We lost our darling Winnie earlier this week. She’d been slowly slipping away from us for some time.

Winnie – one of our ‘Thrush Green’ girls named after characters from the novels by Miss Read – came home with us in May 2014 with her ‘sisters’ Agnes, Ella and Violet.

She was a bright, sparky girl who immediately embraced her new free-ranging life.

And it didn’t take her long to regrow all her feathers and turn a beautiful pale gold.

Winnie had a strong personality and was particularly bossy when we introduced our new flock in August, putting the new girls firmly in their place.

But she was slowing down dramatically, taking little naps in the day and needing a helping hand to get into the coop each evening.

We’re going to miss you, darling Winnie. You made us smile and laugh and we’ll love you forever!