Pearl

     Pearl died whilst dust bathing in the sunshine on Saturday.  She was fine in the morning, then suddenly she was dead.  She was 10 or 11 years old.  I guess she had a heart attack or something. 
     Pearl was one of the best broody hens and had many clutches over the years.  Within days of hatching her eggs I could let her free range and at night she'd bring all the chicks back to the house and squawk at the door.  I'd open it and she'd march in and jump in her banana box and the chicks would follow.  It is so helpful to have such a reasonable broody hen, she knew the drill and made it easy for me.  I never had to run around trying to catch them.  Pearl got her name because she was so broody she sat on an oyster shell when there was no egg available.  I couldn't let her hatch eggs often or I'd have too many chickens so most of the time I was trying to make her unbroody.  She laid for 8 years.      
     Pearl was a silver-laced Wyandotte bantam.  Each feather was white with a black line around it.  She had a chronic leg condition that I had to  treat with salves so she was used to my ministrations.  She had a good life and died doing what she loved.  She is survived by her sister Tiny, and many friends of varying species.