On July 26 , 2020 , our perfumed Cochin , Iman , pass off peacefully in the heart of the night , fence in by her flockmates in the coop .
She made it to an telling sometime age — nine years !
Our four - twelvemonth - sure-enough ( human child ) dearly ring her Grandma Chicken .
And she was the best grannie : regal , gentle , funny , and full of life stories .
She was one of The Three Amigas that Ibrought home in the surrender of 2011from a poultry farm on the Central California coast . I knew nothing about chicken - keeping at the meter , but I wanted to try conjure wimp in our Los Angeles backyard .
My husband picked her out because he liked her square feet . As a pullet , she was sweet and cuddly , the pet of most of our visitors who came to see what this whole “ chicken - keeping matter ” was all about .
We bring up our first contemporaries of chickens after 90s supermodels , and Iman ’s burnished bronze and black feathers reminded us of the glamorous Somali model who was matrimonial to David Bowie .
Over the course of her life , Iman survived tworaccoon attack . Thesecond oneultimately killed our Barred Rock , Kimora , and go forth Iman as the lone hen in the firm until we brought homethree unexampled pullets in 2016 .
This second generation of chickens was rather bossy ( we named them after Old Hollywood starlets , so … ) , but Iman often put them in their place with her firm yet hushed nature .
If they dared attempt to get first dibs on treats , she ’d smack them on the chief as if to say , “ Step back , child ! ”
And they certainly take heed . I think they even venerate her a little , and even though there was a feisty new alpha among them , Iman was always their pansy . She ’d pay her dues and she command respect .
In 2017 , Iman and her flockmatesmoved nearly 1,000 miles northfrom Southern California to Central Oregon in the back of our SUV . She settled in nicely to rural life but was n’t too swell on the snow .
She was conceive elderly ( in poulet yr ) by that item , but still had it in her to lie us an egg every couple of months . It was rightfully special to find one of her freckled eggs in the nest each summer !
( And this was after we were warned many year back that she ’d be our least productive poulet . Well , guess sheshowed them ! )
When we ordered five new chicks in 2019 to expand our troop , Iman was kind and take over of them — no surprise , as she was always the first ( and only ) hen togo broodyevery yr . She was a innate materfamilias .
Iman loveddust bathsand the occasionalspa bath . She hump to be held by everyone — my mom , our unhinged yearling , our Friend and our friends ’ kids who came to shoot the breeze .
In the last year , we find ourselves constellate on her even more as she became ho-hum in her old years .
She could n’t skip up to the eminent roost in the coop any longer , which have in mind she often ensconce for the abject spoke . So we always moved her under the eggs box to keep her from getting pooped on by the other chicken above her .
In the morning , we dribble her from the chicken coop out to the compost pile to make certain she was always first in line for all the bracing greens .
When we discard out mealworms , we made a special little pile for her , away from all the other chickens , so she could indulge in peace of mind .
She get lap time and daily headspring rubs and nightly tush prick . She was spoiled , and she merit all that and more .
Iman had the distinction of being photographed for afeature in our local paperjust a couple months before her demise .
I ’d originally posed with our Silver Penciled Wyandotte for the tale , but the photographer insisted I hold Iman for a few shots because she loved her coloring .
I ’m so beaming she asked me to .
It feel like a worthy protection to an over-the-top chicken who has taught me ( and millions of reader that have comply my chicken - keeping journey ) so much about living , solid food , and self - trust .
Her death has been sad for us , but we ’re so , so thankful we had nine dangerous undertaking - occupy years with her . Nine long time with a chicken ! That in itself is unbelievable .
On her last day in this world , she was at rest in the tall grass under the good deal ’s favorite shade tree . A light , lovesome gentle wind ruffled her feathers while the sun smiled down on her .
Each of her chicken Sister walk past and crow softly . She was fence by their songs all day , never alone , and we made her a lilliputian nest on the floor of the coop that evening so she could pass in her sleep with her wimp family closely by .
We decided to immerse her under a new spruce tree in the backyard . Gemma pick wildflowers and willow outgrowth and scattered them over her body .
When we asked if she wanted to say a few words for the memorial , our amazingly aware and empathetic four - year - old daughter said merely , “ Grandma Chicken was beautiful . I love you , Iman . ”
And her wish was for Iman to join our pug-dog and our previously departed chickens in heaven , where she was sure they were all playing and eating together .
I could n’t have picked a good space for Iman to be .
RIP Iman ( 2020),Kimora(2017 ) , andGisele(2013 ) , the original Garden Betty flock .
