About

About 

Having taken in dozens of homeless, unwanted, and special-needs animals over the years (and learning a lot along the way), my husband Max and I (Emilie) made Beazy Farms an official animal  sanctuary and 501(c)(3)  nonprofit public charity upon the purchase of our first home. We love and care for over 80 animals, including chickens, ducks, goats, turkeys, cats, guinea pigs, and continually welcome newcomers. We are passionate about providing a soft landing for vulnerable animals who need it the most. We believe that every life deserves happiness and love. 

Why Beazy?

We have had and loved animals our entire lives, but it was not until 2018 that our first chicken adopted us. I walked outside one afternoon to find our (shelter) cat, Tinka, in a face-off with a large red hen (actual video footage here). I had no idea where she'd come from, or why, or what to do with a chicken...but it didn't matter, because this gal took matters into her own beak. The hay room door became her roost, and we became her flock. We named her Beatrice--Beazy for short. She was impossibly charming. Tinka's suspicion quickly turned into acceptance, then respect, and then friendship. They lounged in the sun for hours; they snuggled indoors when it rained. I often walked into the kitchen to find the two of them hanging out like old friends, glaring at me as though I'd interrupted something.

Chickens are widely misunderstood and underestimated, but it was not until Beazy came along that I personally realized what charming, funny, adorable creatures they are. She opened our family up to an entire world of love and joy. Our goal is to provide a loving home for as many animals as we possibly can, and to promote kindness and well-being for all creatures. Every animal who enters our lives is not merely a resident or a guest; they are beloved family. 

Freckles: the other chickie who changed everything 

Two years after Beatrice, another chicken came along who changed our lives irrevocably. Freckles hatched with a condition called "crossbeak" (also known as "scissorbeak"), meaning that her top and bottom beak did not align. At first, she was able to sustain herself with wet mash, but as time went on it became clear that she needed to be hand-fed. 

Caring for a chicken who is 100% nutritionally dependent is a significant undertaking and lifestyle adjustment, but Freckles reciprocated tenfold in pure joy. I have loved every one of my animals so deeply, but with Freckles, it went even deeper. It took some time to learn to care for her and her special needs, but once we did, there was nothing Freckles couldn't do. I'd read numerous forums that advised "culling" (killing) crossbeak chicks, claiming they'd never know a life beyond suffering. But with a little help and nutrition, Freckles didn't just survive--she lived her best life. 

She was tiny and she was disabled, and she needed no one's pity. She was sassy and prideful and she was my soulmate. I tried time and again to convince her to sleep inside on cold nights, mostly so I wouldn't have to wake up worrying about her. Every time, she immediately flew from her perch and stomped angrily to the door, insulted at the invitation. When I adopted another special needs chicken after her, I assumed Freckles would be a compassionate roommate. I assumed wrong. She puffed out her chest and rudely booped any newcomers, no matter their size, as if to say "this is MY mama!"

On the other hand, Freckles loved and trusted every person she met. When you talked to her, she chirped back. She snuggled into my shoulder for hours and purred after every meal. She attended graduate school with me, quietly (or not so quietly) attending Zoom class. Freckles went on road trips--to a local middle school, to the horse ranch where I worked at the time, and to my own wedding, where she was the ring bearer. I sang “You Are My Sunshine” to her every morning and night, improvising new lyrics every time. She hatched on Mother’s Day. 

Freckles passed away very suddenly in late January of 2022. Her necropsy revealed that she had been laying internally over the winter (when chickens normally take a break) and developed an internal infection (salpingitis). Her death had nothing to do with her "deformity." I'll never understand how she hid the infection so well and acted so normally right up until the day we lost her, although I find peace in the fact that there was little that could have been done. I don't think she suffered. I miss her every single day, more than I know how to describe. She lit up my world and changed my life. She was my sunshine and my angel and My Baby Girl.

Because of Freckles, I have hope for every disabled animal I meet. She taught me that every life deserves a chance. She taught me how to care for the numerous crossbeaks we have taken in after her, and will continue to take in. She led me to the real focus of this organization: to care for the animals that other people can't or won't. 

Part of our mission is spreading awareness of the crossbeak condition and helping crossbeak birds and bird owners get the help and support they need. If you would like to know more, please visit our Crossbeak Corner page (coming soon) and the invaluable Facebook group "Crossbeak Poultry in Motion," where you will find amazing support and credible expertise.