It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Hart.

Although Hart wasn’t with us for very long, she left a mark on our hearts. Hart came in over the winter with her BFF, Blondie (seen watching over Hart in the picture below), as well as their Rooster friend, Mr T.

When Hart and Blondie finished their quarantine, they joined the other hens in the coop. Hart would travel everywhere with Blondie, and the two did not like to be separated. If they ended up on different sides of a fence or gate, panic would ensue until they were reunited. It was very apparent that they were most comfortable in each other’s company.

Unfortunately, during Hart’s intake exam, it was noted that she had a small internal mass on her underside near her reproductive organs. Reproductive disease is the number 1 cause of death in egg-laying hens like Hart, as they have been bred to lay 24x more eggs than their wild ancestors lay in a year.

Unfortunately, it’s typically not something that is treatable in hens, and Hart’s mass continued to grow at a rapid rate to the point that it was causing unmanageable pain and discomfort. It was clear to us that the impact this was having on Hart’s ability to enjoy life was too great, and we made the difficult decision to seek assistance to help her across the rainbow bridge.

While all of us are missing Hart, including Blondie, who has been looking for her friend, we are comforted to know that Hart knew she was loved and is no longer in pain.

Blondie had begun making new friends with some of the oldest hens as Hart was becoming less active, so we know she will be in good company.