A Little Lesson About Dying

Before 9am there was a knock on the cottage door.
It was a lady who had taken part in my first " Chicken Care For Beginners" course a few years ago and she had a problem.
Her daughter's favourite hen, a plump lace Orpington called Tilly, had collapsed. The woman knew it was dying but wanted a second opinion. The bird was wrapped in a child's scarf on her daughter's knee in the back of the car. The daughter looked around seven and was watery eyed.
Her name was Kate
I brought them all into the house and locked the dogs in the front room while I checked the bird over.
Kate chatted away about the hen, telling me all about her, how cheeky she was, how she followed the family dog into the house and the like and when she had finished I asked her how ill she thought the hen was.
" I think she's very ill" she said seriously
" I think you're right " I told her trying to weigh up all of the options open to us.
I could cull the hen for them, but the act didn't quite seem appropriate somehow...especially when faced by a tearful little girl who had wrapped her dear hen in her own scarf. A trip to the vets seemed a bit of an overkill given the fact the hen was more or less dead..and so I plumped for the easiest option.
" I don't think she's in pain, so what I suggest is that you keep her wrapped up and very warm and quiet, and let her die peacefully at home... It won't be very long" I told her
Kate stroked the hen' s head and nodded a watery nod and a minute later they were back in the car and ready for home.
Her mother winked at me before she drove off...and mouthed in way of explanation of the visit " I couldn't face being the bad guy today" and I nodded that I understood.
Being a parent must be a bleeding hard job sometimes
Thank f"*# I only have to be responsible for animals....
You don't have to explain the death question to them
Hey ho