Since we recently had to rehome the surviving flock of chickens to very gracious friends, there have been several times those unique birds are brought up in family conversations and reminisced about.

One of the adult female chickens, Cher, has left an imprint on our hearts.

This chicken came to our farm early on, with about 10 other hens and two roosters. Cher made an impression right away, as she has very distinct features—piercing eyes, a large fluffy tuft on her head, her extra-pointy beak and her black-and-white feathers.

One of Cher’s best qualities is that she has always been an above-average mother hen. She is a broody bird and could always be found on the top roost, seated on at least half-a-dozen eggs.

She has an intimidating personality, and if we tried to remove any eggs underneath her, she would loudly squawk in our faces, peck our hands, and even grab the skin and twist it so we would leave the eggs alone. She would then reorganize how the eggs sat under her, so each one could stay warm.

Cher successfully hatched two groupings of babies while at the farm, four of which made it to adulthood.

When the chicks were big enough, Momma Cher and her babies would explore outside, learning how to forage for snacks, how to dust-bathe and socialize. If any of the hens or roosters got too close to her babies, she would chase them off and cackle at them, protecting her young.

Cher would typically mind her own business when she wasn’t broody on eggs or mothering chicks at our farm. She spent most of her time with Pippy, another hen she previously lived with. She was often seen dust bathing around the property, whether in the garden, between bushes, in the driveway or back by the livestock, kicking up dirt and enjoying the sunshine.