Jogoo

We are mourning the death overnight of Jogoo, our beautiful Silver Sebright bantam cock. For four years he has been the tutelary being in the garden here: it is difficult to imagine a bird with more personality and presence. To watch him and his two hens working through the garden, coming to 'help', charging over to greet us on arrival or emergence from the door, was to rebut any notion that domestic fowl are dull and dim. He will be very greatly missed.

Until Monday he was his usual ebullient self, but that afternoon a dog got into the garden, chased and caught him. Although he got away and seemed unscathed, by Wednesday he was looking poorly and has now faded away. The two hens were not affected by the dog incident. A new cock will have to be found for them, but this may not be so easy at this time of year.

Thanks to Gary Keim for his lovely (top) picture of Jogoo - the name is Swahili for cock, rooster, and pronounced Jog-oh.