That line has popped into my head repeatedly these past few weeks as we've debated our course of action with our sick hen, finally concluding last night that euthanizing her was the humane thing to do.
Sweetums was my favorite little hen of the bunch and she taught me so much about chickens, chicken keeping, and life in general.
She had a wound on her leg that was being pecked at by the other hens (shame on you sister hens!). J and I became masters at chicken catching, cleaning, applying Bluekote to a chicken leg, cleaning Bluekote off of hands and clothes. We separated Sweetums from the rest of the hens while she healed and watched her quickly adapt back into the flock when she was better.
She taught me that chickens can out smart a fox. We had them out free ranging one afternoon last summer and somehow she became separated from the rest of the flock (she had a tendency to wander off to find the best piles of leaves with the biggest worms hiding underneath). We searched through the woods for her for 30 minutes or so when J saw her being chased by a fox. She disappeared again and we thought the worst. A few hours later, she was pacing at the run door trying to get back in to her sisters. I'll never underestimate a chicken again!
She was the first chicken I've ever given a bubble bath - and she loved it!
And she proved that when you are sick - a day in the sunshine with your family will perk you right up.
Probably the biggest thing that Sweetums has taught me is that chickens are wonderful little animals that deserve more than the life most hens have. I know that J and I have given all our chickens the best life we can. They aren't caged. They get treats and (supervised) free ranging time. When they are sick - I won't hesitate to bathe them, nurse them, and (literally) spoon feed them warm oatmeal. But when you have to put down a little bird that you care about, it's hard not to second guess what you could have done better.
The changes J and I have made to try to live a "simple" life has been one of the hardest things we have done. It takes a huge amount of time, it's hard work, it requires working in the extreme hot and the extreme cold, a lot of extra planning to go away for a weekend, it's not cheap, and it can be emotionally draining. I know that going forward we will be faced with more hard decisions. Our birds will get sick, they will die or disappear, or we will (again) have to make a hard decision. I hope that we continue to feel that it's worth it.
I know that it's worth it when we enjoy our eggs. It's worth it when I can sit outside on a beautiful evening and watch our hens dig for worms in the woods, or watch them run full-speed to be the first in line for a tasty treat. It's worth it when we eat a dinner made from our summer harvest, or when we pop open a jar of sauces, jelly, or salsa in the middle of winter.
The simple life isn't easy, but it sure is rewarding. I wouldn't trade it for anything.
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