Single hen

[Chook n Boo Mum]

We lost our little Battie Tulip today .

 

Our next-door-but-one neighbour's mum brought her Jack X dog round & walked her off the lead in the field behind our houses. For the first time ever, Bunty decided to run towards our veg patch (which is only fenced with that awful orange builders fencing) & attacked Tulip, fatally.

 

Poor little mite was huddled up against the gate when I found her, with Peanut trying to get through to her from the garden side. I took her straight to the vet, but she didn't make it.

We are all so upset, it took ages for it to sink in for DS that she was the one he had named, he kept sobbing "she's mine Mummy, she's mine".

 

The owner did have the decency to come straight round & tell me & is understandably mortified.

 

There is a silver lining, however murky! She died quickly, having felt the sun on her back and the love of our family, she was in my arms when she took her last breath. I couldn't have let her suffer.

 

She's now buried in our front garden with an apple tree to mark her grave. DD wants to plant tulips on her grave too, so we'll do that in the autumn when the bulbs are back again. When I went to tell the neighbours, they had yellow tulips in a vase on the top...Tulip's band was yellow...

 

Sha x

[Dodge77]

RIP Tulip but she had a good life and a peaceful end

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I'm so sorry to hear about Tulip . Poor little girl .

[kathyschix]

So sorry for your loss.

[Ms Marple]

That's really sad I know what it is like to lose a girl to a dog Hope your children get over the loss soon.

[Redwing]

I'm really sorry about poor Tulip

[BeckyBoo]

How sad, poor Tulip and your poor little boy. Like you said, she felt the sun on her back and lived with kindness and love. Your son's idea of planting tulips is very fitting and I hope he wakes up in the morning feeling fantastic about her life rather than sad because of her death

 

Lots of love

 

BeckyBoo

[Chook n Boo Mum]

Thank you all, I've just been out to pick up all her feathers, a few are in my pocket.

 

I said to DH when he realised where I was & came out to help "I'm finding it hard to not feel murderous about that dog" I've told the children that it was an accident & Bunty was following her instincts rather than deliberately setting out to kill Tulip - is there a difference, I wonder?

 

We are now going to make the main garden more secure & keep the chooks all inside the garden unless we are in the veg patch with them. Unfortunately it's their favourite place to be as it's non-stop slugs & bugs out there & the stock-proof fencing is not chook proof! We have a "gentleman's agreement" on the veg patch which is outside our boundary, so we can't make that properly secure.

 

The owner has said she wants to pay vet bills etc (there aren't any as Tulip slipped away just before we got there); DH hopes she doesn't pop round with a single chook to replace her....it hadn't even occurred to me, but I hope no self respecting breeder would allow a single chook to be sold, especially if the story is told.

 

Can't face my signature tonight...tomorrow is another day!

 

Sha x

[Abbey Road Girl]

So very sorry, Sha, to hear of your (and your son's) tragic loss.

 

My Jack Russells were lovely but needed watching because of their breeding.

 

We grieve because we love. May Tulip rest in peace.

[Egluntyne]

Very sorry to hear about Tulip.

[poachedegg]

Poor Tulip.

[Chickvic]

Sad news about Tulip

[ali-s]

Very sorry to hear your news about Tulip

[Cooks]

so sorry to read this Sha, xxxxxxx

[Barkisland]

So sorry to hear about your poor girl, and I'm sure the dog's owner must feel terrible too.

[wiblick]

movingly told Wild Mum. Has me welling up heading out to work.

[theherd123]

Such sad news

[Groovychook]

So sorry to hear about Tulip xx

[WitchHazel]

Sorry to hear about poor Tulip.

[hillfamily]

I'm so sorry Sha sending big big hugs to you xxxx

[Seagazer]

I'm so sorry to hear about Tulip.

[Tiggy]

jack russels are like that, its very hard to stop them doing what is natural for them, sorry to hear about Tulip at least she had a good life with you

[Mutrix Farmers]

Sorry to hear about Tulip

[3hens2cats]

Poor Tulip,

 

so sorry to read of your loss.

 

hugs to you all

Naomi

[Chook n Boo Mum]

Thank you all for your kind thoughts, DS was sitting making some revolting WarHammer model this afternoon & announced " Mummy I just had a lovely thought about when Tulip's tree is bigger, going out and reading stories underneath it..." Bless him.

 

I found some of her feathers in my pocket earlier too, they are now in my egg money tin...

 

Sha x