Chicken escapology

[Al B]

Had to share with you my experience today.Came home from work, knackered as we had been re-enacting Viking invasions in school! Went down to let chooks out. They are in a small run attached to their coop when no-one is in, then they have a large fenced off area for the rest of the time, accessed from their coop too. So I looked down garden to see said chooks peering at me through the fence of their large area! I was convinced that they had been put in their small run before I left for work at 8.15. In fact I know they had been, because the dog's run and kennel is through the other side of their run so they have to be put away before I can put him in his area!

So...how did they escape??? My son was convinced that they had dug an escape tunnel "ala The Great Escape" and that the exit hole would be under an upturned bucket instead of a vaulting horse (which is in their large run for them or me to sit on!) I have to admit I liked this idea and was disappointed when we found it wasn't there! He then thought that they had tunnelled out under the coop floor, "Colditz" style, and we would find spoons for digging, and piles of earth in the nest box, but this wasn't to be either. The door to their coop was closed and the run was secure, so we were baffled. They were also pretty cross as their food was inside their small run under cover and they couldn't get to it! It was beginning to sound like the script for Chicken Run - The Sequal..........

The answer was quite boring really. I had shut, but forgotten to bolt, the door to their coop so they had pushed it open and then it had blown shut leaving them stranded on the outside! The dog ( cocker spaniel) had spent the day with 3 chickens within very easy reach as they can fit through the bars of the fence into his kennel and run. In fact when he isn't there they spend time in his run as they have made a great dustbath in there, so they may even have been in there today, who knows? The relief is that there were still 3 chooks when I got home. They really made me laugh as we contemplated their possible escape plans - just what I needed after a long day at work with a class of demanding 9 year olds! Hope it makes you laugh too!

[b_cos_1_can]

blimey!!
glad they are all safe and sound and you figured it all out!

[seahorse]

The Colonel had a stint at being Houdini. I was preparing him for a visit to the vet and shut him in the old coop. He was ill at the time and hardly moved all day. I wrapped him in a warm towel and shut him in. Next day he was missing all day. Not a feather to be seen. Searched all 6 acres and no sign. Following monday he was crowing in the garden right as rain. Alls well....