Today is a sad day here at J & J Homestead.
We lost our favorite chicken, Mabel.
If you’ve raised chickens for any length of time, you probably already understand what I mean when I say that some chickens are simply different. They aren’t just another hen in the flock. They have a personality that stands out. They recognize you. They seek you out. And somehow, without you even realizing when it happened, they become part of the family.
That was Mabel.
And she will be so incredibly missed.
Mabel Was the Most Personable Chicken I’ve Ever Met
We’ve had a lot of chickens over the years, and every one of them has their own personality. Some are independent. Some are bossy. Some are skittish. Some seem to tolerate us primarily because we’re the people who show up carrying the feed bucket.
But Mabel?
Mabel genuinely seemed to like us.
She was, without question, the most personable chicken I have ever met.
Any time you walked into the coop or chicken run, there was a pretty good chance Mabel was going to come running.
Not casually walking over.
Running.
She wanted to see what you were doing, what you had, and—most importantly—whether you were going to give her some attention.
And Mabel absolutely loved being petted.
There’s something incredibly sweet about having a chicken voluntarily come up to you and ask for attention. Mabel didn’t just tolerate being touched or handled. She seemed to enjoy the interaction.
Those little moments became such a normal part of our daily chicken chores that it’s difficult to imagine walking into the run and not seeing her coming toward us.
The Chickens That Steal Your Heart
One of the things nobody really prepares you for when you start raising backyard chickens is just how attached you can become to them.
When you’re first getting started, chickens might seem fairly straightforward.
You build a coop. You fill the feeders. You collect the eggs. You clean the waterers.
And somewhere along the way, you start learning everyone’s personality.
You know which hen will be first out of the coop every morning. You know which one is going to try to steal treats from everyone else. You know who likes being picked up and who would prefer that you admire her from a respectful distance. You know the sound they make when they’re annoyed, excited, curious or hoping you’ve brought something delicious.
Before long, they’re no longer simply “the chickens.”
They’re Mabel.
And that’s what makes losing a chicken so difficult.
Losing a Chicken Is Part of Homesteading—But That Doesn’t Make It Easy
Loss is unfortunately part of raising animals. It’s one of the hardest realities of homesteading.
You can provide good food, clean water, safe housing, predator protection and all the love and attention possible, but eventually there will still be days like today.
We’ve experienced losses on the homestead before, and I’m sure we’ll experience them again. Knowing that doesn’t make it easier. Especially when it’s one of the special ones.
There’s a strange emptiness when you walk back into a coop after losing a favorite chicken. The flock is still there. Everyone else is scratching around, looking for treats and carrying on with their normal chicken business.
But you notice who’s missing.
And we’re going to notice Mabel’s absence for a very long time.
She Was More Than “Just a Chicken”
People who don’t raise chickens may not completely understand why losing one can hurt so much.
After all, it’s “just a chicken.”
Except sometimes it isn’t.
Sometimes it’s the chicken that follows you around while you’re doing chores.
Sometimes it’s the chicken that comes running when she sees you.
Sometimes it’s the chicken whose personality makes you laugh after a long day.
Sometimes it’s the chicken you stop and pet every single time you walk through the run because you know she’s waiting for you.
Sometimes it’s Mabel.
Animals have an incredible ability to become woven into our routines. We see them every morning and every evening. We care for them when they’re sick. We worry about them when the weather is too hot or too cold. We celebrate when they recover from an illness or injury. We laugh at their ridiculous behavior.
And when they’re gone, those routines suddenly feel different.
The Hard Side of Loving Your Homestead Animals
There are so many wonderful things about homesteading.
There are fresh eggs in the nesting boxes.
There are chicks hatching in the spring.
There are vegetables coming out of the garden.
There are mornings when the sun is coming up and the entire homestead seems peaceful and perfect.
Those are the moments that are easy to share.
But homesteading also means loving animals that we know we won’t get to keep forever. And that may be one of the hardest lessons this lifestyle teaches us. The more you care about your animals, the harder it is when you lose them.
I wouldn’t trade the relationship we had with Mabel just to avoid today’s sadness, though. Because she brought far more happiness into our lives than sadness.
And that is what I want to remember.
Goodbye, Sweet Mabel
Today, the chicken run feels a little different.
Tomorrow morning, I’m sure I’ll walk through the gate and, for just a second, expect to see Mabel running toward me.
And she won’t be there. That’s going to hurt.
But we’ll remember the chicken who couldn’t resist coming over for some attention.
We’ll remember how much she loved being petted.
We’ll remember her running across the run whenever she saw us.
We’ll remember the personality that made her stand out among the entire flock.
Most of all, we’ll remember how such a small animal managed to occupy such a big place in our hearts.
Goodbye, sweet Mabel.
You were a very good chicken.
You were loved.
And you will be so incredibly missed.
— J & J Homestead
Leave a Reply