I really wanted to do a tribute to Toffee yesterday but our internet went down for twenty four hours. I felt really frustrated as I was out of contact completely which is not good for business or blogging.
At last I am back and I have been searching for some photos that sum up Toffee’s character.
Toffee was a lovely gentle character despite being our biggest and heaviest girl. She has always been a shy and cautious girl and rose to being top girl through being the oldest and with us the longest. She never bullied and was easily spooked and would run to the bottom of the run shouting the alarm call, with all the other girls following her just in case, when there was in fact nothing to run from.
Toffee had sturdy, digger, legs and loved digging, dust bathing and sun bathing. Of all our girls Toffee was the one that liked the sun the most and could always find a shaft of sun to sit in. She would stretch out on her side with her legs out at comical angles.
Toffee came in with Emerald and they have always spent time together. Sometimes they would share the nest box and Toffee had a habit of flicking pine shavings on to her back. After she had laid her egg she would come out and have some treats with shavings still sitting in a little pile on her back.
Another of her daily habits was to moan when the morning seeds and evening corn ran out. She was the only girl to do this and twice a day she would make a mournful sound and we would say “what’s up Toff, have the treats run out again just like they do every day!” I miss this ritual.
Here are some photos of our beautiful girl.
Toffee shows off her lovely breast markings and her sturdy legs
Comedy Toffee
This photo reminded of “the funky gibbon” from the “goodies” show. People of a certain age will know what I mean.
Toffee and Emerald in the nest box together
Toffee in a typical pose with one foot raised
Toffee and Emerald on the gate
For a while Emerald had a habit of jumping on to the inner gate when I came through the outer gate in the morning. Toffee soon decided that she could do this too, despite looking precariously balanced.
Toffee and Emerald often dozed together in the afternoons
Toffee and Emerald perch together at the end of the day
Sun bathing girls
A heap of sun bathing girls with Toffee in the middle
Toffee poses
I am so sad to lose this lovely girl but we have many lovely memories of her. She was an amazing head girl and Emerald was her next in command and so has taken over as head girl. I think Emerald is missing her. The first morning after Toffee had gone Emerald stayed close to me which is unusual. Emerald now perches in Toffee’s corner of the chicken shed.
A lovely girl, sadly missed. Goodbye Toffee.
Click here to see the history of my flock.
Lovely pictures of a lovely girl. You definitely did the right thing at the right time. And don’t worry about Emerald. She may not have her old oppo but she’ll settle into a new routine with the other girls.
Thank you, I know you are right. They have to adapt and they soon settle into a new routine. We are all getting used to a slightly smaller flock.
Gosh she was such a pretty bird. Lovely tribute. You really captured her spirit so well.
I feel I have captured her spirit and said goodbye properly to her now. When Toffee and Emerald came to our flock I thought Emerald was so beautiful because her feathers shimmer with green and purple and Toffee was the more plain girl but I soon saw that her breast markings were beautiful and her nature was always lovely and quirky and funny. She always made us smile.
Beautiful girl! xx
She was. xx
Some really lovely pictures, she was handsome girl.And she had agood life, I seeso many
peoples hens, and they dont have such good homes as your girls have, and am suprised
that they dont seem to put perches in for them.You did her proud.
Thank you. I try to give my girls the best life that they can have. She was a lovely girl.
I still remember when you got both home from the farm, sorry for your loss was a beautifull bird ! Are you planning in adding 1 or 2 more now or ?? x
I am thinking of letting things settle for now and adding two more in the spring.