When you come into the store you don’t always know what you’re going to find. Being an employee myself I am constantly surprised with the new species I get to interact with on a normal basis. African Pied Crows, Hyacinth Macaws, Toucans… There is just so much wonder to find. When I first started though I truly didn’t expect to be working alongside a chicken. A store chicken to be exact. Brownie, the Sebright Chicken hybrid, quickly stole my heart as she pranced around behind me gobbling up the seeds that dare to fall on the floor.
Pete was just starting to incubate some eggs for the first time, and asked one of our employees if she would like to have some of her chicken eggs incubated. Which she happily agreed to. Unfortunately there was an error with the incubator and the water that kept the humidity perfect, managed to leak out. When the eggs were inspected the next day it was said to have spelt like “scrambled eggs”. Pete tried again, adding more water to the batch in hopes that maybe one of them would still be okay. It wasn’t until Pete was about to give up on the eggs that a little chick was spotted in the corner of the incubator. Brownie.
Her personality is so uplifting for being a little chicken. Many times during our work breaks she has sat and snuggled with us, her neck resting upon our shoulder while we eat lunch. On slow winter days you may see her walking around the store, picking up after the other birds as an attempt to get a snack. Most of the time though, when the weather permits it, she is outside wandering around the property and jumping through the barn for a place to roost. When she is outside, you know she’s nearby because you can hear her little feet slapping against the concrete as she runs up to you. Typically begging for food, but I like to think she genuinely enjoys the few seconds of cuddles she gets once she finally catches up to you.
Maybe Brownie can be your little reminder to never give up hope. Even if things feel like a dead end there is always a reason to keep going.
-Madison
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