I had a bit of an adventure this morning in the chicken yard.
I have 2 coops, 1 large hen house full of layers and adolescent layers. 1 small coop, containing adolescent roosters and my brooder.
This morning, I found that my baby leghorn pullets had learned to fly and were escaping the brooder. I decided to move them to the grow out room in the large coop. I started tucking little birdies into my jacket to transport them. One of them didn't like the jacket and took off.
Here I stand with 4 little gals inside my jacket, trying to keep from squishing them or dropping out the bottom. I carefully try to capture the escapee before she can get out the pop door to where the young roos are grazing. Didn't make it. I see the clueless little darling fly out that door, and into the clutches of 15 territorial young roos.
Out the people door I charge, through the gate into the roo-yard, all the time holding those 4 little leggies inside my coat. The roos have the fuzzy butt cornered behind their feed dish, and she is TERRIFIED. I shoo them off, and rescue her. Take the younguns to the other coop and safety. Then go back and get the other half of them.
But, poetic justice is afoot, I forgot to close the gate to the roo-yard! My adult hens have been free-ranging the yard, wandered in and are terrorizing the roos! 8 big fat hens have those roos backed up in a corner, just giving them the stink-eye! So I start to shoo the big girls out.
Not gonna happen! All the commotion has attracted my dogs. Chicken chasing dogs. They sit at the gate waiting for those hens. Now I have to chase down those indignant hens individually to toss em over the fence into their own yard. And of course, there are those young roos underfoot and running between me and my hens!
It's been raining this week. The roo-yard is more than a little muddy. You have this bushy haired old woman sloughing through the mud, dodging roos, to grab a bunch of stubborn hens! Not exactly the thing you want the neighbor to be witness to, huh?
Sheeshes! Some days! It's a durn good thing those hens lay good eggs, or they would be in my freezer tonight!
I have 2 coops, 1 large hen house full of layers and adolescent layers. 1 small coop, containing adolescent roosters and my brooder.
This morning, I found that my baby leghorn pullets had learned to fly and were escaping the brooder. I decided to move them to the grow out room in the large coop. I started tucking little birdies into my jacket to transport them. One of them didn't like the jacket and took off.
Here I stand with 4 little gals inside my jacket, trying to keep from squishing them or dropping out the bottom. I carefully try to capture the escapee before she can get out the pop door to where the young roos are grazing. Didn't make it. I see the clueless little darling fly out that door, and into the clutches of 15 territorial young roos.
Out the people door I charge, through the gate into the roo-yard, all the time holding those 4 little leggies inside my coat. The roos have the fuzzy butt cornered behind their feed dish, and she is TERRIFIED. I shoo them off, and rescue her. Take the younguns to the other coop and safety. Then go back and get the other half of them.
But, poetic justice is afoot, I forgot to close the gate to the roo-yard! My adult hens have been free-ranging the yard, wandered in and are terrorizing the roos! 8 big fat hens have those roos backed up in a corner, just giving them the stink-eye! So I start to shoo the big girls out.
Not gonna happen! All the commotion has attracted my dogs. Chicken chasing dogs. They sit at the gate waiting for those hens. Now I have to chase down those indignant hens individually to toss em over the fence into their own yard. And of course, there are those young roos underfoot and running between me and my hens!
It's been raining this week. The roo-yard is more than a little muddy. You have this bushy haired old woman sloughing through the mud, dodging roos, to grab a bunch of stubborn hens! Not exactly the thing you want the neighbor to be witness to, huh?
Sheeshes! Some days! It's a durn good thing those hens lay good eggs, or they would be in my freezer tonight!
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