Farewell Nestle

We sadly said farewell to 6 year old Nestle on 2nd June 2018.

She was the oldest hen we've had as a pet so far.

Nestlés health problems worsened from the age of about 5.5 years

onwards when 'old age' caught up with her.  

She fought a bad respiratory infection late 2017 and was

strong enough to recover after a course of antibiotics.

An x-ray at the vet in February 2018 found a large lump about the

size of a golf ball and several smaller lumps. An ultrasound

a couple of months later looked like a large tumour, probably cancer.

Nestle was loved in palliative care until her quality of life quickly

deteriorated and we had to say goodbye on the 2nd June.

We are thankful that 6 month old Nestle came to live with us for 5.5 years.

Nestle was a fun loving hen who was selected to be a

'promo girl' for a special posting on the internet .

Being a leghorn hybrid, Nestle was very flighty and

loved to jump and be up high as the dominant hen.

Nestle loved to sit on Lydia and Gerard's shoulder like a 'pirate chicken'.

Nestle hated the rain and disliked water falling from the sky.

She used to crouch down low and walk backwards on rainy days.

The preening hen had a 'bad hair day' after getting wet on a rainy day.

Nestle was often mistaken for a rooster with her

characteristic, oversized big red comb and wattle.

She was aged 4 years and 7 months in this photo.

Nestle loved the pet carrier and was not afraid of travelling in it.

She laid about 5 eggs a week up until the age of about 4 years.

Nestlé's eggs were a pale ivory colour typical of her mother's Leghorn breed.

The size of her eggs increased as she became older.

Like all the Happy Hens whom we've had as pets, Nestle loved having a

dust bath. She spent many joyful hours in dirt baths, especially on sunny days.

Nestle was the dominant hen but was a big sook at heart who loved cuddles.

 This shadow photo of Nestle shows off her silhouette nicely.

Nestle looked cute when she slept with her head under her wing.

We think the older she got, the more cute she became.

Nestlé's comb shrunk when she got old and sick.

As the weather cooled down with the change of season,

she chose to stand in the sunny spots in the backyard for warmth.

We will miss you Nestle, our dear little pet hen

who was full of personality and affection.

Goodbye Nestle - may you be a Happy Hen forever.