And just one more thing.  Today, Silas, Chicken Whisperer suffered a grave loss.  His dearly beloved chicken, his very favourite hen, Browser was found dead in the chicken yard.  Browser was a sweet, sweet hen who was crippled.  Browser could walk, slowly, but could not hop up on the roost or into the nesting boxes.  The chicken boys carried her around a lot, she seemed to relish the attention.  She faithfully laid an egg on the floor of the barn every day.

I found Silas, lying on the couch, sobbing his heart out this morning.  He told me about Browser and then clung to me in his sorrow.  I held him for a long time, until the sobbing subsided.  Then we had hot chocolate with whipped cream and that helped a lot.  Silas was certain it must be his fault that Browser died.  But a crippled chicken is destined to a short existence.

Browser was a good and faithful chicken.