Last Tuesday evening, as usual, my older son closed the chook palace's door and check that there are 3 chooks & 4 quails inside. I put our puppy Tassie inside the fenced area that contains her 'dog pen' and the chook run. Tassie decided that night she will not go in the dog pen (we are still training her as she's 8 months old atm). So I decided that since chooks are in the palace, it should be ok.
As I walked back inside the house, I briefly wondered if I should check that the door to the chook palace is really locked... but didn't.
Woke up at 7.30am the following day, got kids dressed, etc and happened to glance out of window and saw the chook palace's door is OPEN!!! Ack! And then I could see Tassie was still inside the run! Oh no! I quickly checked with my older boy how he closed the door and whether he checked again to ensure its really locked once he closed it - nope he didn't think so. Sighs...
So I had to walk toward the chook palace and got Tassie out of the fenced run, and quickly checked the chooks inside... One, two... oh no!! Where's Betsy!!??!!
No signs of feathers, struggles nor blood anywhere inside the palace, surroundings or even in the run!
Looked everywhere again... nothing! And looked at Tassie again, she looked back happily and waiting for me to play with her. sighs... She may have got inquisitive when she heard Betsy clucked after she laid her egg that morning and nosed inside, and probably scared the poor chooks out their feathers!
After taking kids to school, I came back home to have another look around the property. Lo and behold, she's at next door property! She flew over the Coop! Over the 6 feet tall fence!!
After putting Tassie inside the house with my young son, I tried to entice my Betsy back in our property. After 10 mins, we were nearly there then suddenly she flapped back into the bush, away from our property - there's Tassie, wondering what I am doing at the gate alone! Arrgghhh!
Walked back to the house to ask my young son why he let Tassie out of the house. His reply was that he's worried she would do poo'ing inside and that the smell will be really yukky! right right... sighs
So I spent all day glancing out to see if Betsy is still flapping around outside the coop - so far yep.
Finally when it was late afternoon, I asked my sons to help me out. My girl refused to go outside to help as she's battling her phobia with our poor Tassie!
I've set my older son as a look-out (for Tassie as she was not seen for few hours) and gate-closer, my young son to be my 'assistant' (he insisted he gotta help me get Betsy back inside - you know what kind of help you can get off a 3 years old boy?). We managed to encourage Betsy to go straight to the gate after 10 mins flapping here and there. From the gate, she was able to zoom straight into the Coop and clucked around quite noisy with other two chooks.
Phew... now we have 3 chooks together, safe and sound for time being.
Why we make big fuss over Betsy? Because she's our best layer!!!
Lessons learnt - never rely on young son to help ya out at any time. Get your older son well trained in how to lock up livestock every night - not just assuming he knows! Me - Listen to my own little voice at the night before to double check the door of the chook palace!
As for eggs the chooks laid for us - it has gone down after giving so many eggs. One egg each day now and I'd find 3 soft broken eggs under the roosts. So I guess they've not got over the shock. Fingers crossed all will start laying very soon. I will have to find a way to spoil them so they'll forgive us, heh...
Today I noticed Norma has an injury - her leg. It looks like a wound, large gauze and looks like some dried blood around it at the back of her leg. Still researching as what to do about it. Those chooks doesn't like being caught and handled - so will need to do it at night to investigate the severity of her injury.
So there's alot more work ahead with chooks for me. One thing at a time, I guess.
Cheers till later - of course I will report how I deal with Norma's injury. (in case other readers wondered, the third timid chook is named Anne.)
1 comment:
LOL LOL LOL
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