Sigh, I think we may be losing our 10 year old BR*Update~she's gone: (

[Henrietta23]

She has slowed way down this week. She is eating but just kind of stands around near the waterer. She's not drinking excessively. That just seems to be where she spends her day. She looks sleepy if that makes any sense. She's at least 10 if not a little older. She also seems to be having trouble getting into the coop and hops up into one of the duck houses instead. The ducks don't care for that so we take her out and put her in the coop.
I can't believe she's lived as long as she has. I'll miss her even if she's never been a chummy sort of bird. I'm just used to seeing her you know?

 

[speckledhen]

I understand what you mean. Each of my girls, even if not the most cuddly, has a personality unique to her. I hope that if she is passing, she will go peacefully. Thats a ripe old age for a chicken these days.

 

[Chicky Joy]

Oh my gosh, how long can a chicken live? I didn't think they could live to be ten.

 

[seminolewind]

Oh man, I am getting all choked up just reading this. If she goes, I hope she just passes in her sleep.
I know how hard it is when a pet is there for so long and then gone. But at 10 years old, it sounds like you have given her a great life so far. Try to find comfort in that.

 

[Ugly Cowboy]

Woah, a 10 year old chicken! Sounds like yall done a good job with her, I didnt know they could live that long...

 

[Lunachick]

Obviously you took good care of her, and I'm sure she appreciates that you did.

 

[SpottedCrow]

I have to agree with everyone else...
Even when Obelisk goes, who I swear has gone feral, I'll miss her as much as I miss Penny, Slifer, Jerry and Tom.

 

[sweetshoplady]

Sounds like she's a grand lady hen. Do you have a picture of her?

 

[Harley's girl]

Aww,

you have given her a good LONG life, she was blessed to have an owner like you. Kudos to you for taking such good care of her. :aww

 

[Henrietta23]

Thanks everyone. I'm afraid to open the coop in the mornings lately. She has had a good life here. She chose it! She belonged to my nextdoor neighbor when he was in HS. He got the McMurray box of 25 chicks, 12 RIRs and 12 BRs, one rooster but I never knew which he was. He shot the rooster as soon as it started crowing. The pullets started disappearing one by one. Don't know if he was eating them or what. Soon he was down to 2 hens, Rocky and her Red sister Lucy. They kept finding a way either over or under the fence that separates our yards. At first we'd put them back in their own yard but they'd never stay. They wanted to be with our hens. Seems they liked being a part of a big family? Who knows. I only had 3 or 4 hens then. Soon we realized this kid wasn't locking the little lean-to shelter he'd built for them and was leaving the door open all night. One night we couldn't find them to put back over the fence. In the morning I could hear them. They were in the bush outside our bedroom window making those morning chicken noises! They had roosted in the branches under cover of thick rhododendron leaves. We figured at this point the kid didn't care about the chickens one way or another so that night we put them in with our own. (NOW I know to quarantine. Then I had no idea and by then, they'd been intermingling anyway.) The next night they went in with ours on their own. Lucy lived a couple of years. Both had great laying careers. We tried to name Rocky Ethel to go with Lucy but it never stuck. Our only other BR had been named Rocky so this one just naturally became Rocky II. I'm sure I've got pictures somewhere. These days she's such a ragamuffin I'd be embarassed to post a current picture!