Not the Happy Face!

I needed more chickens so I headed onto Segundamando (spanish secondhand site) in search of cheap, laying chickens. Thankfully the Spanish are feeling the pinch, and are selling many animals cheaper than normal. Very quickly I found some chickens close to me, and begun negotiating.

After three days and many frustrating conversations, the lady agreed to get boxes (at one point she thought it would be ok to let them loose in my car! errr not happening) we arranged a meeting place and off we went. Well my frustrations begun from the drive onwards.

Her "finca" was miles away from where she said it was, and it had begun to rain, this never improves my mood. Finally we reached our wet destination, and she grabbed her boxes. Then she lead us down a slope, past some caves, down a slippery slope further, and onto the edge of a mountain, where there were piles and piles of rubbish, metalwork and not a lot else.

As I stood there wondering where her "finca" was she explained we were stood on it, errr nope love this is the side of a mountain!! Then she pointed to one of the piles of rubbish and told us that is where the chickens are. At this point I just wanted to get out of there.

Surely no one can keep animals in these conditions, but oh yes she did, and what made it worse was when she proudly told us that her Dad lived in the cave next door. As we climbed down and through the debris, things didn't get any better, and I had my very pissed of face! Not only were these chickens living in the worse conditions I have ever seen, but it was chucking it down.

With no roof to protect us, some very soggy cardboard boxes, and chickens that were terrified this was no happy place to be. After an hour of the filth, stench and soaking conditions I gave up. We had managed to catch 14 chickens, I could take no more and got out of there incredibly fast.

I am not sure what shocked me more, the fact that she thought these conditions were normal for animals, or the fact that she was proud that her Dad lived in a cave, with no protection from the harsh weather, and filth that surrounded him. I am constantly told, "but the canarians live differently" OH COME ON! this takes it to another level!!! I left with my chickens, soaking wet, pissed off but knowing I had changed the lives of these 14 birds!