More than two years ago I wrote about the addition to our household of four young chickens. We got them around Easter 2020, in the midst of uncertainty over the Covid pandemic. They weren’t a lockdown-inspired idea – we had been planning for their arrival for some time – but they certainly brightened up an otherwise very isolated period.
As many of you know, I took a break from work a few weeks ago. I can recommend it! Several neighbours very kindly offered to feed and care for our chickens while we were away, and we left them in very good hands. But just before we returned home, they let us know that unfortunately one of our chickens had died in our absence.
While it was a sad moment, the context is that our breed of hens only tend to live for two to three years. She died of old age, and we had noticed that she seemed a little off colour before we left, so the news was not completely unexpected. We have always been very wary of foxes and local dogs, so consider it quite a success that we managed to evade them at least. And it must be said, the hens have as good a life as possible. They are allowed to roam free in the garden during the day, with plenty of attention paid to their needs - particularly by my husband and many other visitors to the house.
It is this last point I thought of when we were told about the hen’s fate. Having pets can bring enormous joy, and though our hens lay eggs, they are really pets at the end of the day. My husband is very fond of them – he loves wandering around the garden as they hurry excitedly behind him. I also believe he loves the structure of having to get out of the house every single morning and evening to feed them and shut them safely in their coop.
The responsibility and sense of being needed that pets bring can be a huge benefit, as well as their entertainment and companionship. And while it’s always sad to lose one of our hens, it brings home just how wonderful they are. We have loved keeping hens since the days of my Kilmacanogue studio, and hope to keep doing so for a long time yet!