Hens roam; social media finds them a home

The lost chickens of Carlton County have been found. And they've been adopted.

This week, for the second time in a month, people exploring the woods off Carlton County Road 4 between Interstate 35 and Hay Lake - along the border of Blackhoof and Twin Lakes townships - discovered hundreds of chickens roaming wild. And for the second time since Sept. 12, a call to action on social media has raised outrage and compassion as people have taken the birds in.

It isn't difficult to ascertain where the birds came from. Nearby is the Promised Land Farm, which provides meats and farm produce using what it calls sustainable practices. That includes eggs. Rob and Lori Gamble said they've run out of options when it comes to their Rhode Island Reds that no longer produce enough eggs. "They're from our farm," Rob Gamble said plainly Wednesday morning. He said he had just talked with a deputy from the Carlton County Sheriff's Office, which was tipped off after a post about the chickens was sent to various local and statewide Facebook groups of people interested in egg farming.

The chickens are old and not producing, Gamble said. "We can't afford to keep them and feed them until they drop dead."

The couple tried to find buyers, typically those looking for meat to make soups. There have been no takers, so the couple turned the hens loose. "It is what it is," Gamble said. "No one will buy them en masse."

He said leaving the birds to the wild wasn't as "nasty" as the larger egg producers who close barns and use gas to kill spent birds. "At least they get to fend for themselves," Gamble said.

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"They'll get killed one way or another.," Gamble said.

"Gassing is much more humane," said Wayne Martin, an educator for the University of Minnesota Extension Service in St. Paul. He specializes in livestock and said domesticated hens "have no clue on how to survive in the wild. They will starve, if not killed off by predators."

Kyleen Pedersen said it has been obvious on both occasions when birds were found that they were suffering. She is a former resident of the area and has chickens of her own. She created the Facebook posts about the hens. Relatives still in the area around the farm have alerted Pedersen to the finds.

In September, hens were feeding on a dead chicken. This week, after being corralled, the hens were obviously thirsty, Pedersen said.

Martin, from the extension service, said the hens would especially struggle this time of year with a declining amount of bugs to forage.

Solution

Martin said he would ask farmers around the state what they are doing with spent hens. "I can see there's a need for information about this."

Pedersen has a solution and the Gambles are welcoming it. Social media has made it "easy for me to find them homes," she said. She estimates there have been at least 300 hens found and adopted.

Martin said that while a hen may not produce enough eggs to make them profitable for a farm, they're perfect for backyard operations. Peak laying years are the first two years, he said, but hens can keep laying for five to eight years. "They're still good in providing a family eggs for a week."

Lori Gamble said she's tried using social media in the past to flush interest in unwanted birds to little success. She was glad to hear the hens released and found alive have found homes. Pedersen is compiling a list of those interested in taking birds in the future. The Gambles said having a place for their hens would be welcomed.

"People are taking 20 at a time," Pedersen said. "Everyone is looking for chickens."

"Our intention was never to do any harm," Lori Gamble said.

Gamble said some family issues have made things a bit of a scramble at the farm this fall. She said the couple will update their Facebook and web pages to provide information on taking chickens.

The cost of keeping any livestock has risen sharply in the past months, Rob Gamble said. Feed grain costs have gone up 25 to 33 percent, he said. "We can't have hundreds of feathered pets," he said.

Pedersen said she hopes the outpouring of help in the past two cases will end the Gambles' practice of letting birds fend for themselves. People are out there and want to help, she said. "It isn't all that dang hard."

Pedersen said as much later in her Wednesday afternoon post to the Facebook group called Duluth Chicken Club. "​​With the power of social media, you can find homes for all the ones that are unwanted."

Calls and emails to the Carlton County sheriff and attorney seeking comment went unanswered Wednesday before press time.

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Get listed

Promised Land Farm in Twin Lakes Township announced it will post on its Facebook page, and at the website http://www.promisedlandfarmmn.com, information on taking hens it no longer wants. Those who would like to be on a list to be contacted when hens are available should email promisedland [email protected].