Archer, Stella and Nova were rescued from a large chicken farm that went bankrupt. With no money to feed or slaughter the birds, the chickens were abandoned, left to fend for themselves. Many died of starvation, others froze to death. Some resorted to cannibalism to survive. As rescuers wrangled as many birds as they could to safety, at the other end of the barn, other individuals were killing the surviving chickens with shovels. It was truly a horrific scene. At the time of their rescue, all three chickens were believed to be blind. As soon as they arrived at Heartland, they were taken to the vet for exams. It appears that the concentrated ammonia in the barn started to burn their eyes and caused corneal ulcers. Thankfully, after regular eye ointment and antibiotics, all three birds regained their sight. Archer has since grown into a very vocal, adorably sweet rooster. While Nova passed away in 2022, Archer and Stella remain very bonded to one another.