Yesterday, as I opened the garden gate, I could not believe what I saw.
Buff the Wayward Chicken and her band of merry makers hooligans had escaped. Not only had they busted out of the more than adequately sized chicken run, they had dug, scratched, and pulled up nearly everything in sight in the lower garden. Plus, they ate all of the onion starts I had planted a few weeks ago at the base of my raspberries. All 300 of them.
How nice.
Luckily, I was able to shoo them away before too much damage was done. Had they of made their way to the upper garden and destroyed by newly planted garden beds, it might have been curtains for all of them.
So what is a suburban backyard farmer to do?
Move the coop. As far away from the garden as possible.
And that is exactly what The Girl Who Thinks She’s A Bird and I did as soon as the chickens went to bed.
Last night, after the chickens had made their way into the coop, The Girl locked the door on the Eglu. Then, in a calculated and stealth like fashion, we jacked the thing up and rolled it {uphill} to its new location.
Siberia.
When the chickens woke up this morning and sauntered out of the coop, they were a wee bit confused. Sure the door to the coop was open, but the pen doors were locked.
Today’s project: Create an escape proof chicken run.
When I am done securing the new Chicken Fort Knox headquarters, Buff will not be able to escape, and the vegetables will be safe.
All.Summer.Long.
To be continued…
You Can Call Me Jane says
Oh, I’m interested to see your plans. We routinely have trouble with this. Our chickens had even learned to parkour their way out of the run by jumping briefly from a window ledge to a nearby tree then to the ground on the other side of the run fence. And that was AFTER their wings had been clipped. Our Americaunas are the worst at flying up and over despite high fences WITH barbed wire and clipped wings. Sorry about your onions:-(. Godspeed, Mavis. Godspeed.
Margaret says
OMG Jane, chickens parkouring their way out made me laugh out loud 🙂
We’re building a chicken tractor with the intent of getting 4 chickens in the very near future! And when I step out my back door there’s a hawk’s nest in the trees not 100 feet away… Hence a chicken tractor complete with enclosed run is what we’re putting together. The run will be enclosed in hardware cloth. And oodles of 1″ staples attaching the very strong wire netting to the framing of the run. I’m so scared of mink and weasels getting the chickens… we’re going for a Fort Knox effect …with hardware cloth 😀
Can’t wait to see what you decide to do Mavis!
Mavis says
I’m trying to get Chicken Fort Knox completed quickly, I hope it works.
Mavis says
Peter the Americauna is #2 on the offender list. Silly birds. It’s all fun and games until someone loses a few plants.
Krista says
Damn! I’m sorry they ate your hard work, Mavis. I hope the enclosed chicken run is successful.
Mavis says
Let’s hope so. :0
Kat says
This is one of my big hesitations with getting chickens – I love my garden and don’t want them to eat it! I’m SO sorry this happened…I’d be super bummed (and really ticked!)
Angela says
Our Americaunas are escape artists too!! Nothing keeps them grounded…the other chickens wait patiently to be let out like good little chickens. So sorry to hear about the loss of your onions…
Sheryl says
I am so glad I found your blog Mavis!! I was always looking forward to Mondays!! THanks for all the info:)
Mavis says
Welcome Sheryl! 🙂