How to bury a friend

It's that time of year. Our oldest rooster was looking fluffy a few days before Christmas, although looking a little better Christmas Eve. Clearly it was the lull before the storm, as I found him dead Christmas morning. With horrible weather coming in, I felt I needed to get him into his final resting spot before the predicted -9C weather arrived.

I recently got a rescued Malus esopus spizenburg (late fall cooking apple) planted although it will need more than some scraps of Day Lily and a lone Dandelion for company. I dug a hole about 3 feet from the trunk. I lined the hole with an inch layer of sawdust from the cutting shed and put some biochar on top. I put Bilbo in a triple layer of extra large brown paper bag with a mixture of sawdust and biochar in with him, then rolled the bag up around him and laid him in the hole. I then added more sawdust and biochar on top, followed by all the dirt I'd dug out. It's mounded up above the surrounding ground level, but I know it will subside. From what I've read, burying deep is more likely to pollute ground water. This isn't likely to happen with a shallow burial, lots of brown organic matter under and around him, and a tree nearby who will think he's yummy.

Eventually, I need to find a nice board to do a wood burned marker, but for the moment, I found a rectangular stone and two round stones and made a simple letter "B" to mark the spot.

He was a good rooster. I'm prepared to put many of our dead in whatever compost is handy, although I always try to add extra brown, high carbon material under them. But when it's a friend, I try to go a bit further and give them a final resting place that feeds the circle of life and I'll make sure that something with pretty blooms get added when the weather is a bit nicer.

So sorry for your loss, Jay. What a wonderful way to honor Bilbo's life. I'm sure he was lucky to have gotten to spend it in your care.

What Heather said. You treated him with the honor he deserved. I'm sorry you lost a friend.

Oh! Jay, how perfect!  And so sorry for the loss of your friend.

That's the way it will happened for Little Mama.  She's the oldest hen I have ever had, so clever, sweet as candy and the best mother of all time.  She's going to be 12 years old this year and she has a special place in my heart, so thank you for sharing.

You have buried him with full military honours. I can hear the pipers from here. Well done.

Jay I am sorry for your loss. We have done this several times now or at least something very similar. Planting a tree or shrub over the grave of a lost friend is a nice way to honor them and give their final energy back to the circle of life. I have a tree nursery bed out in the garden with saplings and some seed started trees to use as I reforest our little property. This has been my system since we started keeping chickens.

Jay, I'm so sorry for your loss.  My chickens are pets to me as well. I lost one of my hens a couple of weeks before Christmas. She was buried in a place I intend to plant a fruit tree when the bare root trees are available.  
Condolences Jay

So, if you read my post above, you'll see that Little Mama was 12 years old this year.

Little Mama passed away last night and I am going to miss her dearly.  We buried her in a beautiful spot and next spring, I will plant something on top of her grave.  I don't know what I will plant yet but something that will reminds us of her and her endearing personality.

She was the oldest hen I have ever had.  She was small, cute, sweet-natured, smart, friendly and of course an excellent broody and mother.   Rest in peace little one.

Sorry for your loss, Olga. I'm sure you will miss her and I hope her plant enjoys her as much as you did.

Thanks Jay for your kind words.

I buried my dog in my food forest. He is in a guild under a large pile of stones. Many, many types of plants are planted near him. I visit him often. Sometimes I still cry when I do, but it's okay. His mother's ashes will be there soon, along with some of my baby brother's ashes when I have the strength to do it. My own burial spot is picked out there as well. I like the idea of being buried there with my family and creatures I loved very much, among the trees and plants I planted and grew there.