If you’ve ever visited Edgar’s Mission Farm Sanctuary, you might have heard of a very special rooster named Minnesota.

Rescued from a tiny wire prison on the hottest day of the year, Minnesota was the last of 602 Silkie roosters liberated from a life of unimaginable misery. Hatched for the supposed delicacy of their black flesh, these gentle birds were abandoned, facing a grim fate.

But kindness prevailed…

Around 4.40pm on the 11th of January 2023, hope met the reality of our promise as the last Silkie rooster was gently lifted from prison that had been his world for who knows how long.

Though we may never know the full duration of his captivity, what we do know is that it was a living hell for him and the 601 other gentle souls who shared his fate.

Minnesota wasn’t placed in a carrier to be ferried home. As a symbol of what was to come, he was gently cradled in loving arms, told how wonderful and precious he was, assured that he would never again be forgotten, and carried with a heady mix of triumph and tiredness out of the shed.

The last rooster was on his way home.

Now, Minnesota struts proudly at the sanctuary, a living symbol of resilience and the promise that no soul is ever forgotten.

Around 50% of hatchlings from the egg laying industry are male. Unable to produce eggs, it’s a little known fact that these tiny baby chicks are killed by the most gruesome of means on the first day of their life.

For hens, life is sadly no better.

Originating from the Red Jungle Fowl of South East Asia who laid around 12 eggs a year, we have selectively bred chickens such as the ISA Brown to now lay over 300 eggs per year. 

This presents hens with life-threatening health issues. 

Egg peritonitis and brittle bones has halved their life expectancy, if they are allowed to live beyond 18 months of age, which is when their “production” drops and they are sent to slaughter.

The egg industry also sees hens cramped in tiny metal cages for the duration of their short lives, or cramped in large “free range” sheds with no access to sunlight, or the ability to be themselves.

The simplest way to help chickens like Red Baron is to leave chicken and eggs off your plate. And with so many delicious alternatives these days, it’s never been easier!

When you make the pledge for Be Kind to Animals Week, you’ll get a free Kindness Kit and delicious plant-based recipes to help get you started.

Because no matter what animals look like, they all need and deserve kindness.