An Unexpected Farm Story of Kindness

An Unexpected Act of Kindness: Goldie and the Chicken

After sharing Goldie’s story, there’s one part of that time on the farm that has always stayed with me.

When Goldie injured her shoulder and was no longer able to walk, she had to stay confined to one stall. Every day, we used a chain hoist and a hammock to lift her up and try to keep her comfortable.

It was a hard time.

Something We Didn’t Expect

During that time, one of our chickens did something I still think about often.

She stayed with Goldie in the stall the entire time.

They ate together, drank together, and even slept near each other. Chickens don’t usually lay on the ground—they prefer to roost—but this one stayed down with her.

It was like she chose to be there.

A Quiet Kind of Comfort

One moment in particular has never left me.

The chicken walked in front of Goldie, and they looked at each other. Then the chicken simply sat down. Goldie lowered her head and rested it on the chicken.

It was such a small, quiet moment, but it said everything.

There was a sense of comfort there—something you wouldn’t expect to see, but something you could feel.

Her Final Moments

Right before Goldie passed, the chicken stayed nearby.

I sat on one bale of hay, and the chicken sat on another. We stayed with her until she took her last breath.

After she was gone, the chicken hopped down, walked out of the stall, and never went back in.

That night, she returned to roosting like she always had.

What Stayed With Me

Farm life teaches you a lot, and not always in ways you expect.

We spend so much time caring for our animals, watching their behavior, and learning from them—but sometimes they show us things we can’t quite explain.

That moment between Goldie and that chicken is something I’ll never forget.

It was simple, quiet, and completely unexpected—but it was also a reminder that connection and comfort can show up in ways we never would have imagined.

Moments like that stay with you, and they become part of how you see life on the farm moving forward—slower, more attentive, and more aware of the small things that matter.

That same awareness carries into everything we do here at Chickenmash Farm, from how we care for our animals to the pieces we choose to bring into our lives and share with others.