O ne of our veterinarian’s clients, Tania, called them to ask for help. She lives in a condominium complex and the tenants/condo management wanted to get rid of the free roaming chickens that had been living on the complex grounds for approximately a year and a half! She took it upon herself to feed them, became quite attached, and didn’t want them to be harmed in any way so she made it her mission to find them a forever home.

Watch the video of how Victor & Ava came to join our JP family

“… how they survived all this time, especially during winters, is absolutely amazing!”

Every once in a while chickens would randomly show up at the complex and then randomly disappear as the condo is located across the street from a meat farm (so they were escapees!). In February of 2018, two chickens, who have been named Ava, after Ava Gardner and Victor/Victoria, The latter is the name of an old movie where the actress played the part of a male. She settled on Victor once she realized he was not a hen. The management at the complex called the farm and told them to come get them and the farm said we don’t want them. Tania took it upon herself to make sure they always had food and water. Not knowing anything about chickens she researched how to care for them. They survived without a coop and at night would perch up in trees or hide under porches. Which is so crazy, usually chickens without coops get attacked by wildlife at night-even chickens with coops get attacked, so how they survived all this time, especially during winters, is absolutely amazing!

Tania said during the day they walked around the complex together, Victor never left Ava. He stood next to her while she ate and waited for her to finish before starting to eat himself, and when she took her dust bath in the complex gardens he stood next to her. She said it was like watching an old married couple, if they could have held hands they absolutely would have.

“She has never found any eggs and the other people in the complex have also stated that they have never seen eggs. With the timeline this would make Ava at the age of a non-laying chicken, which is usually 3 years old …

Some people at the complex had complained about Victor crowing early in the morning, which is when management told Tania they had to go, after reaching out to some rescues who said no, she emailed the hospital, which is when they called us.

The rest is history as Oscar completed building their ‘new condo’ (chicken coop) and they seem to love their new home! When they first arrived Oscar made a temporary room in the cow barn and they still have free range to walk around the cows. We love them and are so happy they will live out the rest of their lives here at JP Farm Animal Sanctuary!

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Love to All Beings,
Britt, Lynn, Oscar & the JP Farm Animal Sanctuary Family