May 8th

Sadly our morning began with

one less hen.

Yesterday, our girl Pepper died.

We aren't sure of the cause, but she was

having a lot of trouble breathing when

we saw her.

The CEO picked her up and we examined

her for any trauma.

Outwardly, she was fine,

just couldn't breathe.

I checked for any obstruction, but none was there.

I noticed her heart was beating more slowly than usual.

It's weird that I noticed some distinctly

human actions when facing the reality of death.

She was found way away from the

other girls, near our fence, lying down.

It was almost as if she knew and went off to be alone.

Her wattle and comb were pale pink,

and her legs and feet were pale yellow.

Probably from lack of oxygen.

Her eyes kept closing with the effort to breathe.

Then, while the CEO held her,

she passed away.

It was easy, like she fell asleep.

I'm posting a few pictures of her that we love. 

She loved to be around people.

I guess she thought of us as part of her flock.

Always curious.

This is the last picture of all 5 together.

I know she was "only" a chicken.

To us she was a pet.

Whenever a loss like this occurs

you still grieve,

you still feel the loss.

I think the other girls miss her too.

When Sandy and Henny were killed 

by the racoon, the others milled

around and were in a general listless state for a while.

I can't really know how a chicken feels,

but I can attest to what I've observed.

I seemed that when they went into the coop last night,

they clucked and coo'd like they were

calling out to Pepper to come home.

But,

this morning when I let them out of the coop,

they resumed foraging as usual.

Maybe that's a life lesson...

It's not about forgetting,

it's about embracing the future.

Life is continually evolving and changing

and somehow our little flock

takes everything in stride.

So,

as a tribute to Pepper,

I'll share some special treats with the girls

and "toast' her memory.

Seems like the right thing to do

and,

I don't think she'd have wanted it any other way