It has been a very cruel week.  We lost our beautiful hen, Minnie, on Monday and then dear old Alice died yesterday.  She’d been ill for some time but had made a recovery and we’d hoped she was going to be okay but she went downhill rapidly, losing her appetite and her ability to balance.

When we first brought Alice home last February, she was completely bald and very pale but she had a curious nature which meant she was often the first to discover things about her new home.

She was also our star layer – producing the biggest eggs I’ve ever seen!

During the last month, we kept her in the house at night and often during the day too when it was raining.  She was very docile but occasionally liked to have a little wander around, chattering away if you spoke to her.

And here she is enjoying the garden last weekend.  She was very weak here but managed to enjoy a rare moment of sunshine one evening.

So we’ve lost a third of our little flock in one week.  I still can’t believe it.  I was warned that ex-bat hens don’t last long because they’ve been worked so hard before they’re retired but I do wish they’d had had a little longer with us.