Betty slipped away very peacefully last night, despite syringe feeds and antibiotics, whatever was wrong with her was too much. She was always a seemingly weak chicken, with us not sure whether she would make it through the first few days with us three years ago. Where we got the chickens from offered to have her back from us and give us a replacement, but she had already found a place in our hearts, and we gave her a chance with us. For that first year she was blighted with sterile egg peritonitis, so she tended to have two weeks laying, then two weeks off whilst looking sorry for herself. But things settled down for her, and she would follow me around the garden making these lovely chirruping noises. She was a shy bird, and never far away from Hetty, they were inseperable.
Hetty would lead her into mischief, such as this adventure into the kitchen! Betty gave us our first egg, and I can remember one time when she had been unwell, and then started laying again, she came strutting out the henhouse throwing bits of straw over her back as if in celebration.
She is now resting in her favourite dustbathing spot at the bottom of the garden. Hetty is lost without her, and I've resorted to sitting in the garden to keep her company, as she was getting really agitated earlier. We will now have to look at rehoming Hetty, she needs to share her life with feathered friends, and we have decided that we will not be getting any more chickens, for the foreseeable future.
Rest in peace Betty. I hold some very fond memories of you. xx
