Brown Hen was initially one in every of 5 chickens that we stored at our house within the Scottish countryside. However chickens don’t stay lengthy, and over time our flock dwindled till solely she was left. Having lived within the shadow of the others, someplace close to the underside of the pecking order, Brown Hen now took the possibility to return into her personal.
Hens are social creatures and we questioned how lengthy she would final with out firm. We solely ever known as her Brown Hen or “the hen” to keep away from getting too hooked up. However within the absence of different chickens, she adopted a brand new flock: us.
Whereas the earlier chickens had proven curiosity in people solely when there was meals on supply, and grudgingly tolerated us the remainder of the time, Brown Hen started to observe us round and inveigle herself into any out of doors actions that we bought as much as. She notably appreciated it if we have been digging or planting, and would interpose herself between the spade and the bottom to research no matter had been dug up. On heat evenings, if we have been sitting out, she would hop up on to a free chair and quiet down fairly fortunately.
She should have thought of herself a totally fledged member of the family, and was all the time upset when she was not allowed into the home. She had a behavior of sitting on the window, gazing longingly in at us and searching as pathetic as attainable within the hope that we’d relent.
For some time she additionally befriended the native pheasants, who wandered into the backyard from the woods. All in all, she led what appeared an idyllic little life. Ultimately, although, a pine marten moved into the realm and the pheasants disappeared, as did all of the neighbours’ hens, one after the other, because the beast broke into their coops and ate them.
We did our greatest to bolster Brown Hen’s sleeping space. However pine martens discover methods of getting in all over the place, and we braced ourselves for the worst. Remarkably, although, it by no means did handle to enter her coop, regardless of making a concerted effort. It left critical tooth and claw marks on the door, an expertise that should have proved fairly terrifying for the hen inside.
However Brown Hen was spared, and in the long run she achieved a uncommon feat for a rustic hen: she died of previous age. Having slowed down in her last months, changing into much less energetic in her countless searches for meals, she died peacefully one evening in her sleep. In a neighbourhood the place hens’ lives are sometimes minimize brutally quick by predators, she had been a survivor.
What had led her to stay so lengthy? I questioned if it was right down to the truth that she had by no means laid an egg in her life. Earlier flocks had supplied day by day batches of two or three, typically resulting in gluts in the event that they have been notably productive. However our Brown Hen laid no eggs, and was fed and sheltered by us all the identical. Maybe this was the key of her longevity?
I nonetheless miss our little hen, who got here bustling over every time we opened the door. Possibly at some point we’ll get new birds, however she has left huge sneakers to fill.
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