Omlet cube and run

[Nikipins]

Earlier in the year in an attempt to save some of the garden from the feathered terrorists, I fenced the 3 chooks into an area at the end of the garden. Ever since it has a been a battle of wills and netting to keep them contained. They do a great reenactment of the great escape by digging tunnels under the netting and just when I think I have enough pegs in to stop the tunnelling they work out a new tactic of pulling at the netting with their beaks until they pull it off the posts and then when it's slack they can wriggle out underneath again. Today when I got home from work they were looking very pleased with themselves standing at the conservatory doors as if saying "here we are, did you miss us"

They are getting close to being put up for adoption, especially today as I had put all my seedlings outside to start hardening off before I went to work and returned to find most of them eaten by the errant chooks. No cabbage for the hens this winter!

[Eggasperated]

Sorry, not really funny, but I can just picture their faces outside your conservatory.

[Alis girls]

I am no expert but I think you have to think like a chicken. If you can stand in their run ( or lie in it if its not walk in) and look at possible escape routes and block em. They have beady little eyes and dont miss a trick - if they see a potential gap they;ll be thro it. You are talking to a woman whos been there and has the DVD, shirt and PS3 game. Mine are going to be in the next Colditz film- "escape from Egluville".

[Nikipins]

Our lovely neighbour looked after the terrorists for a week whilst we were away on holiday, she was very annoyed at being out witted by them. She wanted to set up CCTV cameras to find out how they were getting out every day. Do I have to abandon the idea of veggies in the garden this year until a solid fortress has been built for the chooks?

[Alis girls]

Maggie May my had obviously been on Omlet today as she was wandering around out of chicken area whilst OH mowed the lawn and he hadnt even noticed her I feel your pain.

[Jenthelibrarian]

I feel your pain, I was planting baby bean plants into my raised bed, briefly turned my back on the tray of seedlings and someone [*meaningful look at Miss Mathilda] had neatly nipped off the top of each shoot.

 

My solution is to net the veggie-beds, with the added advantage of cat-poop prevention.

[Nikipins]

I think netting the veg beds might be a good idea for added protection, or shall I wrap the chickens in netting as an easier option?

[Alis girls]

The latter much more effective.

[suebee]

......... I have to place 'tubes' of wire netting around individual 'fave' plants which we love to have a good peck at (destroy). Agreed, that netting off the veggies helps. Instead of floppy netting for the chooks' enclosure, why not try wire netting, stapled to stakes banged into the ground?