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just keeled over and snuffed it today. we've had her 22 months since POL.

is this normal?

bloody inconsiderate - she'd been "resting" and hadn't laid since early november and we've been feeding her all this time !

Thought we'd lost our Sussex this week too... but she came back after a wild night out somewhere. Think Chicken Run - "has she gone on a holiday?" well yes.

Sorry about your hen Dave. In my limited experience with my own, and from reading about other people's experiences on forums, then yes it's not uncommon for hens to just 'pop their clogs' for no apparent reason, whatever their age. Best thing is when they do it this way and don't suffer.

seeing it's popped off can you eat it?

Is there a set time that you have to prepare a bird before it goes off so to speak. I'm thinking of the way you are supposed to drain an animal of blood within a few hours or something or the meat gets tainted.

Don't know the answer Big Al.
Would you risk it if you don't know the cause of death?

Too late anyway - she's several feet under



R.I.P.

Our most elderly chicken - a copper/black Marans - went west today. 8 years old. That's about 103 in chicken years.

Wow - 8 years is a good age ! did she lay the whole time?

Rarely towards the end, and often they were very small eggs - tiny, even. But overall she was a good value chicken. I'm down to five now; I'll need to restock before spring.

The last of my original 3 girls lasted over 6 years which is not bad for a market hybrid, shame she only laid for 2 years though!

It's hard to tell with hens the cause of death - it's because they are a prey animal, they have evolved to not show any signs of sickness untill , thump - dead chicken. Stops them becoming an easy target for foxs humans or t-rexs.

Oh no, hugs, but then my Speckledy did exactly the same