Chrissie to the rescue!
Chrissie Jackson, well-known for her work in rescuing abandoned and feral cats around Ballito, expanded her repertoire recently when she spent eight hours in the hot sun trying to rescue a mother hen and her week-old chicks.
The story, which unfolded on February 15, started when Caroline Peacock noticed a hen and her chickens in a flowerbed. She was eating breakfast at the Eatery at The Well in Ballito at the time.
Caroline started chatting to The Eatery owner Greg Taylor who said that the chicken had turned up on their doorstep unannounced about two months before. Before long she had made a nest next to their water feature and so they started looking after her and feeding her.
The chicken rescuer and her support team from The Eatery – from left are Innocent Gina, Watson Mutimba, Chrissie Jackson, Sandile Masimbela and Kate van de Vyver.
“The next thing we knew, she had laid eggs and about a week ago, nine little chickens hatched,” said Greg.
At Greg’s request, Caroline called Chrissie to capture the chickens and move them to a safer area.
While being watered and fed by The Eatery staff at suitable intervals, Chrissie spent the whole day in the scorching heat trying to trap the family of ten.
Despite scratches, sunburn and exhaustion Chrissie said she was not prepared to leave until every little chick had been caught.
By close of business she had all the chickens safely in a box and then she took them to the Aloe Vet for a checkup and an overnight stay.
The chickens were taken back to The Eatery for a quick photoshoot on February 16 before being introduced to their new home at Oaklands Stables where owner Debbie Mattioda is more than happy to accommodate them.
