A Chicken Keeper’s Grief & Loss: 3

I like to keep my flock at a manageable size – about 30 or so. About four years ago, their numbers had ballooned a bit and I made the decision to rehome 15 of them so I could better care for the ones I had.

Since then, my youngsters have gotten older and are now considered middle-aged. Until recently about two-thirds of my flock was over the age of three. I searched long and hard for someone interested in taking in eight of my older hens as pets where they could live out their days.

I’ve also had several age related losses or as the result of stresses on the reproductive systems of hens that have evolved to lay more eggs than is healthy for them: a prolapsed vent, salpingitis and ovarian cancer.

All of my birds were hatched here and I’ve seen them daily throughout their whole lives. Some of my girls are pushing six or seven and close to their life expectancy. I don’t look forward to the day I lose them. Each of them is their own individual personality and I will miss them.

I’ve created this series as well as Chicken Obituaries and Eulogies as a place where folks can share their memories and their grief in a space that is both understanding and respectful.

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Seleta Nothnagel

We had to send my beautiful purple boy, Reign, over the rainbow bridge today. Based on his lab work, it was most likely cancer that made him so sick. Reign was a rescue rooster from a home where he had become too aggressive. I worked with him every single day and was eventually able to gain his trust and his love.

He taught me so much about working with roosters and that knowledge will help him live on in the others I work with in the future. He became quite the snuggle bug with me, loved his girls and never picked fights with any of the other boys. He regulated squabbles amongst his ladies and would make sure that even the lowest girl in the pecking order got a chance to eat. His favorite snacks were goldfish crackers and bananas. His signature sounds were brlrlrr-bup-bup, his low crow, and his energetic alert, which commanded attention from all. He was so loved! He will be so terribly missed!

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Addison McAtee

I am so heartbroken. Yesterday I went to my coop and saw my beautiful chicken Rexi has died. I am not sure if she died from the heat because it is so hot where I live. When I found her I broke down. I buried her with her favorite flowers. She was my absolute everything. She is one of the first chickens I ever got. She loved burdock, her pool, the daily treats (especially frozen ones). I always used to give her “Elevator Rides” where I would pick her up and hold her up at different levels and just mess around together. She always purred and pecked at me for more of them. She would run to cuddle me. If I was sad I always went to her. My best friend is gone and I feel so sad. I just wanted to share her beauty with people who get it.

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Cecilia O’Donnell

I lost my first chicken ever last night. Her name was Cheddar and I loved her deeply. I have experienced a few losses but it hurts so much when you know who started this all. We have one chicken left out of our first five. It feels as though life cruelly picked the others off one by one.

I am not the only one who needed to say goodbye. I brought her out to bury her and both my ducks and other chickens visited her. They all seemed to pay their own respects and move along.

What broke my heart is my rooster, Arnold, who loved Cheddar so dearly. I knew that he had to know she was gone to be able to move on. What I was not prepared for was how he looked at her.

Animals may not be able to feel like we do, but they very much experience the sense of loss and grief. Chickens are truly incredible creatures. May my sweet girl rest in peace. She deserved the world.

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Charlie Nova

I’m crying in the bathroom at work and I feel like y’all might be the only people that understand. I’m completely devastated over the sudden loss of the queen of our flock, Dolly. She was the most friendly, social chick from the start and quickly grew into one of our favorites. There was no walking into the run without getting pecked by her until you gave her treats or some sort of love. The other babies already don’t know what to do without her, they were screaming and screaming when I took her out of the run.

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Jennifer Bullock

Today was the most heartbreaking day. My daughter Mia’s best friend Henderson, from the original six chicks that started it all, passed away. She held her all day, crying until she crossed the Rainbow Bridge.

As a parent, you can’t describe the hurt you feel for your child. Henderson had the best most spoiled life and will be deeply missed.

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Mark McBride

My 11-month-old girl Pip just died. I sit here stunned still holding her. Her body is still warm and she is limp. I never want to let her go.

She was at my sister’s farm over Christmas where she got frostbite and lost the toes on her left foot. Since she was special needs and had trouble walking I instantly made her a house hen. She was my little buddy and I took her everywhere. She was the youngest of the five that hatched last year and the runt.

I completely feel like I failed her in every way possible. We don’t know why she died. I have theories but I’ll never know. She was in her cage an hour ago and perfectly fine. My roommate came downstairs and got her out of the cage to take her out front where he lets her play in the dirt. She wriggled free and jumped from his arms, landed on the ground, then flapped her wings a few times and fell over dead.

I am utterly devastated. I hoped she was going to be with me for a long normal life where I could take care of her and spoil her rotten. Now she is just a warm limp lump of feathers in my arms and I’ll never see her again.

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Kristy Niebling

Losing a pet never gets any easier. Never. I’ve been a blubbering mess. But an Xray at the avian vet confirmed the infection had spread to Russell’s bones, and though stoic, he would have been in a lot of pain. He deserved better than that. He was the best boy: he took care of his girls, loved them, was so gentle and never hurt us. He made me laugh. I hope Russell was happy too. From being dumped at the rubbish tip to coming to live with me. I miss him so much. I know chicken people understand it.

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Jeanette Sepulveda Martin

Today I just want to remember a special chicken who did not get treated fairly by a raccoon. I am at the scene. I am very spiritual and always incense the trauma away. I use Frankincense and remaining feathers to honour my chicken’s spirit, thanking her for her life and her giving spirit. My experience with chickens has been incredible and I just can’t throw them away. I return them grateful back to Mother Earth and apologize to each and every chicken that witnessed her death. To her husband Pepper, I actually felt his pain, and I apologized to him. Raccoons are animals too and have their place, just not with my girls. Thank you Honey for sharing your life with us .

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Thanks to everyone who shared their stories and photos. Featured photo credit: Amber Shoe

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