RIP Willow - my giant marshmallow rooster.

[kittyvamp1884]

I just wanted to take a minute and acknowledge the passing of our light Brahma rooster, Willow.

We'd been having some issues with flock dynamics after he reached breeding age, and knew one of our roosters would need to be re-homed, we figured it just wasn't fair to Willow to have him constantly on the run from our alpha rooster, Arslan.

So, two weeks ago he went to live on the farm where we get our milk and meat. They have over 400 chickens, so we figured they'd be plenty of flock to go around for our big man. When we dropped him off, he was happy and healthy. We checked in on him a week later and he seemed sad and lonely. Possibly having lost a bit of weight, but still healthy. I should have taken him home.

Today, we went up to the farm again, and went to visit Willow. He was nowhere to be found. We looked inside and outside the chicken barn, and finally found him dead and rotting along the back side of the barn in the pasture. He's clearly been dead for days, and his whole head was black. I've seen my share of dead chickens over the years, but I have never seen one who's head and comb turned black pre or post mortem.

I'm sad. I'm upset. I'm furious! I should have taken him home last week. I don't care how many chickens you have, who doesn't notice the giant white Brahma is missing when they're closing birds up at night? I'd have rather processed and eaten him ourselves then allow him to die alone and forgotten. Did he get sick? Did he get into a fight? No one can tell me because they didn't even noticed he was dead. Can chickens die of loneliness?

We're in the midst of a prolonged heatwave here in Pennsylvania. How long did he lay there in the 90+ degree heat... dying... and alone before finally giving up?

I'm never giving them another rooster, and I'm second guessing where I do my shopping. I'm so mad. At myself for leaving him. At them for neglecting him... We miss you Willow. I'm so sorry.

 

[tlcmurphy]

How awful, I’m so very sorry for you and Willow

 

[LilFinnGirl]

Sorry for your loss
Willow was a very beautiful bird!

 

[casportpony]

So sorry for your loss.

 

[AntiqueB]

Such a sad story. I'm truly sorry for you both, but there's no way you could have known. You did the best you could, given the circumstances.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I am incredibly sorry for your loss.
I too would not do business with them going forward.

I know all to well the sad ends that sometimes come to beautiful birds when they are rehomed. Feeling your pain for sure.

 

[CoopBoots]

I'm so sorry. He looks to have had a wonderful life with you, however. That's so much more love than the majority of chickens experience. There was no way to predict what followed...

 

[Tookie]

So sorry for your loss. Willow looked like such a friendly bird, he was very pretty too.

 

[kittyvamp1884]

He was my 9-month-old son's best friend. I have never before seen a rooster snuggle a baby. Let alone one that has fistfuls of his feathers and still make cooing noises at him. Willow was such a sweet boy. A terrible beggar at dinner time, but a lap chicken like no other, and a fierce defender of our flock. He will be sorely missed.

Our rir hen, Agnes, recently hatched two of Willow's chicks. (Temporarily named Nilla, [like the wafer] and Noli [for the flowers on our century star magnolia]) So, a piece of him will live on here at our home.

(See attached, Nilla and Noli)

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

I am so sorry. You did what you thought was best. May the passing of time heal your heart.