To Nikki, the beautiful

by Melissa
(Ohio USA)

Nikki was a lavender Orpington that I raised from a day old as a part of a 15 strong heritage breed lot in 2019.

This batch of chickens was my re-entry into keeping chickens after a woefully long absence that everyone had to hear about often.

When I finally found a handyman who wouldn't charge me an arm and a leg to build out my barn to safely house them, I gleefully ordered my babies!

Nikki was a pill right from the start and clearly a self-made woman. And although she did not grow up to be the head hen (the huge Columbiana Wyandottes made sure of that) she was clearly my queen.

Very gentle and always wanting to be stroked or picked up she was my girl. And as much as I love all my girls, she was the only one to have a name that never changed!

I had had my entire flock intact for 18 months with not a bird down or lost, I was completely mystified when I came home from work this week to find her lifeless body on the floor of the coop without so much as a mark on her.

This loss is made doubly worse by the fact that I just lost my Mother in the last month.

Nikki, I will miss your sweet little lavender face and the way you always welcomed a pet or a cuddle.

Sleep well my sweet little hen.

Farewell Vida Vida Venna

by Nyasha
(Adelaide Hills)

Vida Vida Venna was a beautiful golden laced Wyandotte.

She was one of three hens we bought from our friend’s 5 year old son who had hand-raised them from his own eggs. They were the first chickens we had at our new house.

Just tonight she was found dead in her brand new coop that we’d built last weekend. For over a year she had lived happily in a temporary coop near our veggie garden.

She was always happy and friendly. There was no evidence or reason as to why she could have died. I’m still racking my brain.

But we will miss her, and so will her sister-friends Goldie and Henrietta.

I like to think she had a pretty good life, even if it ended too soon and too suddenly. We’re sorry for whatever happened, especially if it had been preventable.

Farewell dear Vida Venna.

In loving memory of Daisy

by Mary Anne Kidwell
(Las Vegas, NV, USA)

Daisy was a lovely Buff Orpington that I raised since she was 1 day old. I loved this girl. She was awesome and loved to eat meal worms and endive.

She dropped suddenly after I let her out of the coop today. She died/stopped breathing in my arms.

I will forever miss her.

Priscilla, come on girl!!

by Cruzers
(Colorado USA)

Our 8 month old Easter Egger is a beautiful golden color with white highlights and green legs.

First, we gave her credit for the very first egg. We soon learned she was taking credit for ANY egg. Being favored, we found it funny... She sits on her sister's blue egg and any of the others beige, tan or brown eggs!!

The change in personality came gradually. She had been sleeping so much for weeks and weeks, but she kept eating. Now, she is mere ribs and feathers. She stays with the flock, but is not eating or active as she once was.

I pray she is brooding, but today she is in the lap of my 10 year old wrapped in the warmth of her love and concern, being nursed with water through a straw!

Priscilla, please won't you make it?! Come on girl!

Rest In Peace, Friend

by Alex
(Ontario, Canada)

Our chicken died this morning, Tuesday, November 16, 2021.

I walked inside the coop to feed the farm chickens and one of them was sitting there in her corner lifeless, head bowed down, eyes closed. No signs of injury, nothing unusual.

Rest in Peace, my Friend.

I took her body into the forest and gave it back to Mother Nature.

Thank you very much for maintaining this webpage.

Love,

Alex.

Dudley. My lemon frizzle rooster.

by Gina
(Cornwall, UK)

Dudley was a beoutiful lemon frizzle rooster, hatched on 16 April, 2010.

He was always special and it soon became clear he hated the outside world and would not be parted from me when I found him collapsed in his outside pen as a youngster. He was plagued with health problems, and had seizures.

His vet was amazed when he met him, and told me to keep doing what I'm doing. He said he was a picture of health with the reddest comb he'd ever seen, and did not want to put him on any treatment, so I had nursed him back to health.

It took 8 months hand feeding till he could manage himself, and I helped him through his seizures, always holding him and reassuring him and giving him grapes and rescue remedies.

I designed a special igloo for him to prop him up till he could stand unaided. We were never parted, and as the seizures subsided, he refused to go out. So he lived as my house rooster on my smallholding, sleeping with me.

It had been 8 years since he had any seizures. He would always tell me by calling me and I would pick him up and hold him until it passed.

I lost him on Monday, 08, Nov, 2021, 7.30 am. I held him for the last time and sang him his bedtime song.

I will miss him forever. He loved me and came to me as fast as he could so I could hold him. Such a special bond between us.

Rest in peace, my Dudley.

To our Henny, with love

by Laura A.
(Pasadena, TX)

Henny, we only had you for 4 months, but you will be so missed.

We will miss your chubby bootie running around and making us laugh (she was a mottled Cochin bantam, a beautiful black and white fluffy girl).

You brought us so much joy, we will never forget you. I loved cuddling with you and how you would talk to me.

We love you, Rest In Peace, our girl.

Walter..... another gentle soul. Son of Lily.

by Jill McMahon
(East Sussex, England)

We lost our little man 2 nights ago and will miss his wake up calls in the morning.

He was the son of Lily whom I left a memorial 2 years ago titled "Lily, my gentle girl". Walter was 11 years and 120 days old when he died, so not quite reaching his Mum’s age but a good innings none the less.

He will be missed by his 2 girls, Mabel and Isobel, of which he had absolutely no control over!

Bless him, he really didn't have a clue what was going on most of the time but he loved life and like his Mum, a kind and gentle little soul.

Rest in peace my little man and watch over your girls from above.

Chamomile

by Robert Tillotson
(Reno, NV)

Chamomile was our Orpington. She was 7 months old.

Of our 6 hens, she was the only one to follow me everywhere. She always walked with me. She was the only one of 6 to be so special, so loving.

We went to let them out today. She had difficulty breathing, and shortly after, died in our daughter’s arms.

We buried her in a special place. It hurts because I grew so attached to this particular one. I keep thinking she is cold and alone. Only 7 months old.

I will miss her.

Maisie memorial

by Vicki
(Highfields Australia)

My dear little Pekin bantam passed away from old age today.She and her 2 companions were a great support to me as I grieved for my husband.

These little sentient beings made as huge difference to my life.

Roosty

by Pamela
(USA Connecticut)

Roosty was my next door neighbors rooster from 2 years ago. They got 5 hens and Roosty as tiny chicks, and as time went on I fell in love with him:

I named him Roosty, and he was white and fluffy. I loved his morning sounds and grew so very attached.

Until one day as I was doing a head count, I only counted 5.

I reached out via a text on a nextdoor website to the vague neighbor and I got nowhere. So then I searched online to see if he had been entered in the agriculture show at a local fair and I am not sure, I never found out.

Then last September of 2020, all the chickens vanished.They were huge. I asked the neighbor and he said he had to find a home, that he had no experience.

But this spring he had 5 more - more normal looking hens for eggs and eating bugs.

My heart is still broken over my Roosty, never ever thought I could fall in love with poultry, but they are so amazing and smart.

Bolt the glorious rooster

Bolt was the fastest chick that ever lived & so we named him Bolt after the athlete.

He is the most gentlemanly chap you could ever meet, always alerting the chooks to food arriving and actually standing back and waiting for the hens to eat first.

He is 7 years old and still the most glorious bird to behold. One day chirpy and today a sunken shadow of himself. We will miss him dearly.

Thank you for this wonderful tribute page and your video.