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Ari's Life
- Jun 11
- 2 min read
Ari joined our family last March. At a time when we felt like the world was collapsing - Ellie was sick and ultimately passed away - and her gentleness helped us move forward. We received a surrender request from a loving family who took her in from their neighbours, but quickly realized they weren’t equipped to care for her long-term. When they rescued her, she was covered in lice, for which they provided her treatment. Through another sanctuary, they were connected with us, and we were more than happy to welcome her home with us. We drove halfway to meet them in Haliburton and were instantly enamoured by her beautiful feathers. Ari is a Wyandotte. She has striking black and white feathers, somewhat spotted, that glisten in the sunlight. I wish I had thought earlier to call her the Edward Cullen of chickens. The light reflected off her was mesmerizing.
One of the first things we learned about Ari, or rather, maybe taught her, is her affinity for purring. In the early days, she lived in the spare bedroom - long before the medical isolation/intake coop would be ready - and Craig would coo at her, lovingly. She started to coo back. Then, when things brought her joy or she was comfortable, she would start cooing regularly. She especially loved the blow dryer, and her soft, gentle coo turned into a barking demand. To have been lucky enough to live in a world where we got to hear that sound is enough to get through the pain of living in a world where I’ll never hear it again.
Ari turned into a different chicken when she moved outside. Her interest, or rather maybe dependence, on Craig and me seemingly disappeared entirely as she found her place with Ezra & Gunta (then Bubba & Eggie). We didn’t realize how small Ari was until we introduced her to Ezra and saw how little she looked beside him. He was thrilled. Perhaps that’s a bit of an understatement - it was the first time we saw him puff up his feathers so big he looked like a turkey to impress her. He was absolutely smitten. Gunta took a bit longer to warm up, but not by much. Once Gunta realized Ari was just a baby, she began to give up her spot beside Ezra at bedtime for Ari. And she was a baby, she’s not even 2 years old.
Ari seemed to be a hen of simple interests. She wasn’t fussed about much. She just wanted to eat the snacks Ezra found for her and find a good sun spot to stretch out in, and if Gunta snuggled up with her, all the better. She seemed… at peace.
She’ll be at peace now, forevermore.
Please consider removing chicken & egg products from your plates in respect of her memory.
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