03/11/2022
Meet Doc and Phoenix...
Doc and Phoenix are the owners of Doc's Farm and Phoenix's Rainbow Eggs, respectively. This father/daughter team works hard to make sure our birds stay healthy and happy while providing the best quality eggs possible.
Doc is a Vietnam War veteran. He served as a combat medic, keeping his men healthy, saving their lives, and providing healthcare to the local natives. Retired from civilian life, he is now in charge of processing, sorting, and packing eggs.
Phoenix is a former veterinary technician. Her career came to a sudden end after a minor incident turned into a freak accident that destroyed her health. As it turns out, Doc's military service was the root cause.
Like all men who served in combat zones during the Vietnam War, Doc was exposed to Agent Orange, a chemical defoliant used to clear large swaths of jungle growth. Doc himself has, so far, managed to avoid most of the terrible effects of Agent Orange. Most of the men in his unit were not so lucky.
This exposure caused all of Doc's children to be born with genetic mutations, most of which were not recognized until adulthood. Phoenix has Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, a genetic defect of the collagen, the stuff that holds soft tissues together in the body. This makes all soft tissues very fragile, and affects everything from the joints to organs and even teeth.
Phoenix's minor incident, an unlucky step in a parking lot, caused extensive spine damage and triggered a rare complication of EDS called a cascade effect. This is a self-destructive cycle that causes constant and escalating damage to every part of her body.
Phoenix had dedicated her whole life to animals, and an inability to work a regular job couldn't end that. Phoenix decided to start a small poultry farm, partly to be able to keep working with animals, and partly to retain her ability to walk as long as possible. It's been over 14 years since the accident, and so far, so good.
On top of the birds, Doc and Phoenix also do quite a bit of rescue work. They have three adopted dogs, plus one that was meant to be trained as a disability assist/farm dog, but it turned out she was special needs, too, so now she's a beloved pet. They adopt cats that cannot be tamed as pets to live on their farm, safe from the hazards of the street. Some of these barn cats decided to become fat, spoiled indoor cats, while others remain as outdoor barn cats. Penelope is one such cat that chooses to remain outdoors, even though she has become quite friendly. Penelope is now employed as the official Doc's Farm greeter.
Doc and Phoenix also rescue poultry on an as needed basis. Four of the farm's eight geese were rescued on Christmas Day in 2020, having been abandoned by their owners, five ducks from various places, and there's half a dozen or so chickens that needed homes.
In her spare time, Phoenix also visits various poultry groups online to offer help to people with sick or injured chickens. On any given day, she can be found explaining deworming to a family in Texas or diagnosing a rooster with a neck injury in Bangladesh.
And in between all of this, Doc and Phoenix take care of each other. Life is always busy at Doc's Farm, and we wouldn't have it any other way.
