Do Chickens have 9 lives?

[lizzylemon]

I'm sure mine do and at least one of them is down to 7, and the other 3 are down to 8 after near misses in the garden last week.

Life 9:
Friday I decided to make the most of the good weather and started to clear a small strip of garden along the shed to put to down a cobbled/paved area for my potting table. Clearing consisted of me using a very sharp edged spade in a sycthe type movement to cut under the turf exposing the soil. Chicken Heaven obviously. So every 5 seconds of work is intersperced with "shoo", "Go away you darn bird" (or words to that effect) and a health push or flap of hand to underline my point. Well, there was a particularly stubborn clump of long grass, so I took a very hard swing at it just as Clap Clap walked straight in front of me and the spade.

Chickens can jump vertically when they need to!

Life 8/7
Saturday: continuing with the gardening I decided to put up a chestnut paling fence. Unrolled the roll and propped it up against the exsisting fence ready to move into the correct position, the whole time being followed by all 4 of my ever present "worse than the bloody dog" friendly hens when I moved my end of the fence. Moving it caused a chain reaction and the whole thing fell over like a stack of dominoes back onto the grass, flat.

Chickens can jump horizontally when they need to!

They were all fine and get extra corn for their scares - I need to cover another grey hair or ten!

[Bephlam]

lol - you're a great story teller!

[lynda66]

lol, which is the exact reason mine have a little pen outside the chook house while i'm laying the foundations of their run ........ they are very helpful aren't they

[kirsty b]

Mine have (just) escaped decapitation a few times while I was digging.

[-pat m]

The rotovator and mine don’t go together - thankfully never had a fatality but several near misses!

Pat

[Nicos]

Oh boy.....makes ya cringe don't it just!!

[Suechooks]

One of mine got her head stuck between the tines of the fork when I was digging spuds by coming from behind me as I pushed the fork into the ground! Thought I'd speared her as she came up with the fork when I pulled it out of the ground. Nearly had a heart attack - me that is - the chook just shook herself then wandered off to look for worms again!

[Glutton4...]

When I go in to the run to collect eggs, I usually find I can do about three paces then I have to stop. They all huddle round my feet and literally stop me from walking. Clapping my hands and shooing them away makes absolutely no difference. I made it to the nest box this afternoon (just 'cause I ran!), opened the lid and three of them flew up to sit on the edge. Poor Mrs. Chook who was in there trying to peacefully lay her egg was not amused.

When I go in to clean the coop out they all stop what they are doing and come and help. I now pick them up and throw them out but it makes no difference, they just come straight back in - no flippin help at all.

I think the nearest I've got to injuring one was the day I caught my foot in the fence and went flying in faster than expected, like you say, they can move quickly if they have too, would've been a flat Chook otherwise. They all looked like they were laughing at me though!

[jersey bean]

Mine like to sit in front of the sliding patio door and stick their heads in just as you are closing it!

[4chickens]

Love the story about the fork. And I thought I was the only one with insane chickens! I painted a picket fence green last year "helped" by the chickens. All well and good until I did the other side and they decided to take the short cut to come and see me. Not only did I have green chickens for several weeks - I had to paint the flipping fence again!