8 August, 2011 
It’s a bleak, wet and windy day on the croft, which felt appropriate when I decided Orville, our oldest Scots Grey cockerel, had to be put down.
Orville had grown more stiff and less mobile over the past two months so it was increasingly likely that he’d be culled sooner rather than later.
In the last couple of days, I’d noticed Orville’s sight was fading. He was having to peer about to find his food, he kept misjudging the entrance to his hut and he kept walking into objects as he wandered about.
He was still happy enough, though, and crowing enthusiastically.
This morning, though, it was clear Orville had had enough.
He didn’t want to come out of his hut. His feathers were no longer well groomed. And he had a general air of misery.
I took Orville from his hut, carried him down into the byre away from the other chickens and broke his neck.
He’d had a good run and, once he’d got over his early gender confusion, sired a fair number of offspring, even if most were cockerels that ended up on the dinner table.
Farewell Orville.
Stonehead.
Sorry that you have had to put down Orville, but I’m sure you have done it for the best.
Will you be cooking him for the table?
Walter
By the sounds of things, Orville has plenty of his offspring running around to keep his memory alive. And you have the wonderful photos to remember him by. It’s hard to put down a good chicken, easy to put down a nasty one.
Diane
Better a quick dignified end, than letting the suffering drag on. I should be so lucky, come the end of my days.
Poor old fellow. But he had led a fairly enviable life, hadn’t he?
Scots Greys are beautiful , he looked a fine bird
I love living in the country but could never be a crofter…hard decisions and harder actions to be made. It sounds like it was Orville’s time.
A rare and beautiful rooster could not have ever been found in this world. I am so sorry to see him gone, but I am glad his legacy will continue. May one of his sons or grandsons give you as much joy as he did.
RIP Orville
So long old chap. I’ll be missing Orville. I’m rather sad that this had to be the post where I catch up. I’ve been reading all the back posts and have just reached the present day. So celebrating my own personal victory seems in bad taste when the life of one of my favorite stonehead characters has come to an end.