We got Poppy Chicken in November last year, one of a gang of three rescues we collectively named The Troublemakers. Poppy didn't seem able to stand when we got her home, and although she otherwise seemed cheerful enough, we still worried. Fortunately, we were able to ring the British Hen Welfare Trust advice line, who told us that often, when chickens are rehomed from factory farms, their legs can sometimes be damaged in the process of removing from cages into crates for transporting to rescue centres. We were advised to put her on 'cage rest' for a couple of days - shutting her into a dog crate with her own food and water, so she could see the others, but they weren't competing for food. Poppy was bright, and keen to eat, and on the morning of the third day we went into the run and found her standing. There was never any sign of a bad leg again after that. Poppy was full of mischief, and in many ways she reminded us of Rusty Chicken, who we'd lost not long before she arrived. She was friendly and fun, and always up to some kind of mischief. Poppy was curious, and was the only chicken to have ever jumped on the table and stuck her beak in the sugar bowl. She seemed poorly once, and we booked a vets appointment, only for her to make a miraculous recovery on the day of our visit. We took her anyway as a precaution, and she charmed the vet, jumping onto the scales by herself, and peeking through her legs as the vet was examining her. Poppy took well to free range life, and loved a nap. She always felt comfortable hanging out with us, and would often have a snooze on a blanket in the garden. I once looked out of the window and spied her on the swing seat, swinging away happily all by herself. In early November, we planned a trip to a friend's wedding - the first time we'd ever been away from the chickens for more than one night. My sister was coming to stay with them as Treats Provider. I'd picked up a friend from the airport who was coming with us to the wedding, and as we were showing him around the garden, we found Poppy lying dead by a wall near the house, with Sunshine standing over her. We don't know what happened. She'd shown no signs of being ill, and had been pottering around happily with the others. There was no sign of a flurry of feathers, and the others weren't harmed, so it wasn't a fox, although after a frantic search Budgie and Bessie were found in their house so they must have been startled by something. We think there was a stoat - they're common here, and Poppy had a wound to her neck, but it would be unusual for a stoat to attack a full grown chicken in broad daylight, especially when there is plenty of other food around. It's possible she collapsed for another reason, and a stoat just happened to be passing after. We'll never know, and it was very sad. Our friend had to attend his first (and hopefully last) chicken funeral, and it did put a dampener on the start of our holiday. We asked my sister to keep the others shut in the run while we were away, and the avian flu lockdown came into force a couple of days after that, so that was the last time they were out. I've never been much of a believer in the afterlife, but I'm comforted to think there's one for chickens. So Poppy Chicken is now in the Great Dust Bath in the Sky, along with Bunty and Bonny who we lost earlier this year, Rusty, Beaky and Chippy who we lost in 2021, Mildred and Maud in 2020, and Hermione and Luna in 2019. So fly free, little Poppy-o. I'm glad you got a year free with us, a whole summer of delightful wandering around the fields with your pals, eating worms, digging up the garden, preening on the sofa, and causing general chaos. We're down to three chickens now, and while (touch wood) they all seem well, it does seem rather precariously small for a flock. We despaired for a while, but fortunately the British Hen Welfare Trust has started rehoming again (with appropriate avian flu restrictions of course) so we've put ourselves down for a couple of new ladies in January. We miss all the ones we've lost, of course, but we're looking forward to giving a home to a couple more soon.
1 Comment
Mum
23/12/2022 10:30:08 pm
What a lovely tribute to Poppy chicken🐔x
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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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