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Chicken Memorials

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We lost our first girl today, our lovely Mia, who arrived here back on 3rd July 2010 along with her 3 companions. She had a really bad limp when we first got her and we were very worried that she wouldn't survive the stress of being moved and also not being very mobile. She did survive all of that and although we have no idea if she laid eggs regularly, she was a real sweetheart. She had spent a couple of nights at the vets last month, but they weren't sure what was wrong with her. She had picked up and was quite normal till last week when she began to seem ill again. Today we put her in the run after having her indoors to get some food into her. Weak as she was she obviously managed to walk up the ladder to the Cube as half an hour later when we went to check on her she had passed away in the nest. Will miss her such a lot, our beautiful little girl, free for nearly 10mths.

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After struggling on with collapsing legs for the past few weeks, Rose sadly died last Friday overnight in the nest box. I had had a long cuddel with her in the evening sunshine the day before and gave her her favourite grapes. Her friend Doris had to be PTS a few days previously and I know she was missing her. She was the last of my original Omlet foursome. They all bought me and my husband so much joy and laughter as well as lovely eggs. Rose was the top hen, flycatching ginger nut ranger. As soon as she was let out of her pen to free-range she would always do 2 jumps with flapping wings whilst racing up to the garden. :D We will really miss her. :(

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Sweet little Ginger was put to sleep today. She'd never been a particularly strong girl but she was without doubt my favorite. She'd like to have a sit on my lap at times to have a little snooze.

 

She's been a bit 'off' for a week or so and I'd recently wormed them all thinking that was the problem. Yesterday she had a very mucky, smelly bottom. After a wash she had a little walk in the garden and a snooze on my lap in the sunshine. Today she didn't come down from the nesting box until 1 and then she just collapsed. Her comb was blue tinged yesterday and today (although it had reddened back up by the evening).

 

I rushed her straight up to the vets and the vet thinks it was Marek's disease :( not sure if this is right or not but too late for Ginger now. At least she's not suffering now.

 

I'll remember her for never rushing off to eat the corn that I scattered, she'd always wait for her own little treat of corn from my hand. :D

 

chickensgarden009.jpg

 

Ginger in her heyday.

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I feel terribly guilty. We have had the chooks for three years now and not seen hide nor hair of any fox. Then Paddy arrived a month ago and, if anything, I thought that this would deter any predator even more. The chickens have hardly had any free ranging since Paddy's arrival so, when OH took him for a walk, I let them out.

 

I wasn't away from the garden for long and never heard a thing but could only find three when I went to put them away. And then I saw all the feathers.

 

I can't pretend that Esme was my favourite. She never willingly came close and she bullied the younger two but I still feel terribly sad that I have let her down.

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I'm heartbroken as I lost my darling Poland, Pippin, on Saturday.

 

I raised her from a day old chick. She was a freebie as the breeder only had three chicks left, the two I wanted and one Poland. I agreed to raise her...and would give her back when she was older.

 

She was everyones favourite chook...it was impossible not to love her! She would follow you round all day long or sit on your shoulder, chattering away endlessly. She'd be the first to rush over to greet you.

 

I couldn't keep Polands (only having hybrids and not enough room for a second coop) but I couldn't bear to part with her, especially as the two chicks she'd been raised with died. :( Mum fell in love with her, so we rehomed two more Poland's from a friend and they all lived together, spoilt rotten by Mum.

 

My parent's recently moved house...so we erected some temporary fencing to allow them to "free range" in safety...my Dad has two dogs, an old Lab and a springer. The Springer has always been obsessed with the chickens, staring at them from the door, never allowed anywhere near them.

The new pens were double fences...one a fine mesh, the next was electric 'sheep' fencing. Dad had the Springer with him down the far end of the garden, keeping her away from the chooks by the gate. Sadly, the old Lab decided to join them and while Dad was working, the Lab pushed the gate open.

 

Somehow Pippin had escaped. We can't work out how...there was no sign of a gap, she'd never flown or even jumped...never going up onto the flower bed. She got out...and the Springer couldn't resist.

 

We can only assume Pippin's neck was broken by the force of the impact, she was found completely intact, not even a feather out of place. Even my Dad, an ex game keeper, was in tears...Pippin was just that special.

 

We'll miss her so much. :cry: The most heartbreaking part of it is that Dad was busy building their new WIR, it was nearly finished... :cry:

 

I didn't have any recent photos of her, so I drew a quick digital painting of her from memory.

 

pippinportrait.jpg

 

Rest in Peace, my lil Chatterbox, Pippin.

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We lost one of our ex-batts that we've had for about 10 months. Hogarth was fine wandering around the garden and then at about 5pm she sat in the middle of the lawn and just sat there, apparantly snoozing. I thought it was slightly odd but left her too it. After an hour I sat beside her and stroked a little and she looked up and then settled in again, seemed to enjoy it. I left her again and went to check her later. I looked around our garage later and she had moved from her spot. That seemed good and I left them until it was near time they take themself off to bed when I found her sitting, near the edge of the hedge. She obviously couldn't make it too far but she didn't seem in any distress and was still looking at me walking near her. I carried her to the coop, put her in the corner. She settled down near the door. The others made their way in and settled in the opposite corner. I knew that something was seriously up at that point but decided to leave her until morning when I would check her and decide if the vet was needed.

 

Walked out this morning. 3 other hens were sitting by the main door of the run, not moving around trying to get out as they usually do when I get near. There was a little cooing from one of them. I found Hogarth still by the door, passed away.

 

These were my first batch of hens and I watched then gain feathers, gain weight and settle into their new surroundings over the last 10 months. They've seen sky, rain, snow, freezing cold and seem to embrace it all. All they ask for is a little treat every now and then and to be let out into the garden for a while. Hogarth was in the worst state of the 4 when she arrived. She was out only layer out of the 4 but the last egg was around 6 weeks ago. It all makes sense now. I guess she'd done her bit. But she was a character - was the smallest but wouldn't let any of the others push her around. It's a shame but I'm glad the little chook had a nice end over the last 10 months after all.

 

Now, I'm not actually too sure whose chicken she ended up 'belonging' to (1 for me, wife and 2 kids) but I said it was mine to ease the kids into the idea of hens not living too long. A nice touch was, and one of the reasons we felt that hens would benefit the kids, was when my 5 yr old came up to me later and said 'you must be a bit sad to day, Dad, as you lost your chicken'. The way she said it, showed me that she learned alot from having them as pets and the caring, understanding and appreciation they learn is priceless.

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We lost one of our ex-batts, Esme, yesterday. It was quite sudden. On Sunday she seemed a bit down, but was eating and sunbathing and terrorising the cats. When we got in from work on Monday she was obviously very ill indeed. We didn't even have time to get her to a vet as she passed away while we were at work on Tuesday.

 

She was the littlest, darkest and quirkiest of our ex-batts and I will miss her. She was just short of a year out of her cage. She loved heights and was always the last to come running because she was exploring in a distant corner of the garden.

 

RIP little Esme, sleep tight.

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Today is Oak's Heaven Day :cry:

 

She suffered a prolapse yesterday afternoon & despite my best efforts and the advice and support of my friends, it would not stay in & I asked my lovely gamekeeper friend to help her on her way this morning.............

 

Byebye my little frizzle Pekin girl, we'll miss you so much...............RIP with the rest of the lost Wild girls :cry:

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R.I.P. lovely Lavender, a Speckledy.

She was blind in one eye from young, and lost sight in the other eye last summer. I had to give her separate feeding sessions daily, but we managed well and her general health was good.

She was about five and a half, and just slowed down this week. Yesterday I guessed she was near the end, but she still seemed happy in the company of the flock, and receiving special attention from me. This afternoon I brought her onto the lawn for a final sunbathe, she settled down, fell asleep and didn't wake up.

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I lost Cookie yesterday. One of my original Lavender pekins & one of The Mighty Spongebobs wives. :cry: She was a little old lady & had a lovely life. I kept her safe from any predators & she even had a dustbath the day before. I found her in the cube nest yesterday. :cry: She was such a cutesy, dinky little pekin & will be truly missed.

Bye bye sweet Cookie.

Emma.x

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Lost "Rosie" today. She had had a bit of a lucky life as 18 months ago she was pinned down by a dog and half plucked to death. After that I nicknamed her "Baldy"

 

She was put to sleep after a short ilness which caused her to waste away. Sleep well "Baldy" I will miss you, you were my favorite chicken :(

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Sadly Celia left us last night.

 

She had been poorly for a few weeks, but rallied after a course of Baytril. She still wasn't quite right so I took her to the vet again last week, and was told she was much improved, just keep an eye on her. She stayed much the same over the next few days, but we knew she was living on borrowed time. We got home yesterday to find her sitting in the run and knew that her time was up. We were with her when she died.

 

She was a beautiful ex-batt who flourished during almost a year of freedom. She was a sweet and independent girl, who liked to be out and about. She would have slept outdoors if we had let her. We once lost her at bedtime and found her by torchlight, settled down under a hebe.

 

RIP my beautiful, free-spirited one.

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After being ill for 2 weeks, and trying our best, Moonshine just went downhill, and poor hubby had to send her on her way to the big coop in the sky.

She was a noisy so and so (had ambitions of being a cockerel I think) but was always good with warning the other two or potential dangers or treats. She had beautiful blue colours in her black feathers and always put her neck feathers up whenever we tried to pick her up, but never pecked us. But despite that, we will miss her. RIP Moonshine.

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Today, I had to say goodbye to my lovely Lola who sadly had to be put to sleep, after peritonitis was confirmed at the vets.

 

She was such a dear, sweet girl who was always polite and gently took her treats from your hand like the lady she was.

 

Lola you were loved by everyone and will be missed terribly, especially by your best friend Roxy.

 

Sleep well my little angel

 

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RIP my lovely little Blanche.

She developed a nasty prolapse on sunday and despite me trying to help, even with Germaloid cream, it wouldn't stay put so the vet did the kindest thing yesterday. She was a little sweetie. She had egg laying problems anyway so had regular baths, she'd always stand still perfectly for me and grew to love the hair dryer.

Final hours were chirpy and happy and she had a strawberry and some mealworms.

Bye bye little girl

IMGP6847.jpg

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Sapphire ex-batt died while we were away on holiday. Dad did his best: taking her to the vets on the bus, direct crop feeding. Vet suspected an ovarian cyst, which is apparently quite common in ex-batts.

 

Rest in peace our feisty Sapphire. If you could talk you'd have said, "You have to catch me before you can cuddle me!"

 

You were free longer than you were caged. You saw the sky, and you were loved.

 

P

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