Death In The Chicken Coop

On Monday May 13, we had our first death in the family. Snowball, our chicken, died. Jake found her and was so upset. He came running in the house, "Mommy, Snowball is dead! She isn't moving, I can't get her up." We all went running out and sure enough, she was dead. I wasn't sure what to do with a dead chicken?! I didn't think I could really throw her in the garbage can, I didn't want her buried in my yard, so we buried her in the field behind our house.

I got her out of the chicken coop and laid her on the grass. She didn't have any signs of disease and the other chickens weren't acting sick so I think she just died of old age. We bought her from someone and have no idea how old she was. The kids all sat around her and took turns petting her {gross I know}. Mike was more squeamish about it than I was. After they had all talked about her and petted her a million pets, we decided to wash our hands and go bury her. I put her in a couple of garbage bags and off we went with shovel in hand.

On the bike ride to the field. It was interesting carrying a dead chicken while walking.

 

Jaileigh

While Mike dug the hole, the kids played around.

 

 

I love Anthony's face as he looks at his daddy with adoration.

{Yep, that is snowballs coffin- the black garbage bag.}

 

 

Jake is my extra sensitive one and really had a hard time.

 

 

We buried Snowball and said a little prayer for her. The kids said that she was in heaven with Grandpa Dean. She was our bossy chicken so they said she was being bossy up there.

 

 

Jake, Annie, Michael, Jaileigh and Anthony

 

 

Even though we buried her and talked about her living in heaven, the kids had a hard time leaving her body there. They wanted her to come home with us and to be alive again, like Jesus. I had a really hard time explaining that she wasn't in her body anymore. Death is so hard to explain to little ones. I am so thankful that it was just the chicken and not a loved one.