RIP Pumpkin

Our lovely girl Pumpkin fell off the perch last night - literally. I found her face down this morning in the straw. It's very strange - it doesn't look like her neck is broken and I can't see any harm that she's come to other than the obvious fact that she is dead. My poor girl, what happened? I wonder if I should take her to the vet to just check that she wasn't sick. She has been laying like a trooper, active and happy. No signs of lethargy like Violet had at the end. I've felt her crop and it isn't too full, doesn't seem compacted. Why would a perfectly healthy chicken just die? M. thinks she might have fallen down while asleep and hit her head on the way. It's possible, I guess. I know she had a good life but I'll miss my little friend. RIP Pumpkin. You were a good chicken and we loved you.

A few days old

 Here she is, little poppet, the day I brought her home. I went to the produce store to get grain for the girls, and feeling rather clucky myself, came home with this little ball of fluff just sitting on my lap in the car! Serial broody Fluffy was in her fourth month of sitting on an empty nest so I thought I'd put her out of her misery. Despite all I'd read about putting chicks under hens at night so they accept them, I just strode out the back and presented her to Fluffy, whose response was to cluck excitedly, lift her breast and let the little one run under her and settle down. Here they are, very content together on their first day:

 

First day home

As the weeks went past, Fluffy showed herself to be a pretty good mum after the fiasco with Friday. It was a delight to watch them together.

 Learning to preen

Finding her wings

Being the youngest, she got picked on a fair bit and was never very far from her Mum. When Fluffy started laying again she would stand on top of the layer box until she was done.

Sticking close to Mum

Of all the girls Pumpkin was the only one who ever got up on my lap which was strange because she was also really flighty at other times. Ever curious about what we were doing, she would fly up onto the garage window and come visit me while I was working.

Whachyadoin'?

It's hard to explain to people who dont have chickens what distinct personalities they have. Each one is different and you get used to their funny little ways. It will be strange not having her in the hen house.

Goodbye friend, we'll miss you. Thanks for being part of our lives and for giving us lots of lovely eggs and entertaining us.

Pumpkin (Nov 2008 - Jan 2012)