Keepsake ideas from passed chicken ideas?

[PlentifulPrairie]

Hi all —
My favorite chicken passed away on Christmas. I’m wanting to do something special with some of his feathers to have as a keepsake. What are some things you have done?

I’m also burying him and I’d like to have a nice marker or gravestone for him any ideas appreciated.

Thank you

 

[LizzzyJo]

I’m so sorry to hear this. I’m sure she knew she was loved.

One of my favorite things to do with kids around is to take a shed tail feather and snip a bit off the inner point. Then you dip it into an ink well and have your own reusable feather pen. Maybe that could be a keepsake?

 

[Shadrach]

Hi all —
My favorite chicken passed away on Christmas. I’m wanting to do something special with some of his feathers to have as a keepsake. What are some things you have done?

I’m also burying him and I’d like to have a nice marker or gravestone for him any ideas appreciated.

Thank you

I've kept feathers and spurs from the males but over many years of chickens ranging over acres of land the number of chickens that have died runs into hundreds. One can't really keep something from every one and some one just doesn't find.
Burial is fine but eventually one ends up with a grave yard if one uses marker stones.
I dig a deep hole. Lay the chicken in the hole and leave a walnut on their chest.
I foget very few and keep a book of the dead should I need to recal a name.

Those that I've eaten still go in the book of the dead and there isn't much left to bury.
I have thousands of pictures to look through to remind me if necessary.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Hi all —
My favorite chicken passed away on Christmas. I’m wanting to do something special with some of his feathers to have as a keepsake. What are some things you have done?

I’m also burying him and I’d like to have a nice marker or gravestone for him any ideas appreciated.

Thank you

Very sorry for your loss.

I have thought about using feathers to decorate a picture frame.. and how much better would it be if there were a great picture of the bird inside!

Do you have a pic of him in his glory days you'd like to share?

ETA:
Okay, I came up with another possibly great idea for memorials.. use one of those children's plaster type hand print kits to make a foot print, a beak print, or a comb impression.

One of the local veterinary offices has done this for euthanized pets. Mine made a donation to a research laboratory in the pets name.. a paw impression would have been much more impactful sentiment for ME.

 

[PlentifulPrairie]

Very sorry for your loss.

I have thought about using feathers to decorate a picture frame.. and how much better would it be if there were a great picture of the bird inside!

Do you have a pic of him in his glory days you'd like to share?

ETA:
Okay, I came up with another possibly great idea for memorials.. use one of those children's plaster type hand print kits to make a foot print, a beak print, or a comb impression.

One of the local veterinary offices has done this for euthanized pets. Mine made a donation to a research laboratory in the pets name.. a paw impression would have been much more impactful sentiment for ME.

That’s a nice idea, I may do an ink print. I’m burying him today and I live in the middle of nowhere so I don’t have one of those plaster things. I have a background in art so wonderful idea.

 

[Jakemedic]

I’m very sorry for your loss. It genuinely brings tears to my eyes when I see that someone’s chicken has died. I am totally attached to my girls, I can’t yet imagine how heartbreaking that will be. i never knew chickens can be such wonderful animals. God Bless!

 

[Sally PB]

Lay the chicken in the hole and leave a walnut on their chest.

What is the significance of the walnut?

I think your book is a wonderful way to remember.

 

[The Welch Chickens]

Hi all —
My favorite chicken passed away on Christmas. I’m wanting to do something special with some of his feathers to have as a keepsake. What are some things you have done?

I’m also burying him and I’d like to have a nice marker or gravestone for him any ideas appreciated.

Thank you

I'm sorry for your loss

Since it happened on Christmas, perhaps you can make a Christmas ornament with his picture and some of his feathers.

 

[MGG]

We make feather earrings, hair clips, and ornaments.

 

[NanaK]

That’s a nice idea, I may do an ink print. I’m burying him today and I live in the middle of nowhere so I don’t have one of those plaster things. I have a background in art so wonderful idea.

I am very sorry for your loss.

I do have a pet cemetery. We've been on this property for 32 years. It is a rural area. In an out of the way spot we have buried dogs, cats and chickens. I just lost a hen a couple weeks ago. She was 9 years old. Not the first I've lost as I've been keeping chickens a good while now. I marked the first 2 pets we buried. There is a concrete cat and a small flat grave marker. I knew rather quickly I couldn't continue through the years marking each grave.

Since I've had chickens, I've always kept a feather or two. I've have different breeds so lots of different colors. These feathers are all stored mixed in a container.

I like the idea of a print. Wished I'd done this years ago. I think a print with a feather would make a really nice keepsake.

This is a sad but great topic I've not seen mentioned very often.
Thank you for posting.