My Name is Pearl *RIP Sweetheart*

[Fuffy]

Sorry to change the subject, but....
specklesmom, couldn't you talk to Mrs Chickendad? Maybe she could ask Barbara nicely....


Luna I juat LOVE

Your stories and pics!!!!
Glad Charlie got a lovely new home and am mightily inpressed with your garden!!!!

Can't wait for the next instalment!

 

[Lunachick]

When fall came.....we were all content with the hierarchy. We got along and that's what mattered. There was always a small thing here and there, like any relationship, you had to work at what was important. Getting along was important.

I happened to go through a very rough molt. I lost most of my original feathers and when the new ones came in it was very painful. I never made a complaint though. I just waited for Mom to come out and when she did come out to give us our special treats, she would come over and look me over to make sure I was alright. I suffered with tender skin and many feathers coming in that I didn't expect. My skin on my bottom area was very red and raw. I didn't do much and Ruby always stayed by my side. Unfortunately I also injured my right leg and couldn't jump up on a roost or anything. So basically, I was an invalid chicken. Ruby was my lifesaver, she would run off with the other chooks,(after all she had to make sure they were in line) and then always come back to make sure I was OK.

Then Dorothy would come by and keep me company too. The three of us would preen and talk about this and that. It was fine.

Mom would come out and rub an ointment on my skin to ease the pain. I was always a little slow with running around, but now I was REALLY slow. But Ruby & Dorothy always ended up hanging out with me.

The back door was the main attraction area. That's the door Mom would come out with a paper plate with goodies! So we all waited for that!

We would preen and watch til she came out. That's me in the middle with the short beak.

After some time I started to heal with my leg. But the feather thing was tough. I ended up getting a butt load of feathers in areas I thought was covered, but no, I'm getting DOUBLE the feathers! So it took me twice as long to fill out. And twice as painful. When I was going through my molt, I stopped my egg laying. Mom understood and said for me to relax and grow my feathers and take it easy. When you're ready to lay....then you're ready! No problem. ........... I love you Mom

. I got special treats too, when the others weren't looking, as it was very hard for Mom to give me a treat without the others knowing about it! She learned to be pretty sneaky.

One day we got a snow storm that blew so bad that even though Mom wrapped our runs with heavy duty plastic, it blew 2 feet of snow stuff all into our run area ! Our two runs were connected and the younger ones were in one coop and we older ones were in OUR coop. But with the snow, a drift of 2 feet was in the run blocking the entry to the "little coop". Which meant the little ones had to roost with the big ones! And they did!

The next day, the younger hens went out. We did not. We knew what that stuff was and we weren't interested.

In the last pic you can see how Tallulah has become the head hen with the younger ones. Just look at the way she carries herself!

 

[crosbygroup]

Thank you for the lovely story. I just found it tonight - I'll be reading it to my son tomorrow.

 

[Serrin]

WOW! I missed a couple of days and I missed a LOT !!! Thanks for keeping the story going Luna! I'm loving this no end! Sorry I missed the last few days. I've just been so busy..you know how it goes.

Sorry to hear that you had to re-home Charlie. He looked like a very handsome fellow. Any chance for a few of his offspring later in the season? I'd love to see the look on Pearl's face if that should happen!

Keep up the good work girl! You're doing a great job with Pearl's story and all of the pics!

 

[The Chickens' Maid]

Great story!

 

[easttxchick]

I'm glad Pearl recovered from her moult and got such TLC while she was enduring it.

 

[specklesmom]

What a SNOW!! So sad that Pearl had a really rough moult! It sounds like she got lots of special care to make it "bare-able". Sorry. The bare bottom must be the worst part of a moult---so cold and so itchy!! Keep the story coming, PLEASE!!! Love it so much!

 

[Lunachick]

Pearl ~ January 2007 - February 2 2010

The reason I started this story in Pearl's voice was because she looked at me one day and through her eyes I saw that she wanted to say something. I remember everything with her, she reached out to me.

The younger hens must have known something wasn't right with her just recently...and Pearl was acting slower and slower, but always enthusiastic about her oatmeal & yogurt, or cabbage or life in general....just a little slower than normal....it was a gradual thing. After a recent meal with oatmeal & yogurt Ruby thought her best buddy needed a little extra help in her beak cleaning.

She was always sweet about it and Pearl didn't mind at all.

She came to the door for me the last few days....and then take her naps knowing I was watching out for her.

Then she would sleep.....whenever I went out the door to say "hello" to her she would perk up and pretend everything was alright. A little flap of the wings and she would pretend to preen and then go to sleep.

Just a few days ago she couldn't jump on a roost so she stayed on the box under the nesting area. The others roosted above. But Dorothy felt sorry for her and stayed with her last night.

I came home today from work and ran over to check on everyone and let them out for a half hour til bedtime. Pearl was on the ground in the run with her one wing out and her head down and eyes closed. I freaked and ran to pick her up (I was still in my work clothes) brought her in the house and wrapped a towel around her and sat with her in front of the fire and talked with her. She slept most of the time and breathed really slowly. I knew her time was short.

OMG......I don't want this to be sad, but here it is. She awoke at one time and her eyes were perky, and I just talked her language for a few minutes, and I think she understood, but at the last moment she flapped her wings a few times and settled down and looked at me.....then that was it. She died in my lap.

 

[chickenlittle32]

Oh how sad! I am sorry to hear that!

She was a wonderful chicken!

 

[mediazeal]

So sorry for your loss. We all came to love Pearl.
Thank you for sharing her with us.