Minnow and Blossom's Place

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Minnow and Blossom's Place

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An animal sanctuary specializing in the care of Cornish Cross chickens and Broad Breasted turkeys.

10/28/2026

Hey everyone! 💞

Yesterday I took Gertie, one of the turkeys in need of a home, to the vet. 🩺 We did bloodwork and a cardiac ultrasound. Gertie was quite pale when we arrived and showing some respiratory distress. Fortunately, it looks like Gertie’s heart is functioning normally, and we are moving forward with treatment for a lower respiratory infection.

Gertie’s current guardian has never given medication to a turkey, so I made this video demonstrating the process. 💊 Thank you, Shelby, for taking some “grape medicine” so that we can help Gertie! 🥰

We are still searching for a sanctuary/home for Gertie and George! (And I actually feel pretty sure they’re both boys! 😂) So far, I haven’t had any luck. If anyone has any leads, thoughts, ideas, or connections, please, please be in touch! I’m also happy to send photos to anyone who would like to help spread the word. 🙏

🏡 Gertie and George’s current guardian has kindly offered to care for them until we find them a home. Unfortunately, their current housing is a very small chicken coop, and they desperately need something more suitable. If anyone has ideas or resources for temporary turkey housing, I’d be so grateful for those as well.

These two turkeys are among the approximately 250 MILLION turkeys in the US who don’t make it each year. It is truly a miracle that Gertie and George are here and that they have the opportunity to live, to be known, to be loved, and to experience a life that was never intended for them.

I will do everything in my power to help them find that life.

I promise, I won’t give up. ✨🦃✨

Thank you for holding me up through all of this. Your love and kindness have meant more than I can say. 💞

With love,
Abbie and everyone at Minnow and Blossom’s Place

10/23/2026

Hi Everyone,

I have missed you and have wanted to reconnect… but I can’t do this without being totally honest. There is a tremendous amount of sadness and heaviness in coming back here.

This account started with Minnow. When she came into my life, she ignited something that I can’t quite put into words. I loved her more than anyone I have ever loved in my life, and I am lost without her.

So many of you have reached out and sent love. Please know that every single act of kindness has touched me so deeply.

I have been wanting to post, but nothing feels right, and it’s also hard to know where to start… it seems that it might be with two little turkeys…

They were left behind at an industrial farm… the same farm that Bloss came from. A kind human has been looking out for them and trying to help them find a safe place to land.

One of them has been struggling with respiratory issues for quite some time, and I’m concerned about them.

I’m making arrangements to bring the sick turkey to an avian veterinarian so we can better understand what’s going on and what they need.

I don’t know exactly how their story will unfold yet. There are still a lot of questions and pieces to figure out.

But I do know that these turkeys matter. Their lives matter. And they deserve the opportunity to be known, loved, and cared for as the individuals they are. Just as Minnow and Blossoms were. ✨

We are hoping to find a safe, loving, permanent home for these two turkeys. If you know of a reputable sanctuary or someone experienced in caring for turkeys who might be able to offer them a home, I would love to hear from you.

I’m hopeful we can help them find their way to a beautiful next chapter. 💛

Much love,
Abbie and everyone at Minnow and Blossom’s Place

08/05/2026

This year has been unforgiving. 😞 At the end of May, a week after saying goodbye to Mavis, we lost Little Snood. She and her sister Dutchess came to live with us last August. Little Snood had just turned 7 years on May 1st. I had posted that Little Snood was showing concerning symptoms of illness and we suspected she may have contracted the leukocytozoon parasite. Her necropsy results showed severe reproductive disease instead.

By the time we lost Little Snood, I was so racked with guilt and grief over our losses that I mentally just closed up shop, retreated into my hermit shell and gave up trying to move forward in any meaningful way. Obviously there was more to come…

I want to take a moment to honor Little Snood though. She and her sister needed special care due to their age and severe arthritis so they lived primarily inside. Little Snood became a good friend to our chicken Cece. She was an absolute sweetheart and she reminded me so much of Blossom. Minnow loved her too and I found them sitting together often. Like Blossom, Little Snood was confident and sure of herself. She spent time outside with Jenny, Lily, Finnegan and Shelby and quickly became the head turkey. Everyone respected her and her turkey wisdom! I bet Snoody told them wonderful stories of her time growing up in Vermont with her sister. I know those were magical days. ✨

Little Snood (aka Small Snood) and Dutchess’ family, David and Sofía, recently came for a visit. I had longed to see their reunion, but it wasn’t meant to be. Sometimes life is just hard and unfair and it doesn’t make much sense. I know Snoody and Dutch had an amazing life and even though it wasn’t for long, I’m very grateful for the time they got to be part of our family here too. 💖

07/29/2026

I have thousands of photos of Minnow at Mason Neck State Park. I’ve been searching and searching for the perfect one to post and the reality is, a single picture just can’t communicate what our time there meant…

I thought I would never be able to go back to Mason Neck.

Yesterday morning I couldn’t stop crying. For hours I just wanted to hug my girl and I cried really hard. And then I suddenly had a need to go to our park.

I thought I would turn around at just about every moment of my way there. It was a two hour trip… and when I got to the park I wasn’t sure I could drive the miles long drive to parking area. When I got to the spot where we always parked, I thought I’d just go look at the water a few steps away and then turn around and go home. But I kept going. And as I approached our very favorite beach spot, I started to hear birds calling. Young birds… they were wanting cries… and I started to realize what was happening. A family of Osprey… and the babies were in the process of fledging. I stood in a sort of disbelief and wonder as I watched one of the babies… at their nest, ready to take flight but still wary of taking the leap. After about 20 minutes, they did. And then I watched (and yes, ugly cried) as the baby soared and their parents joined in on the flight.

I’m not entirely sure I want to post this because it’s just a raw, vulnerable moment… but it felt very connected to Minnow…

Yesterday was a moment of witnessing that fear and courage and grief and aliveness can all arrive together… and that is how and where I can find my Minnow now. 💛

(This photo was taken at the same spot where I filmed the Osprey nest) 🪹

07/25/2026

Up until this moment, Blossom seemed scared and confused. She arrived at the shelter and hung out with me in my office for the rest of the afternoon. When I brought her home, Minnow came to her little carrier. I opened the door and Bloss instantaneously relaxed when Minnow came up and sniffed her. Instantaneously. Then Minnow led Bloss to her bed and gave it up for her.

Every little being that was here and is here now is because of that moment and because of what Minnow did. A heart bigger than infinity. 💫

07/24/2026

When I first started our Instagram account, it was all about Minnow. She was the light of my life. Minnow’s start on a dog meat farm changed me profoundly. Truthfully, it wasn’t that there were dog meat farms. It was that we could be so appalled and sickened at the thought of eating a dog, but living in a western society, we generally just accept the farming of traditionally farmed animals.

I remember taking a long day trip to Crabtree Falls with Minnow (there is a post on IG from that day). I loved the adventures Minnow and I took. We were two hearts together and mine was madly and deeply in love with her. She always sat on my front seat in the car and when she was lying down, she would stretch her paws across to rest them on my thigh. On the way back from that trip, my love for Minnow ignited into a burning desire to help animals in “my own backyard”. All I could think was, I want to save a chicken. Together with Minnow, we did. Chickpea. From there, the love grew. It became like this giant, uncontained wildfire that was bigger than anything I could manage. And I didn’t know what to do with it. Me, Minnow and my out of control heart.

Then one day I got an email about a turkey. Who says yes to bringing a baby turkey home to live in a townhouse?? A heart on fire does… so Blossom came home with us. And the fire, fueled by my love for Minnow, became Minnow and Blossom.

The story that starts with me and Minnow became a much bigger story that you may know through the evolution of our Instagram account. At the center was always me and Minnow.

Continued in comments…

07/24/2026

Very early this morning, the love of my life, my soulmate, my heart, my everything, left her earthly body. This is the post I never ever wanted to make. But here it is.

I have so much to say about my girl. There is no way to describe with just a few words who Minnow was. She was an earth angel. An other-worldly being. The moment she landed in my arms, our hearts fused forever.

“Your heart and my heart are very, very old friends.” ~Hafiz

I don’t know how to live without her.

I want to ask something of all of you… there is something you want to do with your loved one or with your life… a walk, a visit to the beach, your favorite park, a call to a friend, an apology, watching the sunset. Do it. Do it today. Don’t wait. Because suddenly the time is gone. I wanted so badly to take one last walk with Minnow at our favorite park. For months I had this ominous feeling that I needed to get us there… and I didn’t. I will regret that forever. So maybe if nothing else, I can inspire you to do that thing.

Minnow, thank you. Thank you with every ounce of my being for being my best friend in the whole entire universe. It was the blessing of a lifetime that our hearts found each other. I just don’t know how to do this without you here. 💔 My girl, I love you more than more. You have my heart until I find you again. 💞

Thank you all for loving Minnow with me. It has meant the world. 💛

06/04/2026

Hi Everyone,

As always, I’m sorry for being out of touch. We have had a lot going on here. Sometimes life just gets the best of me.

I do have some good news! 😊 Lumi is doing really well. I’m scared to write that, but I’ve also been having talks with myself about appreciating the good moments and not worrying about “angering the universe” by being happy when something is going well. ✨

Lumi is still on antibiotics and twice daily flushing for his right sinus. The infection is under control and he has very little discharge from his nare. The open pocket that our vet created during Lumi’s last surgery has mostly closed up, but I can still find a little opening under Lumi’s eye and this helps me flush further into his sinus cavity. I am so grateful that Lumi has gotten relief and is healthy for now. We’ll take each day as it comes. ✨

We have had many tough medical cases this year and most of them haven’t ended the way I hoped. The loses have taken their toll and I feel really worn down and a bit hopeless. I think it is important to focus on the fact that Lumi is still here fighting… ✨

I gave Lumi his name because of its connection to the word luminous and the Latin roots meaning “light”. Lumi has truly come to embody his name. ✨

I hope you are all finding moments of joy and light in your lives. 💛

Much love,
Abbie and the entire MBP family

05/19/2026

Mavis 💛

Last August we welcomed the sweetest, dearest chicken into our family. When our friend asked if we might have room for a little hen with suspected slipped tendons, I just couldn’t say no (never mind that we had taken in four turkeys, two, Dutchess and Little Snood who arrived days before). Everyone here adored her instantly, especially Paddington.

She became Mavis. Middle name Toast given by Gabby.

At Mavis’ first vet appointment we learned that she didn’t have slipped tendons. Her vet suspected some kind of genetic disorder… I honestly didn’t really understand. I just took her home and we loved her. Paddington became her BFF and then her boyfriend (possibly some consent issues there.. 😬). All you need to know: he was devoted to her.

Mavis lost more and more mobility. Her tendons contracted. We kept loving her. She never really ate well and eventually I started tube feeding her. In the end the only thing she ate on her own was the inside of an Amy’s Vegan pizza crust (the super soft inner makings). I tube fed Mavis four times a day and then every night we ate pizza in bed… every night until last night. She slept next to my pillow in her own ”Princess and the Pea” bed.

This morning after we got up and I had fed Mavis, I noticed she was having trouble breathing. I gave her oxygen and called for an appointment… I tricked myself. She had an upper respiratory infection. But I knew. For a few hours I just needed to believe we’d be coming home with antibiotics.

Mavis didn’t come home because the paralysis that had been taking over her body was beginning to affect her air sacs and her ability to breathe.

“You don’t have to make the decision today.” But I did. Because I couldn’t let this life take another single thing from Mavis. She deserved so much more than what her body could give her. So we set her free of it.

I’m sitting in bed with Paddington, both of us missing our Mavis. 💔

I don’t know what else to say. She was a little piece of heaven and I loved every minute of life here on earth with her.

05/07/2026

Interpret as you wish! 😉

Much love from Lily and all of us at MBP 💛

Address

Bluemont, VA
20135

Website

http://www.minnowandblossom.org/

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