[babe]

for the past week ive been woken up every morning, by custard shouting outside my bedroom window. and every morning ive gotten up at 5.30 to open the gate to the chicken garden and let her back in to her friends.

ive been around all the fences to try and find where she's getting out - nothing. her wings are clipped and i know she can't fly over the 6 foot fence.

so this morning before daylight, (4.10am), i donned my woolies, got a garden chair and positioned myself with a hot mug of strong coffe to see whats going on.

just over an hour later, Custard is first up and saunters out of the chicken shed with the swagger of an italian stud straight over to the feed bins, and using each one as a stepping stone, hops her way up and over the fence.

she wanders straight over to my bedroom window (i live in a bungalow) and proceeds with her dawn chorus.

all that was missing was the theme to Mission impossible playing in the background.

the feed bins have now been moved and fingers crossed that my little houdini has been out smarted - but i have a funny feeling this is one game im going to lose.

[WG.]

What can you expect if you give her a cat's name!  http://www.roobarbandcustard.tv/

[Aunt Sally]

Great story happyvalley.  I can just see you in your jimjams and slippers. woollies, hat, gloves, coffee on chicken stakeout at 4.10a.m.  :shock:   Dedication  :!:

[richyrich7]

Sounds a bit like chicken run vs the great escape if you ask me.
 

[babe]

aunt sally, you have no idea how close you are - im just glad none of the neighbours were about to see me, or they'd have me carted off to the funny farm

[Fat Hen]

He he, my silkies view our raised patio (all of 8") with a degree of trepidation.  And are particularly proud of themselves when they perch on the lintel of the French Window it must be nearly a foot.

[Fat Hen]

Oops missed a bit - yours msut be the SAS of chickens.

[GrannieAnnie]

We've got one chook that gets out every day, but nothing as exciting as yours HV.  Usually she loks as if she got out, but can't remember how to get back in, especially when I've just put something nice like greens inside the run for the others, as she wanders up and down, then goes through the gate when I open it for her.  then one day last week, OH and Penny the dog were on rat watch, and the escapee, walked over to the run, and suddenly jumped up and pushed her way through the 3rd square up of the stock fencing.

But she gets out again and again and again, but is back in by bedtime!

[babe]

hi grannieannie, why is it just one. its only Custard thats escaping.

and yes, she outsmarted me, she was out again this morning, my own personal alarm clock ( and i cant find the button to change the time on a chicken)

i never shut the chicken shed, but am seriously thinking about shuting it tonight to see what happens, either that or its another 4am stakeout to see how she's doing it now.

This is custard 5 minutes ago - can you see the determination Ha Ha

[GrannieAnnie]

   That's a VERY determined chook you have there HV!!

I don't know why its only one, you'd think at least some of the others would follow suit wouldn't you?  Especially when there's loads more lovely grass the other side of the fence!!!

Now I know who first said the immortal words "The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence"  It was a chicken!!!! lol

[babe]

you're not kidding, she actually stared stright into the camera and kept dead still.

be afraid .... be very afraid  

[GrannieAnnie]

   

[WG.]

  all that picture needs is a Mel Gibson voice-over!

[babe]

hello everyone,

ive just been off to cyprus for a holiday and my sister has been in everyday chook sitting. and for two weeks she kept phoning to say that custard was a figment of my imagination as she had not seen her once.

on my return i hunted both gardens, (which had grown trifid style weeds in my absense) and no luck.

then yesterday as i started weeding the trifids, theres custard snuggled deep beneath the mint and lemon balm in the herb wheel, stuck fast on 12 eggs.

what do i do now, is it too late to swap them for fertile eggs, as i dont know how long she has been sitting and i really would hate her to have gone through all this and get no babies.

she is still going into the chook garden to eat etc, but gets back to her own nest pretty sharpish. she obviously wanted to do this peacefully away from her friends.

any help would be good.

thanks