Our adopted chicken has a big heart

BEARDIE came into our lives quite by chance. It was June 2006 and our broody hen had sat on her eggs for three weeks.

For those three weeks our children had been really looking forward to the arrival of a few chicks. Alas, there were no little cheeps to be heard.

Because the children were so disappointed, we decided to ask a friend if she would give us a few eggs from her flock. We carefully placed these eggs under our broody hen — but, unfortunately, they also proved infertile.

So we were delighted to see an advertisement in the local paper for some baby chicks and quickly made arrangements to pick up six of them. They were a mixed bunch, all tiny — but there was one white chick who soon began to develop a little beard — hence her name.

The children loved her. As she grew, she became very tame, and the children and their friends used to pick her up and cuddle her, and she was always the first bird they would show visitors to the farm.

Beardie was a wonderful bird in many ways. She usually went broody at the first sign of spring, and would hatch out three families of chicks.

She also laid delicious eggs after each brood was reared. She was a terrific mother, always on guard for any danger to her children. She really kept them safe.

If a cat approached she would fly at it, and with a furious cry peck it on the nose. Our poor dog got the same treatment if he went anywhere near the chicks. Such a capable mother hen. We knew the chicks were in good hands (sorry, wings).

One evening after we had gathered some cattle in the yard, one of Beardie’s chicks strayed among them. Daisy, our most aggressive cow, marched up, sniffing loudly. I was certain it was curtains for this little bird. As I struggled to open the gate, I heard an angry scream and a rush of wings, and there was Beardie, oblivious to her own safety, flapping at the cow, who promptly turned tail and darted away with a trickle of blood on her nose.

Beardie is an old hen now. The eggs have slowed to a trickle, and she rarely goes broody. However, she seems to still hold a senior rank in the pecking order among our flock, and while she tolerates other hens near her, she detests ducks, as they used to prod her with their beaks when she was rearing them.

Beardie is a survivor of two raids on the henhouse by foxes and was the only survivor of a dreadful attack by a mink.

As I watch this fantastic hen sitting peacefully in the sunshine, I hope she lives to enjoy a peaceful old age.

She will always have a special place in our hearts.

If you would like your pet featured in this column please send a story of 440 words and a photograph to snews@independent.ie clearly labelled MY PET