The End of an Era

In late August, Noodles started moulting and with that moult came all the strange behaviors… becoming a loner, less interest in food, etc. Then one day she didn’t want to leave the coop. Like Stella, I tried canned corn, yogurt, treats, but nothing interested her. She seemed depressed. Two days later she passed away.

Noodles was around 7 years old. We don’t know her exact age because she was part of the original four chickens that we took in after their owners decided to cull them because they weren’t laying. Noodles, a Buff Orpington, was the largest but not always the leader. At first, Plucky, a small silkie (and inspiration for Pluckingham Palace) was the flock leader. It wasn’t until Plucky’s death that Noodles took over as Queen.

Noodles death is a big loss. She exuded quiet confidence among the other chickens but to us humans she was very sweet. A beautiful bird, I wrote about her in a previous post called The Standard of Perfection. I will miss the quiet conversations we would have while I worked in the garden and her sweet little voice.

Noodles was the last of the four original chickens at Pluckingham and losing her marks an end of an era. The three remaining chickens, Claudette, Hedy and Gabby, are all young and seemingly rudderless. None of them have stepped up to the leadership position yet. None have the grace and confidence of Noodles.

RIP, Noodles. You are missed.