Stockpilejoy
Songster
I was devastated at the loss of my 2 hens and vowed never to get another hen or chick. 8/6/17 Mabel & Nellie’s death- I was trimming bushes on a beautiful summer day while free-ranging 2 of my hens. As I finished I went to go secure Mabel & Nellie back into their coop and noticed they were already in there.. Nellie was in the nesting box and had just laid an egg while Mable was in the run. As I went to close the door they quickly followed me out. I thought, what harm in leaving them outside while I go inside to prepare lunch. I normally would not let them stay out alone but since Mabel just snapped out of her broodiness, I was afraid she’d venture back into the nesting box. Soon after I prepared and ate my lunch, I went back outside to fetch the girls. As I strolled down the hill I noticed two beautiful butterflies flying around in the back yard. One yellow and the other silver/black and blue. I couldn’t help but think how my hens would enjoy chasing after the butterflies since they were flying so low. I even yelled out, “Girls come see the butterflies”. I was quite concerned when my hens did not come when I called for them. I grabbed the can of worms and shook it with no trace of my precious girls. I searched and called for them all afternoon. Our neighbor came down to help and went further out behind our home. He came back with a handful of Mabel’s yellow feathers. At that point I was sure my Mabel had been killed. Thinking it was a hawk or fox since they hunt during the day and usually just leave behind feathers. It looked as if Nellie too had been killed although none of her feathers were found. Six weeks prior a hawk attempted to attack them in an open area early one morning just as I stepped around the corner of our shed. For that reason I waited till later to free range them. I was foolish thinking they were safe among the trees but after reading about hawks I found out differently. Late that evening I went back out search the woods in the rain looking for Nellie, hoping & praying she was still alive scared and hiding. The thought of her suffering was unbearable. She would always hop on my shoulder or lap when she felt threatened by the other hens. I finally came to grips that I had lost my two favorite hens. I hope and pray they were killed quickly without suffering. When I left them they were heading into woods for a dust bath near a log close by. Nellie I’m sure was easy prey since she never had a care in the world when she was primping in the dirt. When Mabel felt threatened she’d attempt to hide by running a slight distance then squat with her head down. Sadly she seemed to think she was hidden when in reality she looked like a headless hen in an open area. They were so sweet with so much personality but both very vulnerable. My other two surviving hens were at the top of the pecking order and would have put up a fight and may have survived an attack. After all it was their turn to free range and my Barred Rock-Harriet has large spurs on her feet like a Rooster. The following day as I sat outside sobbing, I saw the two butterflies flying around together again. Couldn’t help but think it was a peaceful sign from above. The next several weeks I’d see them flying around at separate times. It somehow helped me cope & brought me comfort. I was able to get several pictures of the one that reminded me of my Nellie since it always landed close by.. see pic below. Nellie was always a ham trying to peck at my camera phone. Mabel on the other hand was very camera shy so it was difficult getting clear photos of her. I never managed to get a photo of the yellow butterfly so the image of one below was taken off the internet. Although I miss my girls terribly, their precious memories live on. It was a hard lesson to learn.
