Then There Were Five....

Russell Crowe started off with six wives/concubines.

Now he has five.

Duncan found Mildred, one of our older girls, had passed away in her nest overnight on Monday morning.  We're not sure if she was sick or just old, but Duncan said he noticed she didn't appear well for a day or so prior.  It took some time for me to figure out whether it was Mildred or Eglantine who had passed on - they look so alike!

The other hens have been grieving for Mildred, taking turns to go into the shed, peer into the box where she slept, and make high-pitched screeching sounds when they see the nest is empty.  Last night when I shut them in the shed, I saw that Eglantine and Russell were snuggling together on the perch.  So cute!

Unfortunately we can't bury Mildred with Maya hanging around.  Duncan had to take her body out into the bush so Maya won't bring it up to the house as a 'surprise'.  Like most dogs, Maya has a fetish for the dirty and the smelly.  Once she found a sheep's leg bone by the side of the road while we were on a walk (probably left there by a fox), and it had a hoof still attached.  She brought it to me, and I told her, "Yurrrrrk, get rid of it!"

I will miss my chooky.  We won't replace her.  Not with the move to Kojonup so close, and with us already inundated with eggs.

RIP Mildred.