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Chicken crossed the road (for the last time).

PostPosted: Fri Sep 26, 2014 8:50 pm
by yotmon
On the 14th of May this year a wagon crashed on the M62 motorway carrying 7000 live chickens, 1500 of which were killed at the scene. The rest were rounded up but a few made their bid for freedom. They were ex-laying battery birds that were going for slaughter. The majority were moulting and looked quite disheveled.
Well, yesterday evening as I passed the location of the crash I saw one of them on the hard shoulder looking for grit. It was really well feathered and looked in very good condition. She had been free for over 4 months, avoiding passing vehicles on one of Britain's busiest motorways and avoiding predators such as Foxes, Stoats and Buzzards. She had found enough food not only to survive, but thrive on as swell. I took my hat off to her for such persistence and resilience. But the fairy tale was short lived. As I passed the same spot tonight, there she was in the second lane, dead. She must have only been hit moments earlier as her body was intact and her immaculate feathers moved with the draught coming off passing vehicles. Call me an old sentimentalist but I felt for that bird, even knowing that her death would have been swift. She had overcome adversity, showing the world that she could survive without the help or assistance of mankind. Nature is such a wonderful thing and she proved that life is always worth fighting for. well done that bird.

Re: Chicken crossed the road (for the last time).

PostPosted: Fri Sep 26, 2014 11:45 pm
by wheels
Yes, I agree Yotman, Well done that bird.

And applying that at human level, did anyone watch the BBC2 one-off drama 'Marvellous'? The real story of a chap with learning difficulties from Stoke-on-Trent?

If you're UK based, try to watch it on Iplayer. It's inspiring. You may think they've used 'poetic license', but the actual truth is even more bizarre than the TV drama.

Phil

Re: Chicken crossed the road (for the last time).

PostPosted: Sat Sep 27, 2014 2:32 pm
by vagreys
At my brother's funeral, last month, one of the eulogies mentioned a particular chicken from our flock at the farm where we grew up. She wasn't really a pet, but she got a name and she made enough of an impact that, some 38 years later, she was remembered in an anecdote. Even the least creature among us fights to live up to that very last moment - even the poor, dumb creatures we raise for slaughter, even as the life drains from them. To me, this is awesome. I have to laugh as I write this. Consider that we are having a global discussion of this poor chicken that died on the M62. What an impact, and a celebration of life!

Re: Chicken crossed the road (for the last time).

PostPosted: Wed Oct 01, 2014 6:57 pm
by johngaltsmotor
Only someone truly in touch with their food would have put 1 and 1 together to recall that this chicken was the 1 in 7000 that survived and evaded capture and ended up thriving.
After the first part of the story I was expecting yotmon to say that he captured the fine specimen to make coque au vin or something wonderful. Alas it was a much less honorable end.