It's easy to fall in love with furry, four-legged friends, but for Crystalyn Corso and her husband, the love also extends to the feathered, two-legged kind.
It all started when the California couple fell in love with their landlord's chicken. When that chicken passed away, they decided they missed having a chicken around, and decided to adopt one.
Corso found a backyard chicken breeder who was unable to care for his numerous chickens. As a result, many of them were showing signs of neglect, and the breeder wanted to make sure they went to good homes.
"When we arrived, it was apparent that we had to take the two chickens that needed us the most," Corso said. "The farm hand told us, "If you take these two, you will be saving their lives." So that's what we did."
The couple adopted Rosie and Daisy, who were kept in small cages and had never seen the outdoors. They were also malnourished and bald.
"The first thing they got to do was have free range in the natural sunshine," Corso said.
The chickens lived with Corso and her husband for three years, and then Daisy passed away from egg yolk peritonitis, a common ailment of factory chickens.
Daisy's death left Rosie all alone, and she seemed to show no interest in connecting with anyone else. But it turns out that chickens actually do like to connect to others, and sometimes those others are pretty unexpected.
And that's what was about to happen to Rosie.
[H/T: The Dodo]
Rosie was left all alone after her adopted sister, Daisy, died from a disease common to chickens.
After Daisy's death, Rosie didn't seem interested in getting to know anyone else. She ran away from other animals, and it seemed like she would be a solitary hen for the rest of her life.
But then Maggie came along.
Crystalyn Corso, Rosie's adopted human mom, found Maggie running loose in Compton, California.
The pit bull was covered in fleas and appeared to have recently given birth. She also seemed to have sustained injuries from being hit by a car at some point.
Corso asked around, but no one knew anything about where Maggie had come from. And so Maggie went home with Corso.
But what would Rosie think?
But Rosie didn't bolt the way she did around other animals when she met Maggie. Instead, she stayed still and quiet during the introduction.
And Maggie seemed eager to make friends.
Soon, Corso says, Maggie and Rosie sat down next to one another, snuggled up, and fell asleep.
And the rest is history.
Today, Maggie and Rosie are the best of friends, and share beds, food, and water.
"Maggie seems to have adopted the role of chicken protector," Corso says. "She doesn't take her eyes off her sis when they are outside."
They spend all of their time together, and sometimes even go exploring in the forest — under human supervision, of course.
And other times, they just like to hang out in the backyard and soak up some sun.
And there's always time for some cuddling, of course.
We may never know for sure, but Corso thinks that maybe, even though they're different species, they have a natural understanding of one another's troubled pasts.
Whatever the reason behind their friendship, it's a solid one, and it gave two lonely creatures someone to love.
Rosie and Maggie have all kinds of adventures together, and you can follow along on Instagram to get your daily dose of adorableness.
And if you know anyone who loves a story of unlikely but beautiful friendship, SHARE Rosie and Maggie's story with them!
