Today is a bit of a sad day. When we moved up here to the cottage, one of the highlights for me was that we inherited the owners last chicken, Henny Penny. She was very timid at first but within a week I had her eating out of my hand, she was a real character and used to follow you around the garden, over that first summer here she was my best friend. She roosted in the stables and we were amazed that nothing had attacked her in the night but she survived right through the winter. We then added to the collection this Spring but she chose to keep her own little house in the stables, so we let her. She has probably been a lot safer since we got Chrissie the dog, as she also sleeps out in the stables at night, almost a bit like a chicken body guard. Well, for the last couple of nights I have let Chrissie sleep in the house as it's been sooooo cold, and to be frank I just didn't really fancy going out into the cold of the night to put her to bed. But, through my laziness, poor Henny Penny is no longer there, she wasn't there when I went to let the others out this morning and there is a rather suspicious pile of feathers just outside the stables door, I can't believe that she's no longer around. It would a delight if she suddenly appeared as she has been known to wander, but I really don't think that is going to happen today. What shall I do without my little Henny Penny? :o(
7 comments:
Oh dear it sounds as if Foxy Loxy has been a callin, keep a careful eye on your other chickens now he knows it's worth a visit.
So sorry about Henny Penny that was also our last surviving bantams' name. As you know our rescue hens will be arriving in a little under a month, fortunately we don't have a fox problem at the moment but we do have to be careful of a very large tom cat who liked to sit on the henhouse licking his lips until one of our own cats would chase him off.
I'm feeling awful Carolyn, I found her little half eaten body this morning.When I went back to bury it it'd gone, so what ever took her came back to get the rest. It could well have been a fox, stoat or a weasel, plus we've had problems with mink over the summer too with being beside the burn. She was the only one who insisted on roosting in an un-enclosed house so it's amazing she's lasted this long, she had had a good life. I do miss her though.
Hope the big tom cat stays away from your rescue girls once you get them, that's the last thing they need to see!
Oh Lisa - I'm so sorry.
I have deliberately not become as attached to our present batch of chickens as I was distraught when the last lot was eaten. They also used to follow me around as a source of worms.
I think that these dark evenings are dangerous as it is easy to still be away from home at chicken-shutting-up-time if it is before half five.
Fingers crossed for the rest of your brood,
J
Oh Lisa I'm so sorry to hear about poor dear Henny Penny. But it sounds like she had a lovely time living with you and she got to sleep every night just where she wanted. She probably felt very superior to the other hens. Not a bad life for a Henny Penny.
Oh dear, I think I would be very bad at keeping chickens as I'm sure I'd get totally attached to all of them and give them all names. Hope whatever it was that got her stays away. x
Very sorry to read about your poor little Henny. It must have been a terrible thing to find.
Just found your delightful blog this morning. Oh, I am very sorry for your loss of Henny Penny, but so glad I found you. Here's to a happier day.
Poor chicken...I had 5 chickens when I was a kid. All specials. One of them, a rooster lived 13 years. Beautiful one. The first chicken used to lay eggs every day behind the living room door. My mom would make a room for her, with rags. Funny, it was the only place she laid her eggs!
Sorry about yours...here in Arizona the coyotes attact the chickens...
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