Texas paper prints obituary for beloved pet chicken

Jan. 24 (UPI) -- A Texas family mourned the loss of their beloved pet chicken in a fashion usually reserved for human loved ones: a paid obituary in the local paper.

A paid obituary that appeared in The Eagle newspaper, based in Bryan, Texas, details the life of Big Mama, the pet chicken that lived with the Sword family from 2013 until her death earlier this month.

The obituary, which quickly captured the attention of social media users, explains Stephanie Sword and her family adopted Big Mama in 2013 when her previous owner took the bird to be euthanized and the veterinarian convinced them to put her up for adoption instead.

Sword wrote the family's first glimpse of Big Mama was a grainy photo of the "skinny, indoor chicken looking at herself in a mirror," and the family was "hooked instantly."

The obituary says Big Mama had never known life outside with other chickens, but quickly became a central part of her "flock," bonding with fellow chickens Bubbles, Runt, Ms. S, Funky, Lucky and Blondie.

"We will miss her very much. Thank you, Big Mama, for being such a special part of our lives," Sword wrote.