Loretta, the Speckled Sussex

by Sue
(Massachusetts, USA)

We lost my Speckled Sussex Loretta yesterday. She had been acting fine, she even laid an egg for me in the afternoon, but when I went out to put the birds to bed last night, she had died.

They are such resilient animals, but still so fragile.

My heart is broken, I will miss my sweet feisty girl. She was small for her breed, tiny but sassy, always on a mission, the first to notice things and come running, always first in line for a treat, always happy with a spot on my lap.

RIP Loretta, 4/21-7/24.

You are so missed.

Sweet Ginny, you will always be remembered

by Amy
(Australia)

Ginny was a buff Silkie hen, both in colour and strength. She was a tough lady that took care of and led her two sisters, Ghost and Stormi. She was always the first to greet me in the morning, would weave through my legs, excited to see what treats I had for her for the day. Her favourite food was watermelon.

Ginny brought happiness and calm to all who were lucky enough to meet her. Her spirit will forever soar in our hearts.

You are so missed and so loved, sweet girl.

The Reds

by Katie Tucker
(Brookfield Ohio USA)

I lost my entire small flock of Rhode Island Reds to a weasel. The weasel was still in the coop early in the morning when I opened up.

I wanted desperately to kill the weasel, but knew it had done what comes naturally. And, unfortunately as a brand new chicken keeper, I wasn’t as aware of the predators frequenting our area as I should have been. I am most assuredly aware now and have beefed up the security further.

I can’t imagine losing a beautiful beloved rooster for no apparent reason. I’m so sorry for the loss.

At least my loss had a reason … my own inexperience! Hopefully you’ll remember your beautiful roo with fondness.

My Little Bleu

by Monica
(CA)

Bleu was a Crested Cream Legbar and the sweetest little thing. Of the five chickens in my little flock, she was the only one who would sit on my lap and take a nap. I loved her, and she’ll always be my little Bleu.

She was only 7 months old when she died for no apparent reason.

Mercy, my Diva Head Hen

by Heather
(TN, USA)

I remember being there when she hatched and looking forward to taking her home with me.

She was white and everyone wanted to hold her. She was not afraid of anything or anyone. She had a leadership personality, she was very loud and communicated as much as the rooster.

She was the head hen, and she was my very favorite. I would enjoy going out to be with her specifically, she loved treats and she very much enjoyed following me everywhere. She was 2.5 years old.

She hurt her foot and I spent weeks bracing her foot, cleaning it and giving her foot baths. She slept in a dog crate near me as I was nursing her back to health. I remember holding her and taking her in the yard to get some time in the dirt.

I recently moved, and I brought her and some of the flock members to our new location which was decently far away, because I didn't want to live my life without her in my new yard.

I moved her here and she seemed very normal, nothing weird. She ate normally, and drank normally. She ate a ton of watermelon in the day, and she was foraging everywhere, and she was very happy to follow me around her new yard.

I put all the chickens in their run before leaving to walk at a nearby park with my family. I came back 2 hours later to her breathing her last breath in the coop, and pretty much dying in 2 minutes.

I tried to dislodge anything in her throat, but she was so far gone it wouldn't have mattered what I would have done at this time. I am double thinking whether I should have done something different, but I don't think in that moment anything would have changed the circumstances.

I have no idea how 2 hours prior she was feisty, energetic, and eating and digging everywhere that it would turn so quickly.

I have no idea what happened. I would like to know, but I also don't want to find something I may have done wrong as well. This is hard. I hate things dying. I ask God why this has to be the favorite pets most of the time.

Clive the bantam

by Tanya
(Australia)

Little Clive was the only boy in a harem of 10 hens. He would wander around the yard checking that his girls were happy and alerting them to treats he found.

He'd often sit in their nesting boxes with them when they were laying eggs. He would crow whenever the mood struck him and loved a hug.

He died suddenly this morning, aged only 2 and a half. The backyard is emptier without his colourful presence.

Shiny Butt was my buddy

by Lisa
(Bowdon, GA)

I got home from work yesterday and went to the chicken house like always to open the main door to visit with my beloved Shiny Butt, only to find her sitting next to her nesting box with her head under her wing.

She died during the day while I was at work. I went in to feed her before I left for work, gave her a hug and told her I would see her after work.

She was 8 years old. Her parents were some type of meat bird and a Buff Orpington chicken. That combination caused her hips to deform and she walked with a hard limp.

She gave me such inspiration. She would walk at her pace. She was never afraid. She was so loved and she knew it.

I have no idea what happened yesterday but the way she was showed such peace and I know she was safe in her house and I could tell there was no struggle.

I held her for the longest time before I placed her in the ground. She had such a profound impact on my life and I will forever remember her and miss her.

Norma Jean

Norma was an ISA Brown. She was 2 years and 3 months old. She was from my first flock.

She was first in line for treats and the last to go into the coop at night. She would climb into my lap and would stay there for hours if I let her. She loved to jump up on my husband's shoulder when he came home from work.

When we got 4 more chicks a year later, she was the first to check them out when I started the introductions.

All of my hens/ rooster are special to me, but Norma was my star. She wasn’t acting herself and I searched for what could be wrong. We have no vets in our area who will see a chicken and I tried multiple things to see if it would help.

When I went to check on her I found her passed away. I wish more than anything that I could have saved her. I will miss her everyday and she will not be forgotten.

I never thought when we got chickens that I would ever be this attached to them. I didn’t realize how truly remarkable they are. For me this is a loss of a friend, which may sound crazy to a lot of people.

If I could say anything to her it would be thank you for the joy you brought into my life, the things I learned by having you here, not only about chickens but also myself, and that I will continue to try and give as many chickens that I can a life where they are treated with love, respect, and dignity that the deserve.

Molly my Barnevelder

by Susan
(New Mexico )

Molly was from my first brood of chicks. When they were little chicks she was my favorite one and I gave her a purple leg band.

She loved to let me hold her. She lived a year and 26 days. I was heartbroken when I found her. I have no idea why she died. There was no trauma of any kind. She didn't look sick. She was happy and running around and clucking one day and gone the next.

She had four sisters. I'm not sure how they're going to react to missing their sister.

I miss her.