Roxy Chicken 2009-2017

Roxy the Barred Rock
Mid-March 2009 - March 5, 2017

Barred Rocks are “dual purpose” birds (as in “bred for laying eggs for a year or so, then being eaten”), and Roxy ended up weighing twice what our other hens did. She was definitely the boss of our little flock, but not a bully – she was actually kind of lazy and good at getting her way.

She really enjoyed laying in the sun, and never scratched around the yard with as much enthusiasm as the other hens. She seemed to realize that the feeder never ran out of food and was happy to just enjoy sun and dirt bathing. On the other hand, she had a keen eye and was quicker to react to possible danger than the others. Some neighbor’s kids lost control of their dog one time, and the chickens all dashed under bushes to get away. We caught the dog quickly, and after a few minutes I lured our other three chickens back out into the open with treats, but it took almost half an hour to find Roxy, who was much further away and completely motionless under a fern.

She had ongoing problems with her feet, issues we tried to address in various ways over the years, but one leg bothered her more and more. She got gimpier and gimpier over the past year or so, but still seemed to enjoy getting out, laying in the sun, and getting treats. A few days ago the foot on that leg gave out completely. At first she overcame it and stumbled around, but it did not get better despite my meager efforts, and I could not watch her suffer any more.