Goodbye Sammy

I remember the day we brought Sammy and Soma home. Here is the link of the first days.

http://sewingseedsandgiggles.blogspot.com/2012/11/chicken-day.html

http://sewingseedsandgiggles.blogspot.com/2012/12/chickens-and-boys-on-roam.html

http://sewingseedsandgiggles.blogspot.com/2013/05/chicken-coop-remodel.html

Sammy was the most gentle chicken.  She did not mind if the boys carried her around the yard.  They could make a roost for her anywhere, place her there, and she would stay and keep them company.  Just a couple of weeks ago a neighbor stopped to talk and my eldest propped her on top of a tricycle inside the wagon.  Our neighbor thought is was the sweetest thing that our chickens were tame and did not mind being carried.  Sammy was a bit unusual. She was raised by the gentlest family I know and loved dearly by my little boys.  She was 4 years old.

Sammy was the lead chicken for some time.

Sammy's first days with us

feeding Sammy

This week we said a long good bye to her.
She was amongst 6 boys on Tuesday at play group.  I was talking with another mother and she was only in my periphery.  Then another mother told me that she had thrown up.
The poor thing.  I lifted and examined her.  I could not tell if anything was hurt. She was calm and did not seem to be harmed.  I put her away in the coop.  Right where I placed her she stayed for 24hours.  She did not move to eat or drink. The next afternoon we gave her a space all her own with a soft bed, and water and food she could reach without moving.  My boys gathered greens for her and pet her comb.   Her back started to look arched and I suspected that was the cause of her distress.  I explained to the boys that Sammy was dying and we just needed to make her comfortable.  My eldest insisted I get her medicine and that we nurse her back to health.  It was somewhat heartbreaking.  I was not going to take Sammy to the vet.  I've been trying to figure out for a year how I was going to oust the oldest two birds.  The boys did not want them to be for stew. They were their first pets...
So I quietly asks friends the best way to put her out of her misery.  We left the door to the cage open just in case a fox would like to have an easy dinner and take care of the misery for us.
Each morning I was surprised to see her. We refilled her water.  She hadn't eaten any food.
On Saturday  the boys and I dug a deep hole between our blueberry bushes.  I explained that when Sammy died we would bury her in the hole, say a prayer, and she would go to the earth and heaven.
My eldest was ready to put her in right away.  It was a good transition to acceptance for him.
Then I went to my serving job and it was too late (1:20am) to put her in the feed bag with a hole cut for head and my tree loppers.  I said before I went to sleep, "Tomorrow I will..."
Upon awakening, I looked out the window at the cage and it was empty. I put my boots on and inspected the yard.  No signs of distress, no feathers, no Sammy.
I explained to the boys that a fox must have had her for his dinner.  They were OK with that.
The hole was a mud haven for much fun the following day, yet to be filled in.
Goodbye Sammy, thank you for blessing our family with eggs, cuddles, and love.