Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

Henry died some time this morning; probably in the early hours.
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So sorry Shad :hugs . The lives of the allotment chickens have improved greatly since you came along. Both you and Henry made that possible. He had a long life, and in his last few years he got to experience what it means to be a chicken, with your help. At the same time, his stories have touched many, hopefully improving the lives of chickens across the globe. We will all miss him, his hens and you most of all; I’m glad that you have each other to ease the pain just a bit.

Goodbye Henry, forever missed, but never forgotten
 
Fly high and free, wonderful, beautiful Henry!

Hugs for you, Shad.
:hugs :hugs :hugs :hugs :hugs

I am sorry that he is gone, I hope that there is comfort that he was surrounded by his girls.

Damn that's awful news. 😭

So sorry Shad. I know you will miss him. We all will miss him - he was a fine old chap and you gave him some comfort in his old age.
:hugs :hugs

I'm sorry.
:hugs

:hugs

I hope the girls come through his loss ok. He was a grand rooster.

Peaceful Journey to you, Henry. You walked this earth as a grand old bird, true to yourself through years of being mistreated and misunderstood.

Sorry for the loss of your friend, @Shadrach.

I'm so sorry for your loss.
:hit :hugs


Oh Henry, you will be missed. So sorry, Shad.

Henry will be missed by many, especially by you and his family. You improved his life hugely Shad, and without you his family almost certainly would not exist now. I hope you can take some comfort in their company, as they surely will in yours. :hugs

I'm so sorry Shad. He was a very special gent.

I haven't been very active on BYC lately but I lurk in this thread a lot. Something told me that I should check today... :(

So sorry to hear about henry. He was so gentle. It's good that he had the company of his ladies and the tender care of a very good friend in his last days.

So sorry to hear about Henry 😔
Since I joined BYC stopping by this thread to read about Henry was always one of my favourite things to do, I'm not sure whether it was the fact he shared a name with my favourite rooster I lost just before joining and/or the fact he was a gorgeous Sussex.
He's going to be missed by so many
sorrow.gif

Henry knew care, respect & fatherhood in your care & was loved by his hens. He was also a good judge of character who showed his contempt for those who did not care & his true nature to you & to all of us via this thread.
A truly noble rooster, he will be remembered along with Lima, Carbon, Matilda & the rest (including the sweary boys).
May the ferry chicken carry him gently on & :hugs :hugs :hugs to you, Fret, Mow, Sylph & Tull

Very sorry you lost him. :hugs

So sorry Shad :hugs . The lives of the allotment chickens have improved greatly since you came along. Both you and Henry made that possible. He had a long life, and in his last few years he got to experience what it means to be a chicken, with your help. At the same time, his stories have touched many, hopefully improving the lives of chickens across the globe. We will all miss him, his hens and you most of all; I’m glad that you have each other to ease the pain just a bit.

Goodbye Henry, forever missed, but never forgotten

Sleep well, Henry. You were a shining example of a rooster, and you were an inspiration (along with Shad) to many to give roosters a chance.

I am so sorry Shad! :hugs

:hugs :hugs :hugs :hugs
No words… just a few good virtual hugs. 😢
Thank you all. I will miss.
The eldests husband and I buried him on the edge of the orchard this evening. It's a lovely spot and he was laid from East to West so he will always see the rising sun.
A strange thing. I was a fencing sub contractor for 12 years and I erected a lot of fencing in Catalonia. Since coming back to the UK the digging tools (fencing graft and doubles) have been untouched, mainly because I had come to beleive that due to my health problems and increasing age, I was no longer fit enough to use them. The drive to dig Henry a proper grave (70cm deep) rather than have him thrown in the woods as C has in the past with so many of the dead, I asked the eldest husband to bring the tools to the field and help me dig his grave. I expected not to be able to manage but once feeling the tools in my hand I managed to dig turn by turn with the eldests husband. Even dead, Henry has given me back a level of confidence in what I can still do. Thanks Henry. I've got some fencing that needs doing around the extended run which I have been convinced I probably couldn't manage on my own. I start tomorrow. It may be slow, but I'll get there.
 
Two and a half hours today. Sunny and warm until the sun dropped below the tree line. Fret has been very vocal since Heny's death. She's slightly aggressive towards the others which I assume is part of her establihing herself as the tribe leader now Henry has gone. I feel for her.
They had a full two and a half hours in the extended run which needs some cleaning up at the goose run end where C had the people who repaired the run and stripped the rotting wood and bits of fencing dump the stuff which they have made no effort to clear away.
I think I am going to give up my vegetable plot and make a small bed in the extended run to grow a few veg and herbs. I'm also thinking about the extension to the coop run which would encompass the old fruit bush plot which is one of their prefered cover spots.
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.. but once feeling the tools in my hand I managed to dig turn by turn with the eldests husband. Even dead, Henry has given me back a level of confidence in what I can still do. Thanks Henry. I've got some fencing that needs doing around the extended run which I have been convinced I probably couldn't manage on my own. I start tomorrow. It may be slow, but I'll get there.
You will. Bit by bit.

Three years ago I never could have envisioned myself building a hoop coop, and now I am almost finished with my second.
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Two and a half hours today. Sunny and warm until the sun dropped below the tree line. Fret has been very vocal since Heny's death. She's slightly aggressive towards the others which I assume is part of her establihing herself as the tribe leader now Henry has gone. I feel for her.
They had a full two and a half hours in the extended run which needs some cleaning up at the goose run end where C had the people who repaired the run and stripped the rotting wood and bits of fencing dump the stuff which they have made no effort to clear away.
I think I am going to give up my vegetable plot and make a small bed in the extended run to grow a few veg and herbs. I'm also thinking about the extension to the coop run which would encompass the old fruit bush plot which is one of their prefered cover spots.
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Is there anything worth salvaging in the stuff in the goose run end? You now get to attempt to defend your garden against four curious and determined hens!
 

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