This month in the Science Park we lost our beloved Buff Orpington hen, Gourd. Buff Orpingtons are known for their gentle and friendly demeanor, and Gourd was as gentle and friendly as they come.
Gourd, along with her partner in crime Downy, were the first chickens to join the Ken Spencer Science Park in 2012. Gourd has been constantly clucking at us from the moment she arrived, enthusiastically calling to anyone who would listen. She was a ball of fluffy golden feathers bouncing towards you, forever in search of attention. Gourd would happily sit on your lap for hours. She was the perfect hen for an up-close and personal introduction to a shy guest, or an entire class of squirming, excited children. For many years, she has been an amazing animal ambassador for Science World.
Gourd was just a few weeks shy of her 6th birthday – an impressive age for a chicken. Although she had stopped laying in her old age, she was well known for egg-related shenanigans in the park. We often caught her sitting on the eggs of her coopmates, stealing theirs to complete a ‘clutch’ of her own to incubate.
We will greatly miss our fluffy orange companion. She was lovingly cared for and spoiled for many years at Science World.
