Pay attention to your flock-long story-kinda funny

[Matejka]

We have a low spot in pasture close to septic, we call it the frog pond.
We got some fill dirt to level it, and keep all tools in shed with tractor-shed 14x26.
7 a.m. we start work, chicken s out-other side of pasture. We finish about 11, go inside to cool off lunch and nap. Partner wakes up around 1, goes puts all tools in shed and closes door-it has a regular garage door. I get up about 2, do a little house work then go check on chickens.
NO chickens-anywhere. They were in pasture at 11 when we came inside.
I check all 4 barns stalls, their favorite nook in calf pen-nothing
I panic. Behind barn is 600 acres of cow pastures. Climb thru fence check behind our barns and closest brush piles. Nothing.
4 o'clock, back to porch, hot tired, sweaty, drink some tea and started calling again. I hear a LOUD crow. From behind shed. That side has 10 acres of junk cars, 55 gal drums, junk everywhere, all wrapped up in mesquites and knee high grass.
I go back in our 4 acre pasture walk fence, calling.
NOTHING. NO CHICKENS.
Go BACK to porch, tea and start calling, LOUD crow behind shed.
Nothing no birds, I am ready to climb thru fence and start searching junk when my eyes light on shed-hmmmm.
Unlock shed and call, cluck cluck cluck-here comes the entire flock-looking at me like "what took you so long".

 

[sourland]

 

[Matejka]

I did a lot of walking looking for my babies.
Here a pic of hoop and barns from porch.
The tractor shed is on the opposite side of pasture.

 

[Callender Girl]

Your line "I panic" is me every time I can't find a chicken. In my mind, she's always been carried off by a predator, died in some mysterious way or is hopelessly lost.

When I was rounding up the girls to coop them before a recent storm, I was convinced I had accidentally "buried" one of my hens behind all the bales I'd just unloaded into a hay shed. I was rushing into the house to get better gloves and a flashlight, prepared to throw every bale into the rain to save her.

As I passed the teeny, tiny coop that two bantams share at night, out of its very small doorway popped a big, fluffy Buff Orpington who had managed to wedge herself both into and out of their coop.

Isn't it great when our crises turn out to be imaginary? Thank goodness your flock is okay!! And, you got a great cardio workout searching for them!

 

[Matejka]

Your line "I panic" is me every time I can't find a chicken. In my mind, she's always been carried off by a predator, died in some mysterious way or is hopelessly lost.

When I was rounding up the girls to coop them before a recent storm, I was convinced I had accidentally "buried" one of my hens behind all the bales I'd just unloaded into a hay shed. I was rushing into the house to get better gloves and a flashlight, prepared to throw every bale into the rain to save her.

As I passed the teeny, tiny coop that two bantams share at night, out of its very small doorway popped a big, fluffy Buff Orpington who had managed to wedge herself both into and out of their coop.

Isn't it great when our crises turn out to be imaginary? Thank goodness your flock is okay!! And, you got a great cardio workout searching for them!

They are a handful.
If I didn't care about them.....they would not be so much work.
It's a lot of work keeping them safe. I enjoy every minute of it.