IN MEMORIUM HPAI
We often step in to help out the wildlife clinic when they receive waterfowl and game birds that turn out to be domestic, and Pepper and Salt here are no exception. They were lucky that they were rescued together, grew up together, and got to stay together. Though we lost Salt in 2021, Pepper now hangs out with Gomez and Tricia. He's lucky to have them.
Trooper is the luckiest little duck. The family was crossing a highway when all but one got hit by a car. A RI State Trooper called to see if we could assist by taking this one in. We did of course. And of course, picked the name Trooper.
Cornelius (fka 'Jack' but Jack the pig wasn't too keen on sharing his name) was dumped at the reservoir in Pawtucket during the winter, but the problem is, he's a domestic duck that never would have survived the winter. A concerned citizen made a number of attempts to catch him and finally did and kept him for the winter, then Covid hit and she kept him even longer. He is finally with us and loving all his new friends!
Eli is a baby duckling that was found wandering the streets of New York City! It is a small miracle that he survived traffic. The Wild Bird Fund called us to see if we could raise this little one. How could we say no to that face?
Tricia (fka Morticia) and Gomez were unwanted Easter gifts. It is always so disappointing that this happens year after year, no matter how many public service announcements instruct people to not do this. They were brought to the Wild Bird Fund in NYC and they focus on wildlife so they contacted us for help. These two cuties are being raised by our favorite foster mom, Erna, but they would love sponsors!
Finley was found behind a Trader Joe's, huddled up with a baby mallard. The people who found him did their best to take care of him, but after realizing the time, care and dedication required, they decided Finley needed caregivers who were well-equipped and educated on how to care for him. We stepped in and took over to raise and release the mallard and provide Finley his forever home.
If you read Momma's story, above, you'll already have seen Stripe's name mentioned (and he use to have actual stripes, we swear! His name made sense at the time). He is one of Momma's great big brothers and is your typical, laid-back muscovy. Nothing ever bothers him and he never travels far from the duck house, which makes him easy to find each night.
WRARI called telling us they had a muscovy but couldn't tell if it was male or female. One look at this huge guy and we gave them their answer. We'd guess Grey weighs more than a swan. He spends his days following Momma around and since he's bigger than her brothers, they certainly don't question him. And yes, we named him Grey because he's gray.
Blue also came from WRARI during a time when every duck coming through there seemed to be a muscovy. We gave Blue a home...and a name. Look, his eyes are blue and we lost our ability to be original a long time ago!
Our Swan Rescues
As much as we love swans, we don't often have the pleasure of having them at West Place, as they are considered a non-native species and the RIDEM frowns upon them. There are special rules and regulations we need to follow. We are not allowed to provide extended medical care or to domesticate them. If a female were to ever lay eggs, we are not permitted to let them hatch. Our sweet swans are free to leave, and considered wild, but they see our pond as "their" pond. And swans live to 20 years of age so they're not leaving us anytime soon!
You can sponsor one of our swans for $40 a month, which provides them grain, corn for foot health, monthly deworming and treats.
Spirit comes by his name honestly. When he was a cygnet in the wild a human realized his right wing never developed. He would not be flighted and would not survive the winter or would be killed. They worked with the authorities to get him to us. Sweetie had just lost her husband, Baby, and she was so happy to see another one of her kind! She started bossing Spirit around the moment he arrived!
Oh Tiptoe, humans can be so negligent. This poor guy came out of his pond and walked right across hot coals left behind, losing all of the webbing on both of his feet and left with peeling skin and blisters on his remaining toes. He is so strong and determined and he doesn't let his severe injuries slow him down!
Penelope is Tiptoe's sister and she was rescued when he was, since kids were throwing stones at her and taunting her. Turns out she had a fractured leg so she was very lucky to get away from the pond. She's now a happy girl and loves her new home.
Our Chicken Rescues
We did not use to rescue chickens - we only have so many buildings!
But when we realized we could add nesting boxes and perches six-feet in the air, we were able to keep our waterfowl happy when they learned they'd be sharing their home.
You can sponsor one of our chickens for $20 a month, which provides them grain, corn for foot health, monthly deworming and treats. In addition to this we are always working on funding for medications and vet visits.
Oh, Red. We love you so much. If you could just stop spurring us when we turn our backs that would be so great. In all seriousness, Red is a wonderful and hardworking rooster, as he always protects his flock. And with all the predators we can get, we appreciate his looking out for our hens so well! If only he could tell time a bit better. You don't need to crow all day buddy!
Speckle came as a chick along with Red and she is one of the sunniest and funniest birds we have. She'll jump on your shoulder, try to steal your earring (she's part of the reason for our 'no jewelry' policy!), and she has a dance party each week with one of our volunteers. Yep, you read that right.
Sammi is so special. With a neurological issue that hasn't been diagnosed, she used to 'tumble' a lot. We haven't seen that since she has come to live with us but we have seen her making many friends, spending days roaming and continuing to enjoy her special life.
Sandy and all her "sisters" (below) came to us from a big group of 12 hens that were living in muddy conditions, several with overgrown nails and foot issues. With no rooster around, Sandy was top of the pecking order, but she definitely lets Red do his job.
While on a rescue mission to retrieve a duck in need of proper care, our Executive Director was presented with the tiniest, most adorable baby chick as a “thank you” for her dedication. This Speckled Sussex Hen has grown up alongside our Executive Director, spending time in the office, on the shoulders of staff and volunteers, and going on weekend road trips. Dottie II, named after our beloved Speckled Sussex, Dottie, who passed away in 2020, has come into her own and bops around West Place strutting her stuff.
Phyllis is a Polish hen that was going to get killed by other, aggressive birds. We agreed to help out but she is certainly the bottom of the "pecking order." We had to start her out in one of our special areas for birds that need extra attention and love, until she felt comfortable enough to explore, and explore she now does!
Our Turkey Rescues
You can sponsor one of our super cool turkeys for $35 a month, which provides them grain, corn for foot health, monthly deworming and treats.
In addition to this we are always working on funding for medications and vet visits.
Each spring, we get in dozens of baby wild turkeys for rehabilitation. Smokey was a case of "one of these things is not like the other," as this little guy grew bigger and faster then his wild poult counterparts and we quickly realized he was a domestic turkey that was brought to us thinking he was a wild baby. Obviously as a domestic Narragansett Heritage breed, he will need safety and food and shelter, and he'll get that here for life. We're spending a lot of bonding time with him so he doesn't act like an aggressive wild turkey when he grows up.
Tat is a domestic bronze turkey rescued from a farm by a concerned citizen. She was getting picked on and not eating, which led to a calcium deficiency and developed brittle bones. While being rehabbed by the concerned citizen, she jumped a severely broke a wing. Amputation was the only answer as the wing couldn't be saved. After recovery, she came to us for her forever home. We need to be very careful with her so she doesn't continue to get injured, but our ED was well trained in the decade we had Peepers the turkey, who had several of the same issues, so we got you Tat!
