The big and hard lessons

It's such a sad day today. We're losing our speckled hen, Spotty. The meds helped for a bit and she was active for the last few days, pecking and scratching, though the swelling never went down all the way and her bad eye never reopened. But since yesterday she's taken such a turn for the worse and the other hens are beating her up without mercy.

I took her out to enjoy the fall sunshine but she's too weak to even hold up her head. The kids are saying good-bye with typical kid questions on their minds. Incredulous that there just isn't anything we could or should be doing, other than making her comfortable and giving her company. Those are the hard days. This has been a hard chicken year for us.

We will miss Spotty. I've always kept one Speckled Sussex, this is technically Spotty III. In my experience they're beautiful, personable and reliable layers, except when they get broody, which they all did. One day, I would love to let one sit on fertile eggs, it seems like speckled hens would make excellent mothers. Happy thoughts for another day.