Harvest Home Animal Sanctuary Blog

Yes, an Ewok is at Harvest Home. This creature came from Planet Manteca. What to do with an Ewok in Stockton?!

Spring is finally here. Barney and Dutch, Harvest Home’s head ranch dogs, would like to wish everyone a happy spring break.

Corazón, our chicken queen, wants to know if you would sign up for Harvest Home’s e-newsletter list. In short order, we will be sending out our first e-publication. We love to share stories of ranch life, volunteer opportunities and the myriad of ways to support our work. So, brag your mouse and click here to sign up for our list.

Please join Karen Courtemanche, Christine Morrissey, and friends for our next volunteer workday, held in conjunction with East Bay Animal Advocates
(http://www.eastbayanimaladvocates.org/) and Bay Area Vegetarians (http://bayareaveg.org). Every month, the second Saturday is designated as a volunteer day here and we are hoping for good turnouts. We would love to have animal lovers from throughout the Bay Area and San Joaquin valley join us!

Our next volunteer date is Saturday, February 9, 2008, from 10:00-2:00. Harvest Home was formed to aid homeless and abused domestic and farmed animals in the San Francisco Bay Area and the San Joaquin valley. We assist local humane societies and rescue groups with animals-primarily farmed animals-who, due to their breed, their health, or their personality, cannot be adopted into permanent homes. We also run a large sanctuary room for rabbits from House Rabbit Society, shelters, and other rabbit rescue groups throughout the bay area. To rsvp and find out more about this event, please email Karen@harvesthomeanimal.org, go to www.harvesthomeanimal.org or call 209-465-2985.

• Bales of grass or timothy hay for the rabbits
• Bales of straw for bedding
• Bales of alfalfa for Rippy the sheep
• Purina Rabbit Chow
• Chicken Feed
• Gift cards to Safeway, Food Maxx or Costco for perishables likes greens and fruit
• Printer paper
• Paper towels and White Vinegar for cleaning
• Willow tents, willow balls and willow rings from the Busy Bunny: www.busybunny.com

Please us at 209-465-2985 about dropping off your items. The animals thank you!

Two-and-a-half-years may seem like a short lifespan. Surprisingly, the age of a human toddler is vast for Arturo and Corazón – the last standing broilers of Harvest Home. The aging Cornish Cross chickens are the remaining Hurricane Katrina survivors at our farm. The longevity of these titan birds is nothing less than a New Year’s miracle.

In September 2005, Arturo, Corazón and 11 other meat-type chickens arrived in our Stockton settlement after a long journey from tempest-ridden Mississippi. They were rescued from an abandoned Tyson Foods broiler grow-out ranch.

Broilers are selectively bred to grow at an alarmingly rapid rate. As a terminal breed raised for slaughter, broilers are not designed to live much beyond one-month-of-age. Leg abnormalities, ascites, and sudden death syndrome are the deadly fortunes afflicting these birds. As Dr. Ian Duncan of the Department of Animal and Poultry Science at University of Guelph wrote, “We are reaching the biological limit of growth and it is a mistake to think we can go on and on selecting for increased growth rate without costs to the bird.”

The Lucky-13 adjusted to the quiet life of Harvest Home quickly. But, it wasn’t long before we saw the first loss of life among our feathered bowling balls. Lucky-12, Lucky-11, Lucky- 10…. Today, luck is paired down to one rooster and one hen.

While Jack Frost sprinkles a light freeze on the San Joaquin Valley, Arturo and Corazón face a mounting battle with obesity and bumblefoot. But, the two-pack are hardly bothered by their aging exteriors. Life is a series of simple and beautiful routines:

1. Watch the sunrise over the Sierra Foothills.
2. Eat soybeans, rice hulls and corn.
3. Peck.
4. Peck.
5. Cluck.
6. Watch the sunset over the Altamont Hills.

As we kiss Year 2007 goodbye, Arturo and Corazón have an important peck or piece of advice:

Life is short. Enjoy the New Year one cluck at a time.

Harvest Home recently welcomed a new friend–Parker the Rabbit. Rescued from neglect in the Bay Area, Parker is a great guy. He loves listening to Last Christmas by George Michael. Plus, he enjoys sunbathing in the main yard of the sanctuary.

But, Parker has a problem. It’s quite embarrassing. So, please don’t judge him.

This neutered boy can’t grasp the idea of doing his business in a litterbox. Instead, he is fond of living like the forever-dirty Pigpen.

Blog-in and leave your suggestions for potty training Parker. He is all ears open!