Durban – It was all water off a chicken’s back in Durban’s choppy waves when a hen destined to meet its untimely fate in the Indian Ocean surfed to safety.
The chicken, now named Dairybelle, after Dairy Beach, where it was rescued, is living life as a farm chicken, far from the waves.
Local surfer and landscaper Jenny Dean, a regular early morning beachfront visitor, said she had been in the water at about 6.30am on Wednesday when she heard a commotion.
“I heard my friend scream that there was a chicken in the water, drowning, and we all went to save it. I had heard that three men were seen with the chicken on the pier a few minutes before that, but I did not notice or see the men prior to being alerted that the chicken was in the water,” she recalled.
Several surfers rushed to the chicken’s aid.
“One of the surfers was a 75-year-man who put the chicken on a surfboard. Several of us guided the chicken to the shore. However, this took some time because the chicken kept falling off the board into the water as the waves were so choppy. It must have taken half an hour and she took in a lot of water,” said Dean.
When they made it to shore, “I gathered her up and took her home to my farm in Summerveld. I’ve named her Dairybelle and she will live on the farm”.
Dairybelle, who, said Dean, loved people, mealworms and Pronutro, was a picture of good health, and there had been no need for her to visit the vet for a check up.
“When we brought her home she slept right through the day. She’s not a fully grown hen yet, and still makes baby chicken sounds. She has no scars or bruises or anything of the sort,” she said.
It’s the first time they have been able to rescue a chicken, said Dean.
“When we go out in the early mornings, we usually see dead chickens washed up on shore. This was the first time we managed to save one, so we are very happy and will make sure Dairybelle is safe,” said Dean.