cf58