4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Chook n Boo Mum]

Yesterday my COF Blossom, decided to take a trip out of her personal freerange patch & into the wider garden with the big girls..........by all accounts a swift hop over the "soggy" (due to strong winds) fencing & onto Lily's back so she had a soft landing

 

After a few minutes wandering....and panicking on my part ....a liberal sprinkling of treats was thrown down for the chooks to enjoy together..then Snowdrop - lowest in the pecking order- decided to launch a surprise attack on the unsuspecting Blossom who shot straight into the fencing, got stuck & got beaten up by Snowdrop. Luckily no injuries were sustained as Snowdrop was elevated & tucked under my arm whilst Blossom ran round the run to safety. She refused to be caught & hopped up onto a barricade behind the WIR, then launched herself into the stockproof fencing at the edge of the garden . She was obviously unimpressed with the 6-7ft sheer drop into the ditch on the other side & decided retreating back to the garden was a better plan.

 

My relief was short lived however, when I moved towards her to shepherd her out the other end of the WIR.......she turned into the smallest harrier jump jet, did a vertical takeoff & landed on top of the WIR..at least 6ft up . Fortunately the threat of a net closing over her sent her over the WIR roof & she dropped down into her own run She was then shut into her eglu run until we had recovered our courage and trimmed her wing, this happened tonight along with another dose of surgical spirit and vaseline for her scaly leg mite which is nearly better

 

She's my smallest chook & so far by far the most trouble Maybe if she had friends on her side of the fence she might settle down

 

Sha x

[CluckyBucks]

Never underestimate the capability of a hens wings they can carry them many a height

 

xx xx

[bronze]

yes my pekin does the top of my wir with ease. I wonder if its body weight to wing size ratio

[Plum]

It's all go at your house. Would have made a good video for the forum

[Chook n Boo Mum]

It's all go at your house. Would have made a good video for the forum

 

.......with the sound off I shrieked very loudly when she landed on the top...during the vertical take-off I just stood there with my mouth open, I didn't believe she'd make it

 

Sha x

[Plum]

Sound would just make it better . She must have a homing instinct anyway.

[wombatally]

High! My pekins can all scale the 6 ft fence around them - some of them hop over that and the garden wall and into the big girls electrified enclosure in the field to beat them up for a bit and go back The others all end up wandering around our garden through the day playing in the borders.

 

I am now considering taking the fence down and just letting them get on with it.

[Valkyrie]

I loved reading your account of the incident! DD is after some Pekins and Barbie dolls (Barbu d'uccles etc), so that was interesting to read and add to the grey matter for future reference. (Way into the future that is - I'm not ready for more hens just yet - especially mini harrier jump jets ) Fortunately now that our girls are getting bigger and heavier I haven't needed to do their wings - poor Tipsy can fly around 3 ft, but can't steer and many a time I have cringed as she nearly bumps into walls and greenhouses - missing by a cat's whisker!

[Chook n Boo Mum]

Since having her wing clipped she seems to have stayed put in her little garden, though I think if I tried to catch her she'd still go up to evade me

 

I have to say, when I've told the tale since I've laughed, but at the time it was a bit scary, had she decided to fly off the WIR in the opposite direction to her run, I'd have probably lost her in the field next door as it takes a good few minutes to get from my garden to the other side of the fence as the gateway into that field is at the other end of the field behind us

 

I'll have to get the little minx used to being mauled after bed so she gets used to me ...she is now coming to the fence to see what goodies I have to offer when I call the big girls.....as do Buffie & the Bufflings.......trainee gannets they all are

 

Sha x