the chickens escaped!

**forestdale** · 08-14-2005, 03:15 PM

All they needed was that music from "the great escape" and it would have set the scene perfectly.

I'd just finished sending some emails and looked up to see someting moving outside. It was just after 5pm so the light wasn't good but I saw something moving along the fence. I thought it was a possum but when I looked again, it was Gabby, followed my Sara and Margery, moving slowly along the top of the fence. lol

I raced outside but by the time I got out there, they'd all jumped down into our neighbour's yard. Luckily he and his dog were out. We have a big backyard, we have three neighbours on that side so it wasn't a matter of running in next door and getting them back. I either had to jump a 6' fence or drive around the block into the next street and go in the front way. I decided to wait for DH to come home. lol I went inside and got some cookies, crumbled them up and threw them just inside the fence. That kept the chickens close to the fence.

About 10 minutes later, DH arrived. I yelled out for him to come over and he thought I was calling him to look at the new girls.

He jumped the fence and grabbed Gabby. I took her into the coop and cut her wings. The two black chickens were another story. They were so hard to see, it was almost dark. I got some torches and we eventually cornered one of them but the other one ran down to the creek.

I took the captured one into the coop and I could hear DH swearing and carrying on about how he just wanted to relax when he came home from work. lol It took about 10 minutes to catch the last one. We cut their wings, put them into the coop with the others and came inside. There was a bit of a hen fight with the new girls but things settled down quickly.

It's still dark outside so I don't know how they are this morning. I'll have to keep them in the coop for a week or two because they can easily get through the wire fence.

So much for stress-free chickens.

**PrairieRose** · 08-14-2005, 03:29 PM

Sounds like a good time was had by all, Rhonda

You're dh sounds like Gripey when it comes to such things.

**Kimberlina** · 08-14-2005, 03:41 PM

Even though the similarities are few, your story reminded me of the movie Chicken Run. Those little stinkers! Glad you were able to get them back.

**canadian gardener** · 08-14-2005, 04:53 PM

fiesty little baguettes aren't they???

**Nada.Leona** · 08-14-2005, 04:58 PM

lol, that's a great story, funny!

Can I ask a question, though -- does "cutting the wings" mean something as painful as it sounds?

Bright Blessings!
Aphrodite Pretty

**Darlene** · 08-14-2005, 05:10 PM

They probably thought they were free range chickens and could go wherever they pleased.

**slowtypinwoman** · 08-14-2005, 05:29 PM

cutting the wings refers to cutting the feathers on the wing just past the bone. You cut just one so the can't balance out to fly. They don't fly like regular birds but can get far enough to get over a fence or up in the rafters of a barn. HTH

**forestdale** · 08-14-2005, 05:37 PM

Naderbug, don't worry, cutting their wings is not painful at all. It means just cutting the ends off the flight feathers - these are the feathers that are on the lower part of the wings, the ones that enable short bursts of flight. I'm pretty sure that they flew up from the nest ledge up to an opening in the coop wall and hopped over to the fence. I think the big chickens going into the coop frightened them and they wanted out. Now they can't "fly" up that high and so should be quite safe. I'd never do anything at all to hurt an animal or bird, or any other thing either. These chickens, if they survive these first couple of days lol, will live a wonderful life with their free ranger cousins. We love our girls.

I went out a few minutes ago and they all look good. The babies are feeding, although when I took out their warm porrige, the big chickens wouldn't let them have any. I'll make them another batch soon when I let the big chikens out to roam in the backyard for the day.