Cathode is dead.

[wafflycat]

Farewell Cathode.

Went out to the hens this morning, as usual, to do the morning feed and cleaning out of hen house. Cathode was lying under the henhouse, in the quiet part of the run: dead. There are no outward signs of why she has gone. Yesterday she was absolutely fine, with no sign of being off-colour or ill. When I found her, she was still warm. Poor, poor girl. Miss Floppy Hat has gone. On the plus side, she had more time with life outside the hell of being a battery hen than inside that particular cruelty. She was my introduction to keeping hens (along with her sister Anode) and brought much joy and laughter. The other three hens look fine and perky as normal. But I shall be keeping a close eye on them over the coming days. I'm crying about a dead pet hen.

Cathode doing hen things instead of ending up as a stock cube as an ex-battery hen on the day she was taken out of the battery...

Inspecting the compost heap.

Supervising the preparation of a veg plot

Discovering the taste of warm sweetcorn mixed with layers' mash

Showing her best side to the camera

The day she first arrived at Chez Wafflycat. The first day in her life to be in daylight. Until that point she'd been in a battery cage.

I miss my girl already.

 

[Fnaar]

Well done for giving her a decent time, however long it is you had her

 

[Sh4rkyBloke]

Sorry to hear that, Waffles. As you say, she had a much better life with you than she had had before, and for that you should be proud.

RIP Cathode.

 

[Jane Smart]

Oh Wafflycat I am so sorry to hear this, our pets are precious to us, no matter what they are or how long we have had them. I know, I keep a few pets myself. She had a wonderful life with you. sometimes there is no reason why they go when they do, it is just their time.

xx

 

[dan_bo]

Ah Bugger. RIP Cath.

 

[tdr1nka]

Hats off all round.
Sorry to hear the news, but again, well done for giving Cathode a fresh lease of life in her last year.

T x

 

[wafflycat]

Thanks. One of the things with ex-batts is that the stress of their early existance in a battery cage can tell in life a bit later, with them dropping dead suddenly, so this is not entirely out-of-the-blue, but nevertheless, I'll miss her.

 

[rich p]

I thought this was about the digital switchover!

 

[tyred]

Sorry to hear about the old girl but why call her Cathode? Is it because she came from a battery farm? When I saw the thread title, I thought your much loved CRT TV had died!

 

[wafflycat]

Aye. All my hens are ex-battery hens. The first two were Anode & Cathode. Anode is still with me. Got them in April 2008. Earlier this year Anode & Cathode were joined by Campag and Nolo. All girls from the Battery Hen Welfare Trust. So now I have Anode, Campag and Nolo left.

 

[summerdays]

Very sad news ... I remember the early excitement of those first eggs and their gradual improvement in health with their new improved living conditions. Which hen is it in your Avatar?

 

[justAl]

How do you get rid of the corpse? I usually go for the "sling it over the hedge into the mass of 6foot brambles" method

 

[HelenD123]

Sorry to hear about Cathode. She was a lucky chicken to have ended her days being pampered chez Wafflycat.

 

[Kirstie]

Oh that's sad news - poor cathode. But she had a great life with you and was obviously a right little character. I'm sure you'll have many fond memories of her!

 

[wafflycat]

How do you get rid of the corpse? I usually go for the "sling it over the hedge into the mass of 6foot brambles" method

Disposed of in the bin. It's the approved method. She'll be wrapped in newspaper, bagged and binned. A less than dignified disposal, but the approved method. I'd prefer to bury her but that's not approved of, and as I've got a stream at the end of the garden I'll not risk contaminating that.