Yesterday was a day for which we had been waiting for some time. Another of our hens started laying. We think the egg comes from our coral nick - we call her Snow White. Her egg was much lighter in colour, a light beige colour. Our other two hens that are laying produce brown eggs.
Alas, this morning, the news was not so good. We have just experienced our first loss. One of the hens, Gingie, the Columbian blacktail, died. I found her not looking at all happy in the henhouse when I opened it this morning. I brought her back home but she died an hour later. It's odd how attached I have become to each of our 6 hens. Today has therefore not been a happy experience.
I buried her next to the plum tree on the allotment. To cap it all, I managed to smash the one egg that was laid this morning when I cleaned out the henhouse.
2 comments:
Thank you for posting this (and I am sorry for your loss)
I have 4 hens. One of them, Miss Purdy, is having hip issues (I am guessing, there does not seem to be anything wrong with the foot she will not step on). This happened earlier in the summer and she seemed to recover. But she looked rough last night. I've been lifting her in and out of the coop, making sure she stays hydrated and fed. Poor girl. Holding my breath every time I go to the chicken house in the morning.
Anyway I was feeling silly for being so attached to a little black hen. Your words, though sad, were encouraging to me.
Debs
I'm sorry about your loss, they're very easy to get attached to. I've been keeping a couple of chickens for a little over a year, and it's a steep learning curve! I had a battery hen rescue chook,Sweetie Pie, who was successfully nursed through gapeworm and egg shell peritonitis, then caught a cold and dropped down dead in a day! We were really fond of her, she was such a little fighter, but you cant win them all. I'm sure Gingie enjoyed her time with you. x
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