FUNNIEST THING I'VE EVER SEEN!

[MusiGal]

OMG - I just saw what has to be the funniest thing I've ever seen. We just had some heavy thunderstorms come through and I had my chickens out in the yard free ranging. I use a bungy cord to hold the door open to their 10 X 16 run so they can come and go as they please. The Coop/Run is about 8-10 feet from our backyard garden shed and they like to go in between to get to the grass that doesn't get cut because my rider won't fit between.




So, it starts pouring and all of my chickens make it back into the run and under the coop...EXCEPT...Ava, our Golden Laced Polish (which we are still trying to figure out if she is a he or not). Anyway, she is an absolute ditz, but we love her. She gets "stuck" behind that door and can't figure out that she has to go around it to go into the run. She just kept pacing from the fence to the door trying to figure out how everyone else made it back into the run. Finally, our RIR Rooster, Red, came out of the run and walked around the door (now, mind you, it's still pouring), so he comes out, walks around the door to help coax Ava back in, which apparently scared her and she proceeded to to run all around the yard in the pouring rain to get away from him. The whole time he's chasing her trying to get her to the right place, but she keeps going in circles. Finally, she goes back towards our back fence and I guess Red decided he'd had enough and went back into the run, under the coop with the rest of the girls and left Ava out in the rain. She must have stayed back by that fence for about 15 minutes. My husband I laughed so hard. Sadly, I couldn't get my camera in time to video it, or I would have. Ava ended up having a bad hair day. It finally stopped raining and now they are all out enjoying the yard again.




Imagine, if you will, a big RIR Rooster chasing a small Golden Laced Polish around in circles, only trying to help her.
HYSTERICAL!

Ava's bad hair day.


Just to give you an idea of the size difference in these two. This photo was taken a few weeks ago. They are all the same age, almost 20 weeks.

Thanks for letting me share. Hope you all enjoy reading the story as much as we enjoyed watching it unfold!

 

[redsoxs]

Ava certainly does not look happy!

No one ever accused chickens of being brain surgeons, that's for sure! Thanks for sharing your story!

 

[MandalaMaMa]

That's is too funny! Thanks for sharing. We had one do kinda the same thing today. We also have out door on a bungy cord and one kept going behind it when my husband was feeding them mealworms. This is his favorite thing to do. He whistles and feeds them in the coop. They come running and for some reason she got mixed up and keep trying to go in behind the door and kept getting stuck. Our door is closer the the fence! didn't see it but he said it was so funny. Kinda like you were describing. Anyway thanks again for sharing.

 

[MusiGal]

***UPDATE*** It was probably 45 minutes to an hour later and I stepped outside to see how hubby was doing with the grill and he was nowhere to be found. I called for him and he came out from between the run and the shed and said that Ava has been traumatized and ostracized. She was behind the shed...none of them have ever shown any interest in going behind there before, so that was strange. I walked over and there she was...poor, pitiful thing just standing there looking lost and unloved. I had my husband rattle the ladder that's hung back there to chase her out. She came out and went to where the other 6 were and was promptly pecked at by both Red and my RIR hen, Cinnamon. Of course, this made Ava run away again. After about 5 or so minutes of gently chasing her...even back into harm's way into the crowd of chickens again where she got pecked at again, I was able to catch her and hold on to her for a few minutes and calm her down. Apparently, the two RIRs are really upset with her for whatever reason...who knows what goes on in a chicken's mind. Anyway, it was about bedtime and so I put Ava down in the run after closing the door...most of the others were in the coop and she finally went in. I opened the egg box to watch what happened and watched as Cinnamon promptly pecked, first at my Buff Orpington, who was on the roost furthest from the egg box next to her and then she, Cinnamon (RIR), jumped down and pecked at Ava. I have two roosting poles mounted at the same height, one closer to the egg boxes and one about 2 feet further away. Now normally, all seven of those chickens will roost on that furthest pole (both are only 4 feet in length). I went to check on them just a minute ago, out of curiosity more than anything, and 5 of the chickens are on the pole they always sleep on and the Buff Orpington (Scarlett) and Ava are on the pole closest to the nest box. It's interesting, to me, that the separation is that way...I've had all of these chickens since they were 3 days old, except the Buff Orpington and the Golden Laced Polish...I added them to the flock at 4 weeks old (all of the chickens were 4 weeks old) and they have always gotten along just fine. It's just very interesting to me that the separation is my original 5 against the new 2. I've got to say that I am really enjoying this new adventure. Chickens are amazing creatures. Hope things are better between them all tomorrow.

Oh yes, I meant to add that it appears from a post on another thread that Ava is a he, not a she. The consensus seems to be that I need to rename him.

 

[MusiGal]

***NEW UPDATE*** I guess once a rooster is crossed, he doesn't get over it because ever since this incident he continually picked on poor Ava. So, Red got re-homed yesterday to a nice Chicken Haven/Rescue right around from where I live. We had a heck of a time coralling that bird and he cackeled just like one of my girls. It's very peaceful today and little Ava seems to be standing a little closer to the others for the first time in a long time. The cool thing is I've found a new place to get chicks! No more RIRs, though...I've been traumatized.