FLOCK
STARS
THE CORNISH CREW
Cornish Crosses are chickens bred specifically for meat, not eggs. If they look familiar, it’s likely because you’ve seen photos of them crowded in industrial agricultural settings. Our Cornish Crew—Lucky, Lexi, Layla, Libby, and Lennox—have each survived incredible hardships. This year, we said goodbye to Lucky and Libby. Though it was difficult, we are profoundly grateful for the years of safety and care they experienced at FCFS. Lucky was six years old and Libby was seven.
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At just six weeks old, Lucky fell from a transport truck bound for slaughter, arriving at the sanctuary in rough shape and suffering from multiple ailments. At seven weeks old, Lennox fell from a truck as well. She will soon celebrate her fifth birthday. Lexi and Layla came to us from a bankrupt factory farm, and both turning seven this year. Libby was released from an animal testing lab.
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In May 2025, we welcomed Cornish Cross rooster Fabio to FCFS after he fell from a slaughter truck. When he arrived, he was immobile from extreme weight gain caused by industry-driven overfeeding. With patience and care, our team worked tirelessly to help him regain strength and mobility. Against the odds, Fabio was on the cusp of being fully independent. Tragically, his time with us was far too short, and he passed away suddenly. Not every rescue ends the way we hope—but Fabio’s journey to freedom and wellness remains deeply powerful. His life mattered, and his story continues to inspire. To read more about Fabio, visit our In Memory page.
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Despite their pasts, the Cornish Crew are incredibly affectionate, curious, and full of personality. They perch on us, take naps in our laps, enjoy shoulder rides, and enthusiastically follow us around the aviary.
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Due to selective breeding for accelerated growth and insatiable appetites, Cornish Crosses are highly prone to health complications, including weight-related mobility issues. This requires daily monitoring and careful management of their diet.
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Spending time with this loving flock of survivors is a gift we treasure every day—a reminder of the resilience, curiosity, and joy that animals are able to experience, even after enduring so much.
CLOVE
9 YEARS OLD
Clove is a blueberry enthusiast! All the members of the FCFS flock would undoubtedly rate blueberries as their favorite produce option. However, Clove takes it a step further. Lovingly crowned the "snack monster" of her aviary, Clove is always on alert for a tasty treat. In fact, when her favorite treat is near she turns into "Air Clove", excitedly jumping for her beloved blueberries. Though Clove is an elder hen, her vertical leap is that of an all star athlete.
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Clove is very friendly with her care team, curious with visitors, and an active member of her aviary. Clove and all the FCFS residents are monitored for age related issues. Just like with humans, dogs, or cats, as the residents age, they can experience arthritis and joint issues, loss of vision, and mobility issues.
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Clove is an example of the chickens used for egg laying. Through selective breeding over generations, egg laying hens have been modified to produce far more eggs than they would if left in their natural state. The original ancestors of modern hens laid up to 25 eggs per year. In the 1920's hens laid 150 eggs, today hens lay an average of 300 eggs per year. As you can imagine egg production is taxing on the hens body and reproductive system. Due to the strain on their bodies and reproductive system, it is very common for hens to experience health problems. Some of which can lead to premature death.
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Since time is especially precious with chickens. We are grateful for every day we have with Clove and all her fellow flock stars. We celebrate every year of their life and when the FCFS chickens make it to their teen years we smile even bigger knowing that they have lived a long life in safety.
THE ROO CREW
3 YEARS OLD
The Roo Crew consists of seven bachelor roosters. All of whom were discarded and left to fend for themselves. In the fall of 2021 a staff member was driving past the neighboring state park and witnessed the boys being dumped. It took multiple members of the Care Team, several attempts, and many hours to get all the roos to the safety of the sanctuary.
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When people buy chicks, they tend to want them for eggs. Since roosters can't produce eggs and they crow, making it a potential noise complaint from neighbors, roosters are often seen as less desirable. For the animal agriculture industry in the business of selling eggs, roosters are considered unprofitable and useless.
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Eggs have a 50/50 chance of being female or male. If you look at the animal agriculture industry alone and think about all the eggs that are produced by female chickens, there was an equal amount of male chicks who were hatched and immediately discarded.
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We are grateful to care for the members of the Roo Crew. Nico, Pom, Bakugo, Rufio, Usain, Kylo Ren, and Bolin have their own bachelor pad. Without a hen to compete for, the roos coexist peacefully. Unlike Kylo's namesake, he chooses to use the good side of the force. However, In the event of interpersonal conflict, it is Bolin who steps in to restore the peace. Usain's namesake is none other than legendary sprinter Usain Bolt. Why you ask? Because, he sprinted away from the rescue effort! The Care Team had to return several times before they could convince Usain to leave the state park and join his friends. We think he's happy with his decision.
Elsa
Arriving on January 8th, Elsa was the first rescue of 2025. She was discovered perching on a window ledge by a kind person searching an Atlanta neighborhood for a stray dog in need of help. Storm Cora was looming and temperatures of the week had been as low as 19 degrees.
This person was put into contact with a long time FCFS supporter and resident sponsor. The two reached out to us for help and once we agreed to intake Elsa, they sprung into action planning her rescue.
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According to people living in the area, Elsa had been completely alone, fending for herself in the cold weather for over a month. One day she appeared in the neighborhood and no one knew how she got there. No one in the neighborhood mentioned feeding her. It appears Elsa was eating what she could find on her own. She was in the middle of the city, managing to survive the cold and avoid the stray dogs and cats in the area.
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Elsa's two rescuers were determined and diligently searched the neighborhood. Finally, they found Elsa! The got her settled in a large cat carrier, named her, an important first step in nurturing her autonomy, and made their way to meet an FCFS team member so Elsa could begin her sanctuary journey. Elsa made it to FCFS the day before snow fell in Atlanta. She arrived underweight at just 2.8 pounds, with a low body score, including lice and parasites that the team is immediately began treating. Elsa also had some feathers that were finishing the regrowing process. This means she likely endured molting season, the time when birds shed their old feathers, while on the streets. With less feathers for warmth, Elsa probably felt cold for a long time. She is brave, resilient, resourceful, and strong.
We don’t know where Elsa came from, but we can assume that she was likely someone’s backyard chicken being used for her eggs. This is common for her breed. Red Star hens are a breed of chicken known for being “hardy and prolific egg producers.” At some point, their egg production is likely to decline or stop altogether. For hens being used as a commodity, this is typically the time when they are no longer seen as useful. Since the hens are no longer “doing their job” their lives are often seen as expendable. Unfortunately, it is common for them to meet an early demise by the hands of humans, or for them to be abandoned and left to fend for themselves.
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We're grateful to be part of Elsa's story and look forward to all the milestones she will reach throughout her lifetime at FCFS. She has reached sanctuary and now has the opportunity to life a full life and safely grow old.
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If you would like to read Elsa's complete rescue story, head over to Bolin's blog. ​
