A couple of weeks ago Mildred started looking a little unwell. Nothing specific, just slower, less boisterous. Her comb shrank, and started looking purple and dry. We spoke to the vet on the phone and they confirmed what I feared - that it was some kind of heart condition, impossible to treat in a chicken, and that she was likely living her last few days. Mildred and her old pal Maud started coming inside for afternoon naps. They were the final two of our original chickens, the other two, Hermione and Luna, having been killed by a stoat over a year ago. Mildred was still pottering round with the others, but she was definitely getting slower. On Monday, she looked very stiff and old, and we took her to the vets to check that our diagnosis was right, and that there really was nothing we could do for her. Sadly there wasn't, so I spent the week out in the sunshine on the swing seat with her snoozing nearby, and the others pottering around too. On Thursday morning she didn't come out of the hen house, although she seemed ok when we carried her to her usual spot by my chair, and later got up and walked over for a drink. By the evening though she looked very tired, and even refused a worm that Peter had dug up for her (we did manage to tempt her with a tiny bit of sponge cake though). On Friday morning she could barely lift her head, and we knew it was time. While we were waiting for the vet to call back, she lay in the sunshine, and Maud stood with her, bowing her head and making soft clucking noises. The vet was very kind (and didn't laugh at me for crying over a chicken). Of course we couldn't go into the consulting room given the current situation, but Mildred was never one for a cuddle anyway, and by that point I don't think she knew where she was anyway. We buried her under the fruit trees where we buried Herminone and Luna, in what has become affectionately known as the Memorial Windbreak. Anyway, this is all very sad, and I came in here to write something cheerful about Mildred's life, not just to be miserable about her death (which, as chicken deaths go, wasn't a bad one). Mildred came to us on 2nd September 2018, along with Maud, Hermione and Luna, all named after witches in children's books (Harry Potter, and The Worst Witch). We got them from the British Hen Welfare Trust, who rehome chickens from commercial egg farms when they have outlived their 'usefulness'. They were our first chickens, and we were quite daunted. Mildred wasn't daunted at all - she strode around the place pecking the others, head held high despite her lack of feathers. We always suspected that Maud was in charge, but that Mildred did all the on-the-ground work of crowd control. We never saw Maud peck anyone, but also nobody ever pecked Maud, not even Mildred. Mildred was definitely second in command though, and was always willing to dole out a swift peck for a minor infraction. She mellowed a bit after those first few weeks, but never lost her haughty look. When a stoat sneaked into the hen house and killed Hemione and Luna, Mildred and Maud were traumatised, and came to live in our house for three weeks while we nursed them back to health and fortified their run. I feel like we bonded with them a bit more then, as we gradually encouraged them to eat, and to get back outside. I'm not sure they were too impressed when we brought home our three new chickens a few weeks later, but gradually they settled down and became a happy little flock (with Mildred still doling out the occasional much-needed peck, of course). Mildred was a dignified chicken, no silly flapping or ungainly jumping like the younger ones, and I confess I did laugh a little bit when she once jumped into the leaf collection and couldn't get back out (I didn't laugh much though, as she gave me a very stern look). Before she came to us, Mildred didn't live in a cage like our younger chickens, she was a barn hen. Barn eggs apparently make up only about 1% of the total of eggs consumed in the UK - caged eggs provide cheaper eggs of course, and it seems that people concerned about welfare will go for free range. Here are a few pictures of hens in a barn system (from an industry publication, so this isn't 'worst case scenario'). The hens do have places to perch and lay, but they never have access to the outside, and may be living with 10,000 other hens.
Mildred had longer with us than she had in the barn, and for that I'll always be thankful. Strut on, beaky pal.
2 Comments
Mum
11/4/2020 02:19:04 pm
What a lovely tribute to Mildred! 😢 xx
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TDQKaren
14/4/2020 03:40:54 pm
I am sure Mildred had a lovely life with you and her pals RIP Mildred
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Hello!Sit down and make yourself comfortable. I'm Jenni, and I write here about our new foray into country living, which includes growing food, knitting, baking, wandering around the fields, and seeing which local cafe serves the best cake. Categories
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