Third Rock from the Sun?

[Flummery]

Remember when they all used to sit on the roof at the end?
The one that wasn't on the roof had popped inside the house and missed the fun!

[Eyren]

Mine used to sit in a row on the spare ark, before I sold it. Now they sun themselves under the conservatory windows...

[Hazel at the Hill]

I'm loving the chook pics, Flum!

Now, you won't feel that you have to 'ration' us, will you?

[Nicos]

Aww..that's lovely...my boys like to sit on the old oak piggery door- the next step is to hop onto the roof of the house- cos it's low there!!!

[bluemoon]

Oh nooooooooo. Our posh chicken house is going near the hedge, next to where the chap on the neighbouring plot has his shed. If they can climb on the roof then they can theoretically use it to get on top of the shed next door. For this reason I told my carpenter to make it with a steeply sloping roof so that they couldn't sit on it pondering their escape - or cover it in poop. But it doesn't slope nearly as much as yours, Flum so that's another 'brilliant' idea that isn't going to work. Still, it is now finally painted - mint-green, with white trim and little lilac shutters, - so I'll have time to come up with another cunning plan before the girls arrive (which is now going to be a week on Friday as I'm waiting until all the hens I want are ready and can move in together at the same time as the boys, who are still in temporary accommodation).

[Flummery]

This is one reason why I'm wondering about free-ranging Bluemoon. They have plenty of room in their run and lots of 'activities' in there. I could let them out and clip their wings but they so enjoy getting up high - I'm still within the 'at least a fortnight' that our chook-man said they should stay in the run. But I'm sure they could reach the garage roof and then - whoops, next door!

Is it better to let them range and clip one wing or to let them fly and restrict them a bit? When you think about it, all chooks are restricted, although sometimes it's to an acre of field shared with another few hundred chickens! Not sure!

[bluemoon]

True. I would imagine that even the wild Jungle Fowl, which were the originators of domestic chickens, were restricted in that a cockerel probably had a territory where he kept his harem. I would guess that cockerels fight too much for them to risk straying into another's patch. They're so obviously territorial when you think about it. A bit like Robins

[Snadger]

If you stick a pole up one of there backsides you'll have a ready maded weather vane!

[sheena]

If you stick a pole up one of there backsides you'll have a ready maded weather vane!

Anyone willing to donate a cockeral to Snadger's cause?

[MaureenHall]

With all the eggs he's going to hatch, there's bound to be a spare one