A heartfelt thank you again so much to all those who have expressed their sympathy for Vanille's passing.
I hope at least I will be able to cope better! I was expecting the first chicken death to be hard... but I still feel I'm overreacting!
I have very few human friends and since I live in such a remote place I don't see them often, so I guess the chickens have become my close friends.Have I become that crazy old bat who cares only about her pets?
It was also the first time I held a living creature to it's end. I won't forget the last minute when she woke, the look she had.
I'm really sorry you are having to cope with such backward minded people. These people are so hard to exceptI suspect it is more that most people don't understand that it isn't viable unless incubated, so to them it seems kinda 'icky'. I am sure her grandma knows this, but many people have asked me if there might be a chick inside and how am I sure there isn't if there is a Rooster around. Also, regarding bug, worms, etc. It is much easier, in that sense, to 'fool yourself' by buying 'hygenically' preppped & 'sealed' eggs, where you don't have to think about where they came from, what they ate, nor how they lived. It is just plain easier.
I gave a co-worked some smoked chicken (she said she would like to try it). Months later I found out she had thrown it out because she 'couldn't eat it'. She had come to my house ONCE and seen my chickens...a year before. She said she couldn't eat it because she 'knew' my chickens. I asked her how...it wasn't even one that was hatched yet when she came over...she said....but I've seen them, and they all looked happy...I couldn't eat that, I'll get my chicken from the store, thank you."
Honestly, what p#^&ed me off the most was she threw it away instead of giving it back or offering it to a friend. I did, later when I could say it calmly, tell her how much it bothered me that she threw it away, because that meant that the chickens life was 'wasted'. He died to be thrown away!So disrespectful of him and his life (I didn't say that part). But, it all goes back to "I'll have my steak and roast chicken...but I don't want to know where it came from."
We want to continue to be omnivours without having to deal with the realities of being an omnivour.
That was touching. So beautiful. She was a special lady. My condolences to you and your partner.So warning for a long post, including a lot of pictures to make it less tedious! And thank you again Bybob for hosting it.
Good bye to Vanille
She was our little alpha hen, sassy with us and a pain in the other hen's butt. We got her with our five other hens from a battery in January 2020, aged only three months as all others rescues had already been given out. Although she had trouble laying from the start she was a brave fighter, full of joy and will to live. She had many passions : drinking running water, eating snow and hail, escaping from the chicken zone to explore the garden, helping out my partner with whatever he was doing, perching on human shoulders, and most of all, eating cherries.
Because we had to care a lot for her due to her health issues she was our only hen that enjoyed cuddles, falling asleep on our knees or gently pecking our bellies.
We called her The Hen's Trade union because she knew how to ask loudly for whatever she wanted until she got it.
She was 33 months and I know she enjoyed her life here very much.
I have very few picture as a pullet. Here she is climbing the ladder.
View attachment 3195387
Enjoying the garden, 10 June 2020
View attachment 3195392
Eating hail! May 2021.
View attachment 3195394
One of so many warm bath to help an egg come out. August 2021
View attachment 3195395
Found some grapes! She was very sick at the time and we were letting her wander in the garden to make her want to live. September 2021.
View attachment 3195383
Hard molt just after recovery
View attachment 3195388
Then she ate a snake to celebrate her new feathers, November 2021
View attachment 3195382
Love the snow for the last time, February 2022
View attachment 3195390
I think I dropped something, mars 2022
View attachment 3195385
And I thought this was my lunch , may 2022.
View attachment 3195381
My partner was her whole world.
View attachment 3195384
Good bye beautiful Vanille
View attachment 3195393
Finally a short clip with her beloved cherry tree.
Lovely photos!
Shes beautiful. Vanille will always be remembered.So warning for a long post, including a lot of pictures to make it less tedious! And thank you again Bybob for hosting it.
Good bye to Vanille
She was our little alpha hen, sassy with us and a pain in the other hen's butt. We got her with our five other hens from a battery in January 2020, aged only three months as all others rescues had already been given out. Although she had trouble laying from the start she was a brave fighter, full of joy and will to live. She had many passions : drinking running water, eating snow and hail, escaping from the chicken zone to explore the garden, helping out my partner with whatever he was doing, perching on human shoulders, and most of all, eating cherries.
Because we had to care a lot for her due to her health issues she was our only hen that enjoyed cuddles, falling asleep on our knees or gently pecking our bellies.
We called her The Hen's Trade union because she knew how to ask loudly for whatever she wanted until she got it.
She was 33 months and I know she enjoyed her life here very much.
I have very few picture as a pullet. Here she is climbing the ladder.
View attachment 3195387
Enjoying the garden, 10 June 2020
View attachment 3195392
Eating hail! May 2021.
View attachment 3195394
One of so many warm bath to help an egg come out. August 2021
View attachment 3195395
Found some grapes! She was very sick at the time and we were letting her wander in the garden to make her want to live. September 2021.
View attachment 3195383
Hard molt just after recovery
View attachment 3195388
Then she ate a snake to celebrate her new feathers, November 2021
View attachment 3195382
Love the snow for the last time, February 2022
View attachment 3195390
I think I dropped something, mars 2022
View attachment 3195385
And I thought this was my lunch , may 2022.
View attachment 3195381
My partner was her whole world.
View attachment 3195384
Good bye beautiful Vanille
View attachment 3195393
Finally a short clip with her beloved cherry tree.
Looks kinda like an awkward family reunion.
