I thought I'd lost our friendliest chicken

[turbokev]

We have 8 chickens.. 5 weeks old or so. One inparticular is very friendly.. comes right over to us, jumps up on our hands, sits on my shoulder or lap and loves to be patted.
She's a Buff Orpington and her name is Brownie..

Tonight we went to the mall with our kids so they could play in the big farmyard playground there and get a DQ ice cream..
We left the chickens in the run since it was 'secure'..

Well, when we got home I went to bring the chickens in for the night and there were only 7 of them there...
The run is only about 8x12 so it was pretty easy to look in the corners for the missing bird.. Brownie ~


It was pretty dark but it was also pretty obvious she wasn't there...


I couldn't imagine how a cat or something else could have possible got her..


then, I started looking more closely...


looking...



higher...




and there, about 6 and a half feet off the ground...



in the corner directly above where all the other birds were sleeping....




sat, Brownie.

Lesson learned.. Never underestimate how well they can fly at this young age..
I've NEVER seen them pop off the ground more than a couple feet to get up on the stump we have in there..
I had no idea she could get that far up.

 

[VelvetDragon]

OMG that's adorable how she's squished in there. She looks quite proud of herself for finding that awesome place to sleep.

I'm so glad she was just tucked away and not missing! The buff orps seem soooo sweet.

 

[theoldchick]

Sometimes a girl needs her privacy!

 

[Noble Rooster]

That is so cute! She does look very pleased with herself.

 

[artsyrobin]

reminds me of my Sugar, they are a special breed!

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

Nice little scare she gave you - and then to look at you all sweet and loving - almost looks like she is smiling.

 

[DDRanch]

So happy you found her. Isn't it just heartstopping when you think one is missing, and then you finally find them?
She should have told you.....

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

Mine sleep like 8 feet off the ground in the rafters of the coop, they completely ignore the roosts I put in there for them... they have done this since a week after I put them out there... the higher the better!!!