We can only guess how they got there, but it’s likely that their former guardian tried “returning” these birds to the wild. This is a dangerous misconception since Silkie and Red Star chickens aren’t wild in the first place. They’re domestic breeds: dependent on humans for their care, and at risk of starvation, attack from predators, or being hit by a car if left to fend for themselves.

These two might have belonged to a backyard flock. Red Stars like Rainbow are used for egg production; Silkies like Unicorn are ornamental breeds and may also be raised for meat. Not all places are zoned for roosters, though; some chicken keepers may order female birds, only to be surprised when surprise roosters start to crow. If it’s illegal to keep roosters on their land, they may kill these birds or set them free.

Unicorn and Rainbow, a bonded pair, were set loose on their next adventure together. But without help—and soon—they might not survive on their own for very long.

Knowing how dangerous it is for chickens to be loose and unprotected, we immediately set out to see if we could locate them. After a long and thorough search of the area where they were spotted, we still hadn’t located the birds. We were close to giving up, fearing the worst, when we noticed a small, white ball of fluff in a dense patch of trees and brush. Our hearts jumped, and after investigating the area we were deeply relieved to find the chickens we had been called about! There, in the dense underbrush, were a white silkie rooster and a small red star hen.

Silkie chickens are a very unique breed. Their feathers are soft and fluffy, and they have black skin underneath. Another thing that sets them apart is their five toes (one more toe on each foot than the average chicken has).

Rescuing these stranded birds proved complicated: The brushy area they were hiding in was covered in poison oak. To make matters worse, they were terrified of us. In the end, we were able to surround the area, and a caregiver found a way into the thick brush to rescue them.

Once home at Farm Sanctuary, we were able to give both birds a thorough examination. Their exams revealed that they were both underweight, had long nails, and were infested with poultry lice. We immediately set to work trimming their nails, treating them for the poultry lice, and starting them on a nutritious diet.

Rainbow and Unicorn thrived once safe at Sanctuary, relishing the opportunity to scratch around in the straw and eat all of the healthy and nutritious food we offered them. (They soon discovered new favorite foods: blueberries and grapes!) In addition to healing physically, they became much more emotionally settled as well. Instead of running whenever a person showed up, they would linger nearby and look on with curiosity at what we were doing. Rainbow began to run to the door to meet us in the mornings, knowing we had a bowl full of delicious food for her and her friend. And as soon as we placed the food down for them, Unicorn would also run up and pick out his favorite parts of his breakfast.

Once they completed their routine quarantine period and had been cleared of any health issues, they were able to move to one of our chicken enclosures with other rescued birds. We kept our fingers crossed that these two would mesh well with their new family. At first, there were a few standoffs between Rainbow and some of the other chickens—but luckily everything calmed down quickly. Rainbow and Unicorn spent the first few days exploring—chickens are extremely inquisitive, and they clearly wanted to see all there was to see in their new home.

One of the most exciting moments for Sanctuary caregivers was when Unicorn started charging us—running full-speed at any caregiver who came to medicate or perform a treatment on one of his new flockmates, then stopping right in front of them. We knew when he started doing this that he wanted to protect his family—and that he did indeed now consider all the chickens in the barn to be his family.

Rainbow and Unicorn love to be outside. There’s a fruit tree in the yard they live in, and Rainbow is fascinated by the water line. She loves to try and catch the water that comes from the line, and she’ll sit in the shade of the tree enjoying the cool, moist ground after the watering is done. Unicorn prefers to explore the yard—he likes to dig in the dirt and then bathe in the dust he kicks up.

It is incredibly rewarding to see the animals we rescue become confident and comfortable at Farm Sanctuary. At our Sanctuaries, they are able to be exactly who they were born to be. Whenever we see Rainbow scratching around and exploring or hear Unicorn crowing as loudly as he can, we are proud to see how these ambassadors for their species pave the way for countless individuals just like them.