Big Steggley

She came to us from a shed just like this in 2012. She was a rescued broiler (meat) chicken who was bred to be slaughtered and eaten by humans.

She was dropped off at our place when she was about 4 weeks old with her friend, Maggie (pictured with her below), who was also rescued from the same farm.

The first name I gave her was “Lily”, but that very shortly got overthrown by a nickname J gave her which was “Big Steggley”. I was appauled at the name at first, but then realised that it was her and she responded to it more than she ever did to the name “Lily”.

Big Steggley was a loner. She was a chicken who knew what she wanted and who she needed to hip and shoulder to get it. She didn’t let anyone get in her way. She slept on her own bed that I specifically made for here each night, in the corner of the chicken coop. She preferred to sleep alone. She grew to be such a huge chicken. Broiler chickens (chickens bred for meat) are selectively bred to reach slaughter weight at 5-7 weeks old and if they are lucky enough to be rescued and live beyond that, they don’t get to live for long. Their bodies grow too big for hearts and legs to handle. Big Steggley grew so huge. Every morning we would report back to each other with joy that she was still with us because we knew that it wouldn’t be long until she left us. We watched her become slower and slower. She still waddled into the sun to bask in it’s rays, but she did so in slow motion. We knew it was nearly time.

Then one day I got the call whilst I was at work. J found her dead on her little bed. We were both very upst. She had been such a big and important part of our place for such a long time. She got to live for 16 months, which is 15 months more than more broiler chickens ever get to live. We miss that cranky, defiant face staring back at us when we say there’s no tomato left. Such a character who we will never, ever forget.