Pet: Peace
Pet Owner: The Fonseca Family
Peace is a gorgeous five-year-old Australorp hen, adopted by the Fonseca’s from a military family who moved to California three years ago.
Her black feathers are iridescent in the sunshine with shades of green and purple. She lays beautiful light pinkish brown oval eggs full of flavor and nutrition. Friendly and chatty, she enjoys human companionship in addition to living with three other hens. If asked a question, Peace will respond with one of her many chicken sounds, as if she was actually carrying on a conversation. She has an opinion about everything!
Her pet parent, Stephanie Fonseca says, “She was an only chicken at the time and her last family didn’t want to have her make the stressful move. We were so excited to add Peace to our family. She and the rest of the flock live in a secure space protected from predators like hawks; in the afternoon they enjoy their snack and have the run of the backyard where they can scratch for bugs, eat grass, and explore.”
Peace is unique from the other hens owned by the Fonseca Family, due to her big personality and independence.
“You can sometimes find her on our deck, having flown over the small fence we use to keep the hens off,” says Stephanie. “She’ll hop up the steps and approach our sliding glass door, looking in like she wants to join the family activity (sometimes we pick her up and bring her in and she just seems to love the attention). Then she’ll perch herself on the patio table or back of a patio chair, enjoying her peaceful alone time. Some mornings she will fly up onto the coop while the nest boxes are being cleaned, making quite a ruckus in the small space, chortling and sharing about her morning.”
Peace’s favorite snack is banana, but she also enjoys any fruit (watermelon and berries) and cooked leftovers such as potatoes, rice, or beef.
“We are a military family who moved back to New Bern a few years ago,” says Stephanie. “We love New Bern for its quaint feel, its friendliness, and its history. It is an ideal place to raise a family, and chickens, too!”