stu Posted December 17, 2012 Share Posted December 17, 2012 A strange thing today. I went to let the birds out to run the garden, as I am busy fighting with christmas lights, and they might enjoy the laugh. Doris was hung upside down from the cabbage that hangs from the run to about a couple of inches above their head height. It had become wrapped round one of her feet, and I have no clue as to how she may have arrived in this position, but am pleased to say she was relatively easily untangled from it, and seems fine in terms of now scratching and running about as normal. No distress on picking her up, and as curious as ever. I honestly thought she was dead when I forst saw her there. Just a word of warning I guess... be careful of things dangling in the run. I can only imagine the level of athleticism that was required, and I'm now fearful of th christmas lights... they may take an interest, and God only knows what kind of knot they can put in those. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suebee Posted December 17, 2012 Share Posted December 17, 2012 Oh crikey! What a shock that must have been... for both of you... .... Glad your girl is ok! Yes, I can certainly see how Christmas lights might prove to be a problem! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirstine Posted December 17, 2012 Share Posted December 17, 2012 This reminds me of an incident about 6 months ago when we first got our cockerel, Guy, with 3 'gals'. They were FR one day, and hubbie was out at the supermarket. One of our neighbours noticed a 'dead chicken' upside down in a fence near his house and, unable to contact hubbie phoned the landlord, a seasoned farmer. The landlord came down from the farm to have a look and found Guy upside-down and immobile but otherwise unharmed caught in the fence. Guy was duly released a little embarrassed but none the worse for his adventure and we found out about the escapade a couple of days later when hubbie met the landlord on the road and stopped for a chat. The incident has not been repeated. So chickens clearly do get caught up in things, but goodness knows how they manage it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auntielizzie Posted December 18, 2012 Share Posted December 18, 2012 There's always one isn't there I had to laugh at this because when I first got the chickens, I hung up some cabbage from a long piece of string attached to the ceiling in the run and my husband said "isn't that dangerous - won't they hang themselves on that?". There was me thinking how could he think something so ridiculous and then you put up this post Now I don't know if I should take the string down Hoping this is an uncommon event Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blueandwhite Posted December 18, 2012 Share Posted December 18, 2012 Glad alls well that ends well. But I had been thinking/worrying about this, especially as once the cabbage or whatever has been eaten the string remaining does look like a noose! Will be quicker to remove this in future but if they can get tangled up even with the food there this wouldn't help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hayleybug Posted December 18, 2012 Share Posted December 18, 2012 i worried about this before deciding to pierce the cabbage and use old washing line with a big knot at the end instead of tying around the cabbage (producing a 'noose' style leftover) i think this is safer, though my girls tend to leave the end bit of the cabbage anyway. am sure this has reduced the possibility of tangling (fingers crossed) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckmum6 Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 Omlet bungees are a perfect fit to trap Sussex hen legs. My YS had been out to refill grubs, but had left a bungee that holds the tarp down loose, some how it had managed to get caught on Florence's leg, pinning her to the ground. Fortunately I saw her lying there, I thought she had had some sort of fit, but was pleased to release her unharmed. She might have been more unlucky if I hadn't seen her before going to work especially on these dark mornings. We are all now aware of the bungee risk! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stu Posted December 19, 2012 Author Share Posted December 19, 2012 Wow... it's nice to see there are many acrobatic chickens out there... maybe we should put together a show? I am pleased to say that Doris is still in good form, and chickens seem to just lie still when trapped anyway, so at least they don't make things worse for themselves. I am still paranoid about string now, and working on a way to hang the cabbage from the side of the run. I like the idea of using washing line and a big knot... thanks for that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charly1979 Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 Glad all is well. My little Clarabell got herself caught up in a bush the v shape of a branch had caught her by the neck mind you if she had gone backwards she would have got free (do chickens have the ability to go backwards) A few years ago I gave my mum some outside christmas lights, they were spikes for the ground and had stars etc hanging from them, they lasted 1 day as her geese pulled them to shreds thankfully they werent switched on !! I was thinking of putting solar lights on top of my cube dont think I will now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickchick2012 Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 Funny you should query if chickens can go backwards - for the last week, my Buff Sussex has (reluctently) come down the ladder from her Eglu and on reaching the ground, has put her head down and gone backwards 3 or 4 steps. Then off she trots - what's that all about!!!!!! Chickens eh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charly1979 Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 lol you either have an extremly clever girl or mine are really thick ! and seeing as mine are prancing around in the rain like a bunch of idiots id say is clear to see what the answer is Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
