Sad news: C1 has died

We're in Spain on holiday with friends and today got a very sad phone call. Our darling C1 chicken died in her sleep. Roger, the "animal uncle" who house sits and looks after everyone called this afternoon with the terrible news.



C1 was a lovely chicken. She, along with C2, inducted us into the ways of Hen... an important learning for our eventual move to Amherst. She was the first to lay, she even laid an egg in the box that she was delivered in! She was like clockwork too, laying lovely little brown speckled eggs that tasted divine.

C1 had a big character and warm personality. She loved being around people and had a full range of chirrups for every occasion. She taught C2 how to eat redcurrants, jumping up like on a pogo stick to get them from the bush. She taught C2 how to find slugs hidden under the leaves of plants. C1 was a very special chicken and we are glad to have known her even only for the few years.

We knew she was getting elderly as she had stopped laying entirely this year except for the occasional one or two a month, never having started up after the winter moult. We'd hoped she would be with us for longer, but it was not to be.

C1 was, we think, around 4-5 years old and she certainly had a very happy life while with us. It doesn't seem long but for a chicken I think is a reasonable innings. We will have her cremated and she can come to Amherst with us when we finally get to move there and have a memorial stone and bush planted in her honour, like all our other little ones who've passed on.

Rest in peace darling C1, I hope you are somewhere now with lots of marmite toast, raisons, spaghetti and pizza to eat to your heart's content.