The Great Escape

The two little bantams have found out they can manage a good escape plan when they put their minds to it. Four nights ago there was panic. Went out to lock them up for the night and no chickens to be found. Searched for signs of feathers or anything that would indicate a fox attack and nothing – just two missing girls. In the end I went back in rather puzzled and hoping that come the morning I would be able to locate them and that they would still be safe and well.

The following morning I could hear an almighty ruckus from the neighbour’s garden. Turns out they were ten foot up a tree in the garden behind us! I sent hubby out with ladders to go and retrieve the flighty madames, but as soon as he was in the garden they flew down, popped through a gap in the fence and stood waiting outside the chicken run to be let back in. The last three nights they have repeated this little jaunt and last night depite going out to round them up earlier than normal in the hope they would not yet of roosted I found them staring down at me from ten foot up. At least each morning they are always waiting to go back into their run and they don’t try to escape again come bedtime – bonkers little ladies!

Wing Clipping & Run Moving

Despite them both being wing clipped they are clearly able to get a good lift off and flight so today I plan to check for any feather regrowth and reclip. We shall then be moving the run again as I think they are jumping up onto their house, from the house onto the back fence, and from there up into the neighbour’s tree.

I’ve thoroughly checked the house over for any signs of redmite or pests that would be stopping them wanting to go in there and it is perfectly clean, so clearly they just enjoy a high up perch at night. I’m hoping once clipped and moved and following a few days of putting them to bed late afternoon they will get back into the habit of sleeping in the safe house instead of the rather windy tree where any local predator could get old of them.

Fingers crossed…!