Yesterday I finally culled Robin a 12 year old Silver Spangled Hamburg. I believe she had arthiritis for some time now. She needed "help" to get on the roost at night. Her wings just didn't work like they use to nor her legs and feet for the matter. I noticed the past fews days she was not even able to make it up the ramp to get into the coop, she would get about a 1/4 of the way up and just fall off. She no longer wanted to roost but just spend the night in the corner of the coop. Her feed intake was way off and she just didn't look like she was having a very good quality of life any more. My other half suggested that it was time and I had to agree. She had a great life, absolutely one of the luckiest chickens in the world. She was the last of the 15 I brought with me to my current place. Ah memories.
12 years...that's great, you give me hope for long lives of my favorite chickens. Sorry to hear that she died, but it sounds like she did have a wonderful life.
