Marigold, the best rooster I never thought I would have

by Kat
(Texas)

Getting chickens was an impulse for my husband and I. One day we just decided to go to the local feed stores and see what they had available. It was then that I saw the ugliest little chickens, a bin full of the goofy looking Turkens.

I picked out 2 of them, and I'm glad we arrived when I did because shortly after deciding on 2 of them, a woman snatched up all of the remaining Turkens.

I named these two Dahlia and Marigold, and they were supposed to both be females. Dahlia unfortunately passed away suddenly approximately 2 or 3 weeks after, but Marigold thrived.

It was later on once Marigold started getting bigger that I realized that our funny looking chicken was actually a rooster! We were unsure of what to do with him because we were afraid we would get noise complaints and have to re-home him but luckily, he was the quietest rooster ever. Some of our other chickens were way louder than he ever was! He attempted to crow approximately 3 times and never again.

He was also extremely friendly, he liked being held and I would hand feed him worms and crickets and hardboiled eggs.

He was definitely my favourite chicken and he was the sweetest rooster I'd ever come across.

Sadly, for the last week or so we noticed he was acting lethargic and had a few bumps on his neck. We isolated him from the rest of the flock to try to treat him, but this morning he passed away.

I loved him dearly and will miss him so much. But now he's over the rainbow bridge in the great coop in the sky eating as many yummy bugs as he wants, along with his sister Dahlia and the other chickens we have lost over time.

Whole flock gone including Mrs Chicken

by Georgie

This page is such a blessing. I lost my whole flock on Monday night (it’s 3am Thursday today) and I am struggling with the grief. Not many understand.

I was so attached to Mrs Chicken - she was a rescue Chicken and followed me everywhere. She loved cuddles. They all trusted me.

I let them down so badly. They had always been free range, in their house at night. But my gardeners and others persuaded me to have an enclosure built for them, so I had a really big one built attached to the barn. The day it was installed I realised I had to get their house inside before they finished the wall internal wall of the enclosure, in the barn.

There are so many upsetting reasons to beat myself up here - why didn’t I plan it properly, why didn’t I check properly the installer hadn’t left any gaps, why didn’t I leave them as they were, free range and happy.

I settled them on their perch in their house at nightfall - they were very anxious already being in new enclosure. I left their house door open so that for once they could be out at dawn. Didn’t check for gaps - trusted the installer.

It was late (10pm it gets dark) I was tired. They looked at me from their perch, trusting me anxiously. I left the door open of the house. So excited for them to be able to. Fox got in through gap and killed them all.

I will never forgive myself. Can’t stop crying. Many heads were ripped off.

Cotton

by Luke & Amber
(Abingdon, Oxford )

We had Cotton for over a year and he was top of the pecking order. He was very lively and had a funny personality. He died suddenly this morning after seeming healthy and fine.

No signs of attack, and he looked quite peaceful.

We were planning on showing him as he was so fluffy and beautiful.

Gone but not forgotten x

R.I.P Belvedere

Blevedere was a beautiful Barnvelder. She probably could have been a show chicken because of her gorgeous red and black feathers with a purple and green sheen.

We got her as a chick and hand raised her, but she was always super timid. She was also the mother hen of our trio. The other two were bonded, but they respected her and she was in charge.

She lived a coddled life as an urban chicken in Portland. In addition to normal chicken food, backyard foraging and the occasional organic garden foray, she was treated to leftover sushi, an array of nuts and even brewing grains (very Portlandia!).

Her eggs were a dark brown and delicious. She was all around a great pet. She lived for a good 7 years, but got pretty sick and wasn’t comfortable. It was clearly her time, and it was super sad to have to cull her.

Thank you dear Belle for giving us pleasure, eggs and companionship, for fertilizing our garden, and keeping the other ladies in the flock in line. You will be missed.

Pepper Ann Lee

by Cynthia
(Texas)

Australorp black chicken; actually an egg laying hen. She had a beautiful sheen on her feathers that had a greenish aqua color in the sun.

In August she would have been 1yr old!

She was a very unique and unusual bird! She would repeat "Pepper-pepper" or "Bird-bird" which is her nickname. Other nickname was T-rex as she growled like it!

She loves chicken flavor Ramen noodles!! Drank liquor and beer, cheetos and cat food. Barely touched her feed.

I am in a wheel chair and she loved riding on my lap. She was a beautiful chicken. And everyone that knows me knows the bird. Like she is well known! Even the mail lady knows her! Just everyone loved her.

It has been two whole days since she has been gone. I have been up since then. I am so heart broken and sad. I can't believe that she is gone! Everywhere I go here at home it all reminds me of her!

She was my baby girl!

Little men

by Cordina
(Fountain )

He was a bantam rooster I rescued from a dog attack.

I had him for a year before he passed. I loved to watch him move. We built him a pen, then got him some hens. But there were chicks, so we had wait until they're ready.

Well, on Friday he was in the pen fine. We had a heat wave. We gave food and water, and he was fine all day.

Then around four clock, I went to check on him and he was down. He had heat stroke 🥵. I tried to feed and give him water. I brought him in the house and stayed up all night trying to save him.

Yesterday at 12.00 he had two big seizures and he passed.

I was heartbroken, but today I do a lot better.

We don't know happened. He had plenty of shade. I've stopped trying to figure it out, because I have other chickens to care for.

Tribute for Noodle

by Brandi N
(Florida USA)

I never owned a chicken before but my mom had one that was picked on and abused by her flock mates so I decided to take her home with me.

We spent a few short months bonding. I never knew I could love a chicken so much but through our bug hunts we became the best of friends.

Somehow she has passed today, (6-16-22). I am so torn. I was mad at myself like I could have done more so I turned to the internet to learn "why?" This video/page was a huge help for me and I am thankful to have found it.

So this tribute is for the best chicken I ever knew.
She was full of personality and her life was cut too short.

Maybelle

by Chicken father
(Florida)

Although she isn’t really mine, she still felt like my chicken. She loved to sit on peoples' laps and be carried like she was a child.

When I heard she passed away I was so sad.

Karl The Roo

by Jocelyn Nix

Karl was a wild roo that the bird sanctuary told us we were able to take as it was in town and you can’t have roosters there.

We took him in and got him home. As he was under a lot of stress, I put him in the coop. He explored, and found a group of his own hens which was so sweet to see.

I leave to go inside and 20 minutes later I come out and – bam he’s dead. There was blood all over his head and in his mouth, no puncture wounds though.

Laura's Memorial

by Wanda
(St Clair, MO USA)

Laura was an older Barred Rock hen we had that was no longer laying well. In fact, we thought she was far too old to lay much again.

We were surprised in the late spring that she became broody and lay several eggs. She sat on them and hatched a number of cute little chicks.

Laura was a good mother and kept them close and we always made sure they had extra feed.

It was a beautiful spring day and Laura was out in the open tending to the brood when out of the blue a hawk attacked her. He aimed for the head and injured her severely.

I was not that far away when I heard this pitiful call that alerted me to the situation. I could not believe that a hawk would come in that close with a person that close, but he did. He must have misjudged or did not know I was even that close.

The hawk injured Laura and put her into a bad shock. He must have pierced her head. Laura was still trying to call the chicks in to her when I got to her. The cry was so hard to hear it broke my heart. I have not heard a hen since that day.

I rescued the chicks and raised them, but I will never forget the incidence nor the sound of the hen.

In memory of Mayo “My little Adventurer”

by Crista

Mayo, you were so special to me. You had such zest and tenacity. It seemed like nothing could stop you.

You were always by my side, convinced everything in my hands was yours. My phone, my drink, anything. Pecking at my pockets thinking I was hiding treats that you deserved. Running up to me at my door the second it opened. My little shadow ranging around my small backyard while I gardened.

I don’t know how you died. You were fine and seemed healthy and then in just couple hours I found you, gone. Still you touched me deeply my little feathered friend, and I will miss you so much.

May heaven have all the string cheese your heart desires. I love you my sweet chickie chickie.

Our Sweet Karen

by Carmen
(Kansas)

We got our first batch of 6 chickens last April.

Karen was the quintessential little yellow chick. As a baby she wasn't the most friendly but as she grew into a beautiful chicken she and her best friend Evelyn formed a sweet bond.

She was the head of the flock and stood out from the rest for her curiosity, kindness and good looks. She was always the first to greet her friend in the morning.

We were away on vacation and Karen passed away suddenly. We had expected to have her for many more years.

Her little girl is devastated and will miss her every day.

Kuchi

(India)

My Kuchi was one of a kind. He was the most active chicken I have seen.

Our aunt got a few baby coloured, chicks that they sell outside. She got 3 of them but 2 died and as we already had experienced growing up a chicken back in my childhood (which also eventually after a year died) just like this she gave the male chicken to us.

My Kuchi would snarl if we were eating and providing him food. He would fight with all the bottles in the house. He was always readily available in the kitchen if he found sounds of vessels clinking. He would go and sit on dressing table and admire himself in the mirror.

All these memories will stay with me forever. I love you and miss you so much Kuchi. Rest in peace my love.

In memory, of Pom Pom and 蜜蜜

by Sophia Xu
(Pennsylvania, P.A, USA )

I first got my chicks on March 21st. They were Silkie bantams and they arrived in a group of 6.

Pom Pom was always the calmest, she was the cutest, she was the beautiful white/grey one. 蜜蜜 was the one with beautiful golden feathers, she was always so relaxed and was so gentle.

They were only 73 days old when they were attacked by a bird of prey. I wasn't there at the time but it came down and took the lives of 2, leaving their bodies on the ground.

I made a burial and now they will forever rest in peace in my backyard.

I will always love them. Forever. And ever.

Jean Broodie

by Fiona
(Wales)

I reared Jean from the egg, she was a mille fleur Pekin bantam. She was 2 years old and one of a group of 3 sisters, who are now sadly a group of 2.

She was robust and healthy and beautiful, then yesterday afternoon she suddenly passed away, just like that, suddenly. No marks, no wounds, dead, gone...but not forgotten.

RIP Jean Broodie.