Memorials to your lost ones

[specklesmom]

Do you have a chicken cemetary? A memorial area? Losing Speckles was so awful we decided to bury her in the flowerbed. She loved to get into the flowerbed and scratch all the mulch out onto the lawn, so we thought burying her there would be appropriate. It has been over 6 months and we still miss her terribly.

I've added violas, a "guardian angel", solar lights and a photo of Speckles in the snow to her memorial. The old pickets are from a fence that was on my great Grandparents' farm and the chicken wire fence is to keep the rabbits from eating the viola flowers.

 

[ranchhand]

What a lovely way to remember Speckles. So very sorry for your loss. She was very pretty and clearly quite special. May you find peace and healing.

We do have a certain area, and I always plant something special on top, and that plant carries the name of it's companion.

 

[speckledhen]

Rest in Peace

Hawkeye
Lacy
Lorelei
Ruby
Velvet
Rosemary
Cassidy
Vada
Violet
Skye
Kate

Lost these over the past two years. Kate and Skye were recent. Kate's sister, Olivia, is being treated for a reproductive infection of some sort, but not really optimistic about it. She's on her second antibiotic. I hated so much to lose Kate. She and her two sisters, Olivia and Tux, were very special, happy accidents. Best girls you could ask for.

There is no real memorial, unless you count the beautiful white pine they are buried under.

 

[Serrin]

Oh SpecklesMom! That is an absolutely beautiful memorial to what obviously was such a cherished friend!

We have an area set aside for the final resting place of our girls. Sadly, my two most precious girls were taken from me by a horrible neighborhood dog. Nothing to lay to rest. Which probably makes their loss all the more keen to me.

Some people will never understand how deeply we feel these losses. Those are usually people who have never had the honor of having an animal, any animal, choose them as their best friend. I feel sorry for such people. IMHO, their lives are all the more empty for it.

Since we started this incredible journey with chickens three and a half years ago, we have lost some very special ladies. At the top of our list:

Gimpy Girl - BO - She will always and forever be first in my heart, no matter how many girls follow in her little footprints.

Lacey - GSL - She was such a character and a total clown. She will always be remembered with smiles and laughter at the memory of her antics!

LizzyBeth - BR - My only special needs child. At least I know I gave her ten months of wonderful life, much more than she would have had anywhere else.

Molly The Mutant - GSL who had curly feathers and a quiet way about her that was simply charming. She also had an adventurous streak in her that ultimately caused her demise.

We've lost a number of other girls over the course of the last three and a half years. I'm sure we'll lose more as the years go by. But, I'd rather know them and lose them than to never have known them at all.

Chickens bring so much to our lives here at the farm. I can't imagine our world without them!

And if anyone had told me four years ago that the love of my life would be chickens, I'd have told them they were crazy...and I would have been so terribly wrong!

Thanks for sharing your memorial to Speckles with us SM. It's simply beautiful!

 

[TheDuckCrew]

that is so beautiful! we have 3 ducks buried in our yard. well two actually, one body was never found

im still working on the memorials for them and i wanted to turn it into a watermelon garden, since watermelon is their favorite. but we might be moving before i get the chance

and i agree, some never know the pain of the loss. i get made fun of it constantly, but my friends understand. for weeks, i would just randomly start crying at school and they would know. the pain will dull but never fade.

 

[silkiechick05]

That is beautiful Deborah. I know you miss your girl.

Are you still considering getting another chicken??

 

[specklesmom]

I think having a special plant in honor of a lost chicken friend is a lovely idea. And the designation of a quiet place under a white pine tree for all the lost ones is very nice. I'm sure every time you walk by there you think of each of them, Speckledhen. A watermelon garden would be exactly right as a memorial; they all love to munch up that sweet red stuff and the seeds are even better! I should have made a grub garden as a true memorial for Speckles.

I can't imagine losing a dear chicken to a dog! How terrible. We have a fairly large yard for this suburban area and would have loved to let Speckles free range. But we have many Red-tailed Hawks as well as coyotes, neighbor dogs, raccoons, possums and Great Horned Owls. We never let Speckles out of her run unless one of us was right beside her all the time. It was good for us because we would be outside several times a day since we were her flock. I can certainly see how a predator could snatch a hen right in front of you though. Chickens are just so vulnerable. We couldn't have a rooster here because the neighbors would be very upset. I'm not sure even a rooster could defend against many of the things that could attack in our yard.

I would never have imagined that we could miss a chicken so much. I never thought of them as having such personalities and intelligence. Who could dream of all the little noises they can make to communicate exactly what they are feeling----"Nooooo! Not back in the pen!!!" (Horrible sounding bwaaak! as if she was being strangled). "A grub!!! A grub!!!" (A happy little he,he,he noise accompanied by an all over wiggle of excitement) "This feels just wonderful, don't stop!" (A trill almost like a cat purring, with her eyes closed when I would hold her in my lap and scritch her neck just right). And of course the "I just laid an egg, get out here and express your admiration" (Baaack, baaak, BAAK-BAAAAK!!!) Sometimes she would do the "just laid an egg" call when she just wanted us to come outside.....

I would love to get another very young female Barred Rock chick, but it will depend on my husband's health. We see a new doctor tomorrow in Dallas--a vascular surgeon, so maybe I'll have a better idea what may be happening before too long.

Thanks to everyone for your kind words. I do think Speckles' resting place turned out nicely. I wish I believed in reincarnation so we could have her back again!!

Debby

 

[silkiechick05]

Quote:
I know what you mean about the different noises. And the "just laid an egg" call to get your attention. Little Barbara does it about every single day.

LOL

I hope all goes well with your husband,
Kelsey