Talk about Crisis. wow

[Ascholten]

Ok, they snuck out again this morning. I swear these brats can sneak out the smallest of holes. Picture an opening about the size of the mouth of a 16 oz beer glass. You know, one of those plastic beach ones. Yep, that's about the size of the hole where I didn't put the screen back and they wiggled right out.

THis is not the first time, they do this often, they are sneaky little brats. Im home today, was going to let them out for the day regardless so just said ok fine, WTF EVER, and left it as is. I was feeling kind of tired / run down, so figured well, they are out, I threw some food in the general area, they are fed, not to mention are free ranging, im going to see if I can catfish a slight snoozer here.

About 830 am. cry cry cry......... CRY CRY CRY........... CRYYYYYY CRYYYYY CRYYYYYYYYY. I jump out of bed goto the window and yell STFU already what the HELL!!
about 30 seconds later CRY CRY CRYY!!!! ok, i throw my shoes on, im stomping downstairs im about to literally go outside and do a grand ole footstomper yelling at them chasing them into the bushes or whatever. sleep is a non entity at this point.

Then it dawns on me. They are all standing outside the coop, looking at the back end, crying, looking at the coop. This is kind of odd. Then it really dawned on me.
OH I GET IT!!! They snuck out, but can't get back IN !! They want to lay their eggs but can't get to the egg box, because the sneaky hole is kind of a one way thing. I say HAH!! good for you sneaky little brats, i should let you egg your pants!! that'll teach you for sneaking out!!

I pull the secondary cage back that lets them back in. The one literally about runs into the coop and kerflump!! straight up into the egg layer, no questions asked. 2 of the others take about an additional 30 seconds to minute to go inside. Within about two minutes, all 3 of them are in the laying box. I find this kind of amusing. One is making like a warbling sound which I can't help but laugh. I picture this poor hen in like a, "I just ate Taco Bell and my britches are burbling and there's not a dumper within 2 miles of me. oh LORDY I am in trouble!! 'situation. I ended up with a 4 for 4 day .. well 4 for 5, the new one still has not laid a thing.

I find it kind of interesting they'd stand and wait, and throw a fit about not being able to get into their box to lay, when they could literally go into any one of the 100 hidey holes they have around the yard, and do so. In a way I guess this is a good thing, I mean, I really do NOT want them to get into the habit of hiding eggs now.

Aaron

 

[Ascholten]

Two of them got out AGAIN this morning. It seems there was a little hole in the wire. Id NEVER have believed this if I did not hide and watch them. She stuck her head out of the hole in the wire and pushed to push the wire down to make the hole a bit bigger, she then started pushing and wiggling to get out, actually getting stuck in the wire once or twice having to stop and start wiggling again to continue getting out, she finally squirmed out of the pen, and well... was free to complain in the yard

Granted I did not feed them yet, she was able to see the container I keep their food in, so that was motivation but still, this is not good. Im going to have to re think how I keep their pen closed up now and figure a different way of putting the food bowl in and out. I might just build like a little framed door or something so that I can open and close but it's not by bending wire, so they have an opportunity to do.... THIS.... again.

This kind of behavior. Would a regular chicken do things like this, or is this because I spend a lot of time with them, I have them very domesticated, and well, she's 'pushy' now?

Aaron

 

[3KillerBs]

I have one who flies out of the fence when she feels like it and one that goes under the fence if I'm not diligent about blocking her excavations.

 

[Ascholten]

Im glad you mentioned that. I do have a few low spots around the fence. That's the last thing I need is for her to discover there's a whole world outside the fence and then deciding she belongs out there and not in here. I just figured, ok I got a BIG yard, they have plenty to scratch ad scrabble here, and the coop is here for safety, should be no need to go outside the fence, but why did the chicken cross the road right? I hope she isn't to become a real problem child.

Aaron

 

[Aapomp831]

We got so frustrated with our leghorns escaping that they are now in a covered kennel attached to their coop. I wish I could just explain to them - they would have a whole 1 acre run to themselves instead of this tiny area. We did make them some tunnels so they can get fresh grass and “free range” everyday.
We love our chickens, but because of these kinds of behavior (and the struggles to get them to lay where we want, broodies we need like another damn cockerel). Al of their idiosyncratic behaviors cost us money - new nesting boxes, new enclosures, separation areas for this that and the other.
A friend recently asked us if we named our chickens - my husband turned around, without skipping a beat and said “Yes. Asshole. Every single one of them is named Asshole.” Like I said, we love them.... but they’re assholes.

 

[Ascholten]

and lets not even begin to get into them getting into the raised bed gardens. All last year, and early this year not a problem, but now that she discovered she can get on top of things, .. and sneak, they want to dig up the gardens. Yesterday they got if you can believe this crap 2 of them managed to get into a 5 gallon bucket at the same time to root through potato plants, tearing the hell out of them in the process. Some chickie pooh's are going to learn the joys of a wiffle ball bat if they ain't careful

Aaron

 

[3KillerBs]

I hope she isn't to become a real problem child.

That's my Chipotle, the flyer. I'll probably always want 1-2 California Whites in a flock because she's a great layer and incredibly entertaining, but if she gets eaten because she is too curious and mobile for her own good then it's her own fault not mine.

 

[Aapomp831]

and lets not even begin to get into them getting into the raised bed gardens. All last year, and early this year not a problem, but now that she discovered she can get on top of things, .. and sneak, they want to dig up the gardens. Yesterday they got if you can believe this crap 2 of them managed to get into a 5 gallon bucket at the same time to root through potato plants, tearing the hell out of them in the process. Some chickie pooh's are going to learn the joys of a wiffle ball bat if they ain't careful

Aaron

I have my flower garden surrounded by hardware cloth so they don’t get in when they do escape (out of my layers, I have 2 that fly the fence but they are sold as of Saturday). The leghorns are currently in the process of trying to Shawshank out of their kennel; they have started a legitimate tunnel that we’re planning on filling in and covering with cement blocks this weekend.

 

[Sally PB]

OH I GET IT!!! They snuck out, but can't get back IN !! They want to lay their eggs but can't get to the egg box, because the sneaky hole is kind of a one way thing. I say HAH!! good for you sneaky little brats, i should let you egg your pants!! that'll teach you for sneaking out!!

Egg your pants. I almost washed my monitor with coffee!

 

[Auntiejessi3]

F-n hilarious!