A Post for Penny - Wednesday 26th March 2014

Good Morning Friends,

Today's post is written with a heavy heart, because yesterday we lost our beautiful Buff Orpington hen, Penny...

Many of you were already my blog friends when we brought her home for the first time, along with our Speckledy, Lacey - to join our girls Bella and Cara. All four hens are looked on as quite robust breeds, expected to live a good number of years (our lovely Bluebelle, Buffy was 5), but it was soon clear that Penny, had major problems in the egg producing area and we only ever had about five normal eggs from her and somehow, I knew that we wouldn't have her for as long as we would expect.

Baby Penny on her first day in the garden, August 2012 aged 12 weeks

She had her little operation last year and had been fine ever since; Tom and I keep the hens as pets, we aren't bothered by how many eggs we get and to be honest, I was happy as long as Penny wasn't laying, because whenever she did it stressed her. She showed signs of being poorly at the weekend, but she was still eating and looking good - there was just something not right. I was home on Monday and she seemed better again: I checked her for obvious signs such as being egg bound, but all seemed ok. Yesterday morning she didn't want to come out of the nest box, so I took her out whilst I did my daily clean, gave her a nice long cuddle and put her back, leaving water and the lamp on. I can tell you that yesterday at work was hard, because I just knew what I was going to come home to...

I've never shared this on here before, but I do get times when I feel very low. I have lived with it since I was a teenager and never let it overcome me; it has occurred a bit more often since we lost my Mum in 2007, but having the hens with their funny little characters and antics in the garden is a massive boost to your wellbeing. Of all our hens, Penny, our big bundle of honey coloured feathers was the biggest 'therapy' of all.

If I sat on the bench in the garden, she would come up alongside, look up, jiggle up and down and I would pick her up and cuddle her - she would happily sit on my lap for as long as we both wanted. Any of the others could have just jumped up, but Penny was too big for jumping.

helping me choose a blog candi winner last summer

Just last week, on my birthday I was playing about with 'selfies'..

She was bottom of the pecking order, with Lacey next..Bella and Cara will peck Lacey if she annoys them, but she doesn't care and just comes bouncing back. I noticed quite early on that they didn't bother to peck Penny much, she just stayed out of trouble and minded her own business.

So, Penny, I want to thank you for all those cuddles and the immense pleasure you gave us in your short life. I hope you are now at the Rainbow Bridge, scratching away happily with our other girls, Buffy, Willow and Martha..sleep peacefully Babygirl

Penny, June 2012 - March 2014

Sorry for such a sad post today, but I know that you have all followed my hens and their garden antics with me, thank you for stopping by,

Love and hugs,
Carole X

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