RIP Danni Hen

This is how she carried her broken right leg

Yesterday Danni the Hen was put to death.  She had previously broken her leg, but it appeared to be healing well.  Then yesterday when I came home and ran into the infirmary coop to check on her, I found her sprauled oddly on the floor, cold to he touch, even though she was under a heat light, and moaning terribly in pain.  She must have fallen on the leg and re-broken it.  I think she was in shock. It was time.

I had been working with the chicken, bringing her in the house, feeding her treats every day.  She'd have other friendly hens visit her inside her coop - Jade spent a lot of time with her.  (But she had no visitors when she somehow re-hurt herself yesterday).  She was able to get around by hopping.  She wasn't in any obvious pain.  She enjoyed tasting various foods.  She taught me that chickens have a sense of taste.  She'd taste every new food by licking it with her tounge, if she liked it she'd eat, if not, there was no way I could get it into her beak.  She liked cooked spinach, surprisingly enough.  She liked her grains - bread, cereal, oatmeal.  She liked green beans and of course corn and brocolli.  She didn't like tomatoes.  She was moody - in certain moods her tastes varied.  When she was happy she'd sing little soft songs.  She wasn't a loud bird, she was a very gentle, quiet bird.     

Danni loved to be rubbed under her wattle and she really loved a good back-of-the-neck massage.  The stepstool was put beside her to help her balance.  She learned to lean on the stepstool.  The napkin is under her butt because she never pooped when she was sitting beside her stool eating or hanging with me.  She's always jump up and run off to go poop.  I quickly learned to put a napkin under her butt.

Danni had a hard life, with her broken toe, broken neck, then broken leg.  She must have had weak bones.  I think we may have a daughter of Danni's - we hatched our own eggs last year.  Jade, Genny, Nutty or Cinnamon could be daughters of Danni.  But none of them are as sweet as Danni.  None of them have her exact personality.  None of them ever broke any bones, either.  Poor Danni Hen.

Rest in Peace, Danni Hen.

Oct 13, 2009 - Dec 8, 2011