Dear Mom,
On March 26 , Golda was buried under the maple tree in the backyard. She would have been 4 years old in
August. Her death was not a surprise, as
her health had been declining for many months.
It is my belief that she had ovarian tumors, but I'll never know for
sure.
As her outlook worsened, I made
the decision to allow her to remain in the coop with her sisters rather than move
her into a hospital cage. To my
surprise, Marge and Gloria allowed her to keep her positon at the top of the
pecking order.
As Golda grew weary and reclusive, her sisters lovingly
tended to her. The day before Golda
died, I watched as Marge cleaned off Golda's beak and straightened her feathers. The following morning, Marge and Gloria
remained in the coop with her lifeless body.
Golda was my Blog Star!
She was the first to lay an egg (on Christmas Eve!) and later produced
the much-talked-about giant egg.
She loved tomatoes. She lurked in the shadows as we harvested, waiting for the chance to grab a cherry tomato!
She was quirky and silly.
She was bossy and strong-willed.
She had the biggest and floppiest comb!
She wore a purple sweater.
If anyone ever tells you that chickens are stupid, don’t believe
it for a second! Chickens are
inquisitive and interesting little creatures with intelligence and personality. I have witnessed a social structure, communication, and distinct personalities among my backyard chickens.
Love,
Bonnie Jo
