Escape Convicts

Yep, please note the direction of their escape...from the barn lot to the garden. Read below to see how the story unfolds....

This is the sweet face I found as I went out to check on the chickens. This is one of our resident barn swallow chicks. He was just hanging out in the sun on the lip of the run-in shed. I hope he makes it, but I'm doubtful. He didn't make any attempt to fly...

As I opened the coop door, I immediately noticed there had been an infiltrator in the coop! I'm guessing it was Hammish. He dug his way from the aisle of the barn into the coop. This isn't an easy task, mind you. I had reinforced this area with bricks, then covered and filled with dirt. I guess Hammish is more determined than we had expected. Shannon had found a similar hole right next to it a few weeks ago, and put the cinder block to prevent any similar mishaps. That lasted 3 weeks.

In the above picture, you can see Shannon's cinder block, and the brick Hammish moved to get in. The reason I'm thinking it's Hammish, is because if it were any other predator, it would have killed the chickens. After seeing this hole, I immediately counted chicken heads. All were accounted for and they didn't seem stressed at all. Once again, this is why I'm thinking this was Hammish. He must really love his ladies to break into their coop at night to spend some quality time with them...

I let the girls out, and they immediately found the fresh piles of horse pooh and started feasting. Yeah, it's gross, but hey, they do it. It really cuts down on flies, parasites, and chicken feed. Over to the left, you can see Blanche straining her neck to get to some insect on the wall...what cool scavengers!

Here, they are plotting their attack.

I left the chickens for awhile to go in and make dinner. I came back out to check on them, and they were no where to be found! I immediately looked at the garden...on the other side of the pasture fence. Yep, there they were...badnesses. My escape convicts.
Can you spot them in the corn???

What about now? I could just see Blanche telling Myrtle to be quiet, and they may be left unnoticed. No such luck, Blanche!
(Click on the picture to read Blanche's commentary...)

On the garden side of the fence I shoo'd them out back under the fence...Shannon wrangled them back up to the pasture.

They pecked and scratched for a bit...and planned their counter-attack.

Pyper decided to do her version of the chicken dance, and showing them her belly. That's where they will be if they keep getting into my garden!
IN PYPER'S BELLY!

The chickens were not impressed with her rendition of the chicken dance, or her threats of being eaten. They continued their plans. They ended up in the garden 3 times. All three times, we ushered these clucking beasts back to where they belonged. If I weren't such a nice chicken owner, and want them to be happy and free, I'd leave them in their coop!