We started our rescue journey with dog rescue in Baltimore, and here in California we’ve been very lucky to find a rich and supportive community of rescuers and animal rights advocates of all kinds! Currently we have one persnickety old rescue dog named Pony, and we adopted a trio of feral cats at our old house in Concord- Grey Boy, Shaman, and Racing Stripe.

Pony is a 10 year old American Bulldog / Mastiff / Pit Bull mix who loves cat food (any food, really), napping, and snuggles with his Daddy.

Grey Boy is a 14 year old grey and white domestic shorthair with hyperthyroidism that we manage with daily medication and a high-protein diet. His brothers, Racing Stripe and Shaman, get the same rich diet, and as a result are sleek, bright-eyed panthers. Although they were feral when we met them three years ago, regular feeding and familiarity have turned them into love machines, and they come running for petting (and food) as soon as they see us coming.

Mr. Pickles is the smallest of our roosters, but definitely thinks he’s the boss of the whole farm.

He’s an Old English Game Bantam with a beautiful blue chest and tail, and he is an excellent
and attentive protector for his little harem of hens.

Pancake is also an Old English Game Bantam, and is identical to Mr. Pickles, except that his tail feathers are shaded towards peacock green. Pancake is a professional snuggler, and when picked up will settle down in your hand like a warm muffin and close his eyes for petting.

Mr. Pastry and Pumpkin are our Gold Laced Polish couple, and they make a stunning pair. Pumpkin is also a shameless snuggler, and loves to jump in your lap or on your shoulder if you’re sitting down. Pastry is more stand-offish, but if you want to pet those gorgeous feathers, it’s easy to sneak up behind him – the hairdo is incredible, but it does block his peripheral vision very effectively.

Pecan is a Speckled Sussex, and makes the second of Pastry’s harem. Pecan loves cat food, and will find out where the cats are fed and shoulder them aside to get her share. She’s got beautiful silky feathers, and mothers the bantam hens, especially when everyone is broody. Peaches is a gorgeous silver-laced Wyandotte and is Pecan’s best friend. She’s too old to lay eggs anymore, and she’s cranky and hates people, but we love her all the same.

Praline is a mixed breed Bantam hen, and was the first hen (with a brood of 10 tiny chicks!) that we rescued from Union City is a joint operation with Animal Control. Mr. Pickles fell in love with Praline at first sight, and moved her and all ten of her chicks into the coop that he shared with Pastry, Pancake, Pumpkin, Pecan, and Peaches. The big hens were not amused to have their coop invaded by a passel of noisy little bantam hens and roosters, but soon got over their snit, and now enjoy the extra body heat generated by their little snuggle buddies.

After Praline, we had a harder and harder time picking names that start with P! This is Egypt, one of Praline’s female chicks. We named her for her exotic coloration – her feathers are black with a gold spine and she has her mama’s pretty chocolate colored eyes. Egypt was the first of our baby hens to go broody, and we laughed ourselves silly at her ferocious growling in defense of the nesting box.

Nutmeg is another of Egypt’s female chicks, now all grown up and laying eggs of her own. Her variegated brown feathers and spicy personality inspired her name- Nutmeg doesn’t take any gaffe from her brothers or the older roosters, and will chase them if they get too familiar! Mr. Lemon is the father of Praline’s chicks, and we made a second (and third, and fourth…) trip to Union City to capture him and his other three hens (one with her own brood of five babies).

Lemon is a beautiful Rosecomb Bantam rooster, with a stunning mane of lemon-yellow hackle feathers and an impressive nubbly comb that we love to kiss. He’s a gentle and well-mannered rooster, careful with his ladies, and careful with people as well.

When we first caught him, living outside in a tree, he offered some warning bites, but even as a feral rooster he was always calm and his bites were more for show and never to hurt. We keep Lemon with the three hens that we captured with him: Honey, PomPom, and Tassel, and PomPom’s chicks, who are now big enough to be housed on their own.