Becky Broiler

Becky is a broiler hen that was born with a beak deformity known as scissors beak. Broilers are a specific type of chicken that are bred and raised specifically for meat production. Through artificial selection for rapid early growth, broilers have an extremely short life span and reach their unnatural slaughter-weight by the time they are between five and seven weeks of age. As a result of Becky’s beak deformity, she couldn’t eat or drink properly and thus had severely stunted growth.

Becky's Rescue

While the other 30,000 chickens confined in the shed with Becky rapidly gained weight, she had difficulty gaining weight and was slowly starving to death. When she was discovered by her rescuer, she was half the size of the other chickens. Due to her reduced size and declining health, Becky's flock mates would regularly bully her--resulting in severe feather loss and scabs on her skin. Unfortunately, by the time Becky was discovered, there was nothing that could be done to straighten her beak, however that did not stop her rescuer from giving her a chance. The morning after she was rescued, her rescuer was on the phone to the vet clinic, booking her in to have her twisted beak looked at, and they asked for her name. Her rescuer's first thought was 'Beaky' but decided against it as it seemed inappropriate, so quickly said 'Becky' instead.

Facts About 'Broiler' Chickens

‘Broiler’ chickens have been genetically manipulated to become grossly obese within a short timeframe so the farmers can get more money for them, with less care. So even when rescued, most of them don’t survive long, their organs and their legs simply cannot cope with their weight. One year is lucky, two is rare. Three is unheard of. But Becky turned three a few months ago and although her heart is weakening and she is slowing down, she is still the boss of everyone at the sanctuary.