Sneaky Stupid Hen!!

[Davidisinaband]

So, I went out to feed my chickens this morning. It was nice and warm, and I was greeted by 6 eager faces in the door way. Normally, when I open the door, they all go back to the middle of the coop and wait with the hope of some scratch feed. This time however, as I opened the door, one of my hens decided to make a break for it... Successfully.. -_-

So the rest of my day, after I tossed a fishing net at her in a Hail Mary attempt, was spent sitting on the deck keeping watch with a .22 for the stray dogs, a 12 gauge for the hawk the crows were harassing earlier, and listening to 5 ticked off chickens with the 6th happily scratching and mocking them. Add to the fact the half dozen stray cats that couldn't make up their mind if she was friend/food/threat and I had an interesting day. I caged the 5 up, put them in the dark basement to quiet them down, left the rooster in his cage inside the coop so he could call her back, and left the door wide open. At six o'clock she walked herself right back in just as pretty as you please.

If she had only known how close she was to becoming soup, she wouldn't have seemed so pleased with herself.

I had been wanting to let them free range on the warm nice days, but after this little stunt mixed with having to run a dog off, the Cooper's Hawk, and hearing a fox vocalize at dusk, I don't think my nerves will ever be able to tolerate it..

 

[sourland]

Watch out tomorrow. She'll be telling everyone what a great day she had, and they all will make a break for it.

 

[Davidisinaband]

That's what I'm worried about! lol

I did scold them all when I finally reunited them. Nice antifungal treatment to all their combs, and I turned the light off on them tonight. No more Mr. Nice Warden! They'll let me approach them, or I'll start carrying a taser on me when I go to feed.. lol

 

[sourland]

Do not let Mississipppifarmboy know that you have a taser. For some bizarre reason he is looking for one. Something to do with his rehabilitation.

 

[Davidisinaband]

Quote:
LOL..

The ones that don't shoot projectiles out are quite fun! I can see why he wants one.. lol Nothing like drinking with friends and handing it over to the one guy you know will do it. I read a story of a guy buying one for his wife and insisted on testing it out before giving it to her. He stuck it on his leg and couldn't let go of the trigger.. Woke up in the floor with soiled drawers drooling and looking at his recliner where he was sitting upside down across the room.. lol

 

[CathyM]

I can totally sympathize!

I have been letting my six range in the backyard when I'm around - it started in summer when I was physically out there, working or reading. And now they run back and forth along the pen fence like they're prisoners 'til I let them out -- but at that point I'm distracted all day, since I check on them every 20 min. or so, and I can't see the whole yard from the house (I'm sorely tempted to put a camera up in my "blind spot", except that it's probably the only exercise I get some days.

) Every now and then, one of them finds a gap in the yard fences and gets out, and then I have a lively adventure collecting them! Once they all made The Great Escape and were across my neighbor's 1 acre yard heading for a 2nd neighbor! That worked out okay, though - when the 2nd neighbor saw them, he asked if I sold eggs!

I have a bad back sometimes, so catching them isn't easy (I don't have a net, either). If they don't do the submissive chicken squat, I have to chase them until I can trap them in a corner! As I say, it's sometimes the only exercise I get... I'm thinking about marketing it -- calling it "Henscersize"!

 

[Davidisinaband]

Quote:
I can so sympathize! lol

Most of my day was spent with my ear to the woods listening for the scratching. We have a small yard then it's nothing but woods and farmland past that. My back went out a few days ago too, so that's how she managed to get past me in the first place. I knew chasing was just going to be a futile effort from the start. I just let out a huge sigh and fed the rest of the chickens. I mainly got the net to vent some frustration. lol It's only a 12" round by two foot handle net.. I seriously thought about breaking out the cast net, but I was worried about how good I still was at it. I'd hate to try and spin it and hit her square with 3 lbs of lead sinkers.. lol