Rest In Peace sweet Farrah

by Patricia
(Cheyenne, WY USA)

Farrah was one of our 5 Buff Orpingtons. She was just a year old.

We are new chicken owners and she was fine and eating and gave us an egg. She was one of our bigger girls. My husband went out to lock them in for the night less than two hours from the last time we saw her interacting with the others he found her dead.

We are devastated - my husband calls them his girls. We are so sad and just wish we knew what caused her to pass.

Little Duder

by Kelsey
(Alpine, CA)

Duder was a 3 day old Easter egger chick I hatched from my flock. He was hatched with a slipped tendon that I couldn't fix for him.

He was my first cull and I cried so hard for his little soul.

Love you, Duder

Bean

by Alyx S
(United States)

I got Bean two weeks ago, with another Cochin bantam chick. They are my very first chickens, growing up with chicks my roommate got.

Bean was a red frizzle, and I didn't even know chickens could be curly. Bean was named for the fact they were always hopping around and jumping at the sides of their home, trying to escape. So Jumping Bean was perfect. Bean for short.

They loved jumping, climbing on the other birds, and cuddles.

I don't know if Bean was a hen or a roo, but they were the loudest chick we had. I always knew when the birds were awake, because I could hear Bean chirping at the top of their little lungs.

My life is better for having known them, even just for the two weeks. They were a sweet little chicken, and I will miss them more than I thought possible.

Goodbye, my sweet Bean. You were in my life only two weeks, but I loved you like you'd been here forever. I hope you enjoyed those weeks, and I'm so sorry I couldn't do anything to keep you alive.

I love you, Bean.

Houdini the Hollywood Chicken

by Franke
(Hollywood CA)

As I sit here next to my dying chicken in its final moments I contemplate why we've formed such an unusual connection. A purchase made initially as a joke has turned into something that pokes at my tender heart strings. She is shaking her leg and I know her moments in this world are near. I have been around death before and it always looks the same.

A week ago I noticed her regurgitating a clear fluid from her mouth. I took her to the vet and we got her on antibiotics and formula. I gave her medicine every day, 4 times a day. The vet said she had a bad heart. The pills wouldn't do much but I know I needed to try.

She would always jump up to my window as I was working and sit with me and occasionally hit some notes on my keyboard which would play 'chicken melodies'. While the other chicken would run away from me she would always stay and let me pet and hold her.

I gave her as much love as a man can give any chicken. She was sweet, innocent, and always wanting to play. There was something special about her. She wasn't an ordinary chicken.

She's taught me how to be more compassionate and how not to take even the smallest life for granted. I will remember her forever

Houdini
August 2nd 2020- April 1 2021

Big Papa

He was a barred rock rooster. We had him for less than a year. We swore for the first few months he was a girl, so we called him Big Mama. Had a fun laugh over that.

Our Beautiful Dixie

by Anselmo Family
(Davie Florida )

Dixie was 1 year old, beautiful, fun, full of life, happy, free roaming, very social and loved by everyone.

She passed suddenly in the night. She will be deeply missed.

This is very hard and we were really attached. Thanks to this site and the video it really helped.

Thanks again for having it.

Trixie

by Stan
(Ct)

Trixie was a beautiful Orpington, she was one year and one month old. I raised her from a three day old chick.

She and her sisters all mixed breeds but, she did have a sister that was also an Orpington.

Trixie was quite exceptional from the very start. Whenever my hand was in the brood chamber she would always jump on my hand or just be in the way.

As she matured to a great laying hen she would become even more affectionate and go out of her way for a nice head rub. Every night like last night , when I would go out and lock up the coop, Trixie would come barreling out to greet me for her little petting and last night was no exception.

This morning, I walked out to open the run door and only nine hens came out. At first I thought nothing of it, thinking Trixie was in a nesting box.

When I opened the box Trixie was not laying an egg, she was lying on the coop floor motionless. My heart sank. ☹️ I reached out to her and she still felt warm but lifeless.

I removed her from the coop and she was gone. I buried her up on the hill, where she can Rest In Peace in some warm sunshine.

Tonight, when I go out to lock that door I will be expecting her to bounce out but tonight it will not be the same.

Very sad.....

Our dearest Sultan

by Danielle and Rhyan
(Raleigh, NC)

Our hen, Sultan was one of our first girls we raised as babies. We thought she was a he... hence the name, but we stuck with it.

She was a beautiful White Crested Polish with a personality of her own. We are so sad and we are going to miss her.

We thank her for an awesome year!

Clarice The Ruler!

by Lisa
(Florida, USA)

Clarice was a Buff Orpington, and a funny little character. She knew she was the coop "ruler" and she walked around with that attitude.

Whenever I would go out to our coop, she would be right at the door with the other hens letting me know it was "safe" to come in.

Yesterday she was acting 100% normal. Tonight 04/07/2021 my husband and I went to the coop together, this rarely happens, to give them feed, collect eggs and check their water.

We no sooner got to the coop door and I screamed. "ONE OF MY BABIES IS DEAD!!!!!!!!"

He didn't see her until the others moved. We saw no signs of illness or attack. I am thinking she was egg bound or had a heart attack.

She was one of our very first chickens, we have had her a little over a year, we got her as a pullet.

Clarice was not only one of my babies, she was my oldest daughter's "Favorite Brown Chicken." She was a character yet she knew we loved her even though she could be obnoxious.

Rest Easy Baby Girl! We miss You Clarice!!!!!!!!!!

My Rooster Hercules

by Diana
(Wewa, Florida, USA)

Hercules went into a coma-like state that lasted three days. I wanted to believe that he was feeling no pain as he was breathing calmly.

Then I noticed a hard obstruction in his throat. I put a little oil in his throat and started massaging his throat. This must have hurt because he came out of his coma-like state thrashing about and then died.

I feel like I killed him. My son told me he was old and would have died soon anyway but that did not comfort me and I am so upset.

He was 8 years old. I would like to tell him I am sorry and will miss him.

Elsie's extraordinary life

by Pamela
(Ohio)

Elsie was born July 1, 2020. She was the most beautiful speckled Jubilee Orpington.

She was part of a run that all seemed destined by bad luck. One passed at the age of a few months. The two roos (one that was a crossbeak) had to be re-homed because we live in the city. Then Princess Margaret was attacked by a hawk.

My heart was broken, but the fact Elsie survived the attack by hiding helped soothe my sadness. She let me bring her in the house and stroke her for hours after that. She was truly the most intelligent and clever chicken. She had me completely wrapped around her little talon and she knew it.

My heart is broken. I know that few will understand the love I had for her. She enjoyed corn and watermelon, and really any fresh fruit or veggie. I will only sleep tonight thinking my dear mother is in heaven holding her and sharing a treat of fresh lettuce.

Meryl

by Mel
(Melbourne, Australia)

My sweet chicken Meryl died in my arms yesterday from old age. I'm so devastated and heart broken. I only had her for not even a year, she was an ex bat hen. I'm happy that I was able to give her a good life in her elderly years, and I think she was happy.

I noticed on Monday that she didn't go to her bed at night and then the next day wasn't eating or moving and just was standing still sleeping all day.

I gave her a nice bath and gave her favourite treats and she started eating a bit and drinking. I got my hopes up thinking she was getting better.

I gave her another bath in the evening and then wrapped her up in a towel and as I was holding her she started flailing and then died. It was the most heartbreaking thing.

I'm sad to have lost my friend, and also sad that her friend Sheryl is now alone, as they were always together, my sweet Sheryl and Meryl. 🖤

Forever in my heart, I miss you so much Meryl.

Big Mama, the sweetest rooster

I lost my friend today. Our Cornish Cross I never meant to buy.

He was only one year old, yet he was much older than he should have been. I kept him because he was the sweetest bird and my little friend who followed me and looked at me.

He was friends with everyone in our flock, by far the friendliest giant - even the mean guinea hens loved him.

He frolicked around our 10 acres, kept up with everyone and ate raspberries and pumpkin all last summer. He crowed so happily and we loved his fluffy white feathers.

Winter was too hard on him. He lost all of his feathers around his bum and the tip of one toe to frost bite. I would bring him inside on coldest times and his spirit would cheer up.

He grew slower and more tired each day. It was hard for me to watch. I tried getting supplements for him, I tried limiting his food. Nothing could stop it.

His waddles and comb turned purple and I knew he would not live much longer this week. He didn't move from his spot all day yesterday except when I was shovelling our second coop out.

He walked all the way across the run to be next to me. I couldn't believe it, he was saying goodbye to me.

He would cuddle with our broody Orpington at night in the corner of the coop. Tonight I found he had passed away next to her.

Find peace Big Mama. I hope you get to eat as many berries as you want and be warm and happy.

You deserved better.

Sir Prize

by Todd Spangler
(Poolville Texas USA)

We were given 7 chickens and did not know which would be hens or roosters. Additionally, we had 2 Americana's, two Leg Horns, and two Golden Sex Links.

The last chicken was an unknown breed, so we called him Surprise. Turns out all the other chickens were hens and he was a rooster.

So we changed his name to Sir Prize. He was a very pretty feather legged Cochin.

He ran the roost!

I will miss him in the mornings and listening to him respond to my bride when she imitates a rooster.

Today, I went out to the coop to give the chickens scratch and meal worms - normal ritual - and found him in the coop passed away for no apparent reason.

Apparently, he died from Sudden Chicken Death Syndrome and is how I found this page.

Thank God for the gift and Sir Prize for the good times.