Hmmm ... I may have spoken too soon about everything being "well" in the flock.
I have never had a problem with my chickens putting themselves to bed. When the sun goes down they go to roost ... in the chicken coop ... where they're safe from predators and from the ravages of foul weather. The Red Sex Links are not following the rules!
The moon was full on December 28. We were late closing up the chicken coop. On his way to the chicken house, Rouse saw one of the Red Sex Links roosting on the trailer we use for hauling mowing equipment. He tried to pick her up, but she flew away, and he decided not to chase her in the dark.
It turns out there were several little red hens out that night. And the next night when we closed up the coop after "free range" time several of the red hens were missing. They were roosting in the big magnolia tree! Well, we figured we better nip that habit in the bud. Rouse climbed the tree and knocked them off their perches. They easily flew to the ground and we herded them into the coop.
We thought it was a problem of young hens who were not solidly established in their bedtime ritual being confused by the brightness of the full moon when it came time to return to the chicken house after free-ranging. Then they started flying the coop!
Late in the afternoon, if I don't open up the chicken yard to the main yard these girls take charge and fly right over the chicken wire fence. They have their fun scratching for greens and grubs. When the sun goes down they settle high above the ground on sturdy magnolia branches. We actually let them do it a few nights. But I need to know they're safe ALL the time... when we're at home to gather them up again in the morning (they do follow me right into the chicken yard to get their allotment of chicken scratch) or when we're away for a weekend depending on others to care for them. Good chicken habits make for safe chickens!
So tonight Andrew climbed the magnolia tree where 5 of the 6 red hens had gone to roost. They flew down. I guided them into the chicken coop. Later, under cover of the dark of night when chickens are easily handled, Rouse and I entered the chicken house and clipped the wings of all the little red hens. I hate to do it, but they must stay in the chicken yard and go to bed with all the other chickens!
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Rouse decided to build a raised bed for the purpose of growing blueberry bushes. Well, one raised bed led to another and soon we had four raised beds. Three were filled with blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and wineberries. The fourth was planted with herbs and tomatoes.
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