Taco the hen, who usually escapes notice on the blog because she is independent and aloof, passed away. A couple days before I noticed that her crop was hanging low and full, a sign of a good meal, or of sour crop. I was trying to keep an eye on it, and in hindsight I should have started a copper sulfate treatment. We had a previous hen live for almost a year with the condition, and I was honestly hoping it wasn’t sour crop. I found her surrounded by her sisters in the morning in the coop. I was up and in the coop early because we were preparing for the arrival of the two new hens, Wingding and Magnet, a pair of Black Star chickens coming in from family. Taco was given an air burial in the woods, and within a few hours we were welcoming the new hens to their new home.

So our current chicken count is at six. Two Black Star, and four Faverolle. We’ll keep them separated for a while where they can see each other, and later see what happens when they can mingle. Ideally they will share all the space, after they establish pecking order.