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How A Small Community Helped Save Thousands Of Chooks From Canterbury Floods
Jessie Curran, Digital Journalist
A small rural community has come together to save thousands of hens and other animals from Canterbury's rising flood waters.
Forage Farm NZ in Motukarara has been inundated with flood water - like much of Canterbury - and animals soon became in need of a rescue.
Farm owners Andy and Suzy Maxon told RNZ they moved the animals to higher ground multiple times "thinking we had 300ml up our sleeve".
"Sure enough we came out [on Friday morning] and the whole yard, whole farm was under water," Andy said.
He added the flooding was the worst they had ever seen, with much of the farm flooded by water that reached the top of their fences.
The high ground where the chickens were moved was inundated with half a metre of water.
As the Maxons attempted to execute a rescue plan, staff from a neighbouring farm - Willesden Farm - asked how they could help.
"We had never even meet them before in our lives," Andy said.
"What happened next felt like a dramatic episode of Country Calendar, utes rolling in one after another, trailers hitched and people turning up from all directions," the Maxons said in a post on Facebook.
"It was just an absolute saviour really because we didn't have dry grass to put [the chickens] on," Suzy added.
With the help of over 20 people including family, friends and neighbours, 2,250 hens, 95 ewes and 16 cattle were rescued and moved to a neighbouring farm with dry ground.
Their drinkers and feed trailers were also taken higher ground.
The Maxons said a few of their sheds were also flooded, but their house was not damaged.
"People really sort of went out on a limb for us," Andy said.
"The community support is just phenomenal... I mean I don't know how many times I cried that day but it was a lot," Suzy added.
"People gave up their time, they, you know, the support they gave us to get our hens and our livelihood of that farm into somewhere where we could survive - yeah it was just amazing."
"You reminded us what the power of the rural farming community really means," the Maxon's Facebook post concluded.
RNZ
New Zealand's public broadcaster, providing comprehensive NZ news and current affairs, specialist audio features and documentaries.
Radio New Zealand is a Crown entity established under the Radio New Zealand Act 1995. Radio New Zealand News are vital elements in our programming, providing impartial news and information to New Zealanders every day. Radio New Zealand (RNZ) provides listeners with exciting and independent radio programmes in accordance with the Radio New Zealand Charter.
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