Ended Official BYC Mini Contest #2 - Tell us your best chicken story and you c

[Wickedchicken6]

 

[sumi]

Two strikes and then all Home Run's - Road Runner’s first eggs.



Road Runner, now my #1 BR hen, had some problems in learning when and where to lay eggs.

Her first attempt began in a nest box in the afternoon. But she heard me bring treats into the run. So she pranced out and down the ramp and promptly joined in at the treat tray….the first egg was laid while she was running down the ramp - and surprisingly it was unbroken.

Her second attempt was also in a nest, but at night. While all her flock mates were going to roost, she was sitting in a nest box. I thought she was just going to sleep there. Then about an hour after dark, she came out of the nest singing proudly, left the coop and went out into the run…. then she noticed that no one was around and the world was black, so she began clucking and fretting. I shined a flashlight through a coop window to show her the way. And with the speed of the Real Road Runner, she ran up the ramp into the coop and jumped onto her roost position. I was shocked to find a freshly laid egg in the nest.



After two funny beginnings, she has always made sure to lay only in the nests and during daylight. She is the only hen in my flock who still lays an egg nearly every day at almost 4 years old.


So both Road Runner and I learned our first of many lessons:

• Never lay an egg while walking, running, or after sunset.
• Never assume chickens only lay eggs in the mornings.
• Never, never disturb those who are or may be laying eggs.
• Never underestimate the value of having a Coop Camera

The first Fall that I had my chickens, I had started letting them free range during the day. I had a friend over doing some work with her husband on a clubhouse project in my backyard. She left that afternoon about 1 and went about her day. As she was driving back to her house (45 or so miles away, driving 70 MPH) she noticed a sound coming from her car. She thought that something was broken in her engine and she couldn't pinpoint the noise. She went to the pharmacy drive-through, then to WalMart to do her weekly shopping, then she drove over to the school to wait in the car rider line to pick up her daughter. Her car was fine when she was parked. She left the school and headed home and the noise was so loud that she planned to take her car to the shop the next morning.

Meanwhile, I went outside at my house to put my hens up for the night and did my headcount and was missing one. I looked everywhere for her. She is our favorite hen and my daughter was heartbroken that we could not find her. I assumed a hawk had taken her as there was no evidence of an attack.

The next morning, bright and early, I received a text from my friend with a picture of my hen. Apparently, Henny had climbed up inside the wheel hub of her jeep, and took a joy ride all over town, 45 miles away! I still do not know how she did not fall out in all of the errands that were done that day, but we are so glad she survived. My friend's husband went out that morning to check on the car, and out jumped Henny!

To further insult me, when I went to pick her up, she ran away with their dog into the woods and would not come to me. It took two weeks, her living with their dog in the woods, before we were able to catch her and bring her home!

My friend won't park her jeep in my yard when she visits now!

@meltel

HOW I BECAME THE CRAZY CHICKEN LADY

"Consuela" the lone chicken wandered up our driveway one day and never left. One day she hurt her leg. I was really upset at the salon and one of my clients could tell. I told her about Consuelas leg and how sad we were. Small world-her husband is a vet that specializes in chickens!!! He has bred and showed them his entire life! We made a trade-her salon service for his vet service and he fixed Consuela.

A couple months later disaster struck-Consuela got locked out of her coop one night and a predator got her

Again I had to go into work after finding her on the lawn that morning and bawling my eyes out. My client just so happened to be in that day again. I told her what had happened and she cried with me. She immediately texted her husband and the next thing I knew, she was telling me how sorry she was for me and that her husband wanted to give me a "special" gift. She told me about these little amazing chickens he breeds and shows called seramas and had a pair for me! I got Barry and Patty a couple days later (Barry for Bill & Sheree) and Patty (for Patterson).

I am now the proud owner of over 150 chickens of all different breeds and breeding and showing seramas at a national level! I have made about 50 new close friends and finally have a hobby that I love and am passionate about. God works in mysterious ways and even during times of trouble or sorrow He is with us always and always has a plan

Thank you everyone that entered!

 

[N F C]

Congratulations, terrific stories!

 

[summerb123]

congrats!

 

[Chicken Girl1]

Congrats to the winners! And good job on all the other entries!

 

[Wickedchicken6]

Wow, that was quick...this is a SUPER busy time of year.

to the judges!!!

Congratulations!!!!! Fantastic stories!!!

Thank you to everyone who shared their story with us!
Our birds weave their way into our hearts, and I (and I'm sure everyone else) appreciated hearing your stories.

 

[Lucky Lemon]

Thank you for selecting my story, this was a fun contest and I enjoyed reading everyone's stories!

 

[meltel]

Wow what an honor to be selected and a great way to remember my Consuela! Congrats to the winners and thank you to all who shared their wonderful stories!!!

 

[Teila]

Congratulations sunflour, heatherfeather7 and meltel, wonderful stories

There were some great stories entered and thank you to everyone for sharing them. Of course, also thanks to BYC for running these competitions.

 

[sunflour]

Thank you so much, Road Runner and I are very happy with this honor.

And

@heatherfeather7

@meltel

Congratulations to you two.