Ode to Old Hens... Pictures of the Seniors in Our Flock

[SilkiesForEver]

This is my first post, but not my first visit to this site. I have had chickens for about 5 years now. Today one of my oldest hens is dying. I seen this thread and just thought I'd share a bit about her. She is the most gentle chicken I have ever had. She is probably about 6 or so. She was full grown when I got her. Lately she has not been going up on her roost at night, so I made her a special place under the nest boxes with plenty of straw. This morning I went in and she was laying on her side, on the ground. Last night was one of our colder nights. She was still alive so I grabbed a towel and wrapped her up and carried her with me while I fed the barn animals. She seemed to like that, I'm sure the warmth was appreciated. I took her inside with me and put her in a nice fresh box of hay, where she is now. There is no doubt she is dying and will probably be gone soon. I have found raising chickens to be so much different than I ever thought it would be. I never thought I would become emotionally attached to these beautiful birds, but I am. They are so full of personality and so different from each other. Little White has hatched out two groups of chicks. The last being about 4 months ago. She was so determined on this batch and she hatched out two. Once they started getting old enough to roam on their own she seemed to have empty nest sydrom. But yesterday the sun came out for a bit and the three of them were sunning together! It was nice to see. I have always done natural hatching and have never had a problem with any of the flock accepting the new chicks. Little White will be my first to go from old age and it is just a bit hard letting go this morning. Good bye to a sweet gentle girl who is well loved!
Thanks for letting me share!

g

Oh I'm sorry. She seems like such a sweet girl. Its always so very hard to lose one we love.

 

[elsfieldchickens]

 

[speckledhen]

In the last few weeks, we've lost both Barbara and Fern. Seems way too soon since they were the younger hens in that pen along with Tiny, who moved in that coop along with my black Rock, Emily. The other old hens are still kicking, though.

I have to tell you a story about 6 year old Gypsy that happened today. DH was in the old hens' pen and Tiny was being the terrorist she usually is when he is ignoring her, so she pecked him repeatedly, then proceeded to flog his leg. He saw Gypsy across the pen and yelled, "Gypsy! Tiny's hurting Daddy! Help, Gypsy!". That old gal immediately zoomed across the pen and attacked Tiny, thunking her in the head and drove her away from hubby, then Panda took up the torch and chased Tiny into the pen extension and gave her a sound thrashing. They don't tolerate Tiny messing with their special guy. Of course, then Gypsy had to be picked up and cuddled as a reward. She loves attention, that old girl.

Gypsy, who'll turn 7 in November.

 

[Heidizzybean]

What lovely old girls you have Speckled Hen.

Oh and this is 4 Love of Baby Chickens - lost my old password
for my other account so I made a new one. I lost my old Ameraucana
hen Marshmallow last summer to a fox. Oh she was the sweetest and
prettiest hen in the whole world!!! I sure miss her. The oldest hen I have
right now is 6 years old; and she is raising 8 baby chickens right now.

-Heidizzybean

 

[speckledhen]

What lovely old girls you have Speckled Hen.

Oh and this is 4 Love of Baby Chickens - lost my old password
for my other account so I made a new one. I lost my old Ameraucana
hen Marshmallow last summer to a fox. Oh she was the sweetest and
prettiest hen in the whole world!!! I sure miss her. The oldest hen I have
right now is 6 years old; and she is raising 8 baby chickens right now.

-Heidizzybean

Thank you! I'm so sorry about Marshmallow! That must really hurt. My friends have lost many to predators but I've been very, very lucky so far living in Predator Central as I do.

Gypsy hasn't shown any broody tendencies at all. Neither has Snow, though Nora did raise one batch of chicks in her almost 6 years of life. My oldest EE hen, June, is going on 6 years old and has never been broody, but Maretta, who is 1/2 BW Ameraucana and 1/2 EE, is raising her 3rd set of chicks now. She'll be 3 next month. Panda has raised only one bunch of chicks, too, never been broody since then. I wonder how many hens only go broody once in their lives. Panda's blue Ameraucana mother was also Gypsy's mother and she was never broody, either, but that smart girl sure faked it to keep the rooster away from her on occasion. It was a hoot to watch her, LOL. When he was gone, she'd de-fluff and run to me to hold her.

P.S. if you want your other account back, a moderator can fix that password for you without knowing your old one.

 

[memphis]

Loving the older hen pictures & stories! They are all so special!!

 

[speckledhen]

Loving the older hen pictures & stories! They are all so special!!

Thank you! I'm glad others like hearing the stories about my old ladies. They sure are special to us.

 

[rancher hicks]

This is my Frenchy. She's an original from Ideal Hatchery and the only one left of that 25. February 22, 2008. 6 yrs old and I just saw her in the nest box. I'm not sure but I think she's laying again. I'm getting a very small egg, so I'm thinking it's her. Sometimes she likes to sleep in the nest box and being as she's 6 and a favorite I let her.

 

[rancher hicks]

Yeah I think Frenchy is laying again and her daughter Buckwheat she's 4 or 5.

 

[memphis]

Frenchy is a cutie!! And still laying eggs! What a girl!!