What is it with the Queens on this thread. We heard a few days ago that
@BY Bob had to rescue Queen Aurora from walking in the snow to the coop. Yesterday Queen Raven had to have her own rather humiliating rescue.
A little backstory, in the last month Raven had taken to roosting beside Momma Hen in the tree. It seems at one point or another she has convinced most flock members that roosting in the tree is the way to go.
Monday the snow hits. Everyone has enough sense that first night to not roost in the trees, even Momma Hen. Tuesday night, Raven bless her heads for the tree. That would not have been a problem per say except, once up she refused to come back down. I gave her 36 hours after I realized in the middle of day 2 of staying in the tree to come down on her own. I tried coaxing her down by calling her and tossing food and treats in her direction on the hill. Nope, stubborn is staying put. A hour before dark Wednesday I had no choice but to get her down out of the tree one way or another. In this weather she is not going 48 hours without eating or drinking. If I had known Tuesday she had not come down I would not have waited as long as I did. Since she could not be lured or bribed down I had one choice. I had to sling a few snowballs in her general direction, while hitting the branch near her, but not her to make her fly down. She was angry and let the world know chicken abuse was going on and I think calling to the boys for help. Sorry girl, Bubba stayed on the roost and branch just joined you in complaining but not stepping a foot in the snow. Once down she was still on the hill out of reach. More snowballs were tossed behind her to herd her off the hill into the creek where I was able to use a poop rake to scoot her across the creek. Once crossed I quickly grabbed her and carried her to the barn isle. Indignant, mad, humiliated do not begin to describe her. She started squawking from the first snowball that hit her branch and did not quit for 20 minutes after I got her in the barn isle. Twice she flew up onto a smaller branch on the way down the hill trying to get back up into the tree. She is fine now and has not ventured back out into the snow, but I am stalking her. No more tree roosting for anyone until the snow melts.
