It might just be me, but sometimes chickens are the funniest creatures... I was out cleaning the coop this weekend, changing the straw and pine shavings in the nesting boxes. I have been experimenting with pans in the nesting boxes to contain the mess and make it a little easier to clean them. The first 2 nesting boxes have small cat litter pans, kind of expensive at $6 a pop, but they are antibacterial. The other 8 boxes have aluminum Lasagna pans. I pinned the pans down with a thumb tack to keep them from moving around, which worked great on the aluminum pans, but apparently not so much with the plastic ones. As I was sweeping the shavings and straw from the coop floor 3 or 4 of the hens were looking to get into a nesting box. While I was sweeping I heard a 'thunk' - BAUCK! I looked at the 2nd nesting box and saw a hen standing on the end of one of the plastic pans, the bottom of the pan was near vertical. It was as if she had a 'quizzical' look about her, almost like she was trying to comprehend what had just happened. She hopped out of the box and paced back and forth in front of the other nesting boxes. I went back to sweeping. Seconds later another 'thunk' - BAUCK! Same hen, same box, same quizzical look. That's when I realized what the 'thunk' was... The upending plastic box hitting her beak. She hopped out of the box and paced in front of the other boxes. Intrigued, I watched, and sure enough, right back into the same box, onto the edge of the plastic pan, which immediately flipped up and 'thunk-ed' her beak, at the same time she squawked BAUCK! Now I'm laughing. Out of the box she hops, paces back and forth a couple time, jumps right back into the same box and 'thunk' - BAUCK! I'm laughing hysterically now, as out she hops out, paces back and forth, jumps right back in and 'thunk' - BAUCK! Now, I'm laughing so hard I have tears streaming down my face... A quick trip to get my screw gun and a small screw which prevented the box from flipping up, and shortly I was rewarded with a nice brown egg. Perhaps I lack the necessary word smithing skill required to paint the picture of my memory. But I'll not soon forget the sound of 'thunk' - BAUCK! - and the look of bewilderment (at least in my mind) of that hen. I hope all the animals that I may have on my farm bring me as much joy as these humble creatures. Matt
HA. Reminds me of the first and last time I ever fed treats on a paper plate. You got it. Someone stepped on the edge and launched all their peas and carrots about three feet behind her right up over her head. She looked so confused but as everyone else ran to go eat, she ran after them. So much for not feeding them in the dirt.
Chickens = 'cheep' entertainment. Of course they are not cheap, I do not want to calculate if the hens have paid their coop and pen off yet after 3 years of egg laying. Good story about the thunk-BAUCK! Couple years ago I got the bright idea to try a lidded cat litter box for an isolated hen. Happened to be in her pen when she laid an egg and started her egg song. I can not even begin to describe the sound of what happened next. She stood up and stepped on the rim of the litter box. The litter box slowly tipped forward and she disappeared as the litter box came over top of her, her egg and all the straw slid around her. The now vertical litter box then popped and separated in its 2 halves, splitting open like one of those jeweled Russian Faberge eggs, only this one was a white plastic cat litter box with a very puzzled red hen standing covered in straw. Being forever optimistic I thought she could figure out how to use this nest box. For 3 more days I found it split in half with a pile of straw and a scrambled egg on the ground. Finally had to admit defeat and give her only the lidded hood.
MattJohnson, you're a perfectly adequate wordsmith; I started laughing as I read your post. And peepacheep, I learned to look for the really large covered kitty litter boxes for that same reason - I have several Orpingtons who can tip lightweight litter boxes easily enough. Not cheap, but Booda litter boxes are good gecause they're round and kinda heavy. I can spend hours and hours watching the flock. Somebody will always do something amusing. Or adorable.
It sounds like the old stepping on a rake story! How delightful. I've been away from my chooks for three days, and I missed their antics. Thanks for sharing.
Thank-you for the tip gryeyes! I will look for the Booda boxes. Dowie, hope you are back home to your flock soon. Chicken withdrawal, never thought that would be something I would experience but I do miss their antics.
