The great chicken escape

I don't know what it is with these chickens, some how we ended up with crazy chickens who think that there sole purpose each day is to escape the Ellis house.


I mean C'mon, we are not that bad. We feed them, love them (alright maybe they feel a little too loved some days with the kids hugging them, kissing them - YES... I have tried to stop this happening, and playing with them all over the back yard.


But let me just say that these chicken's owe me some serious eggs BIG TIME.


A little while ago I woke up one Saturday morning and could not hear the chickens. I normally listen out for them every morning as our bedroom window faces towards the back yard. I knew something was not right because it was TOO QUIET! Always a danger sign around our house.


I went out to the back yard to investigate and after some searching discovered no chickens. I then enlisted Matt and the kids and we checked all over the backyard in their favourite hiding places. Still no chickens.


This meant only one thing.
They had escaped.


So off I go out the front of the house. Just fresh from bed, down the street.
After checking around our neighbours house's I could see there was still no chicken's. Time to get serious.


With all the kids out on the front lawn in their pyjama's watching me, I began the great chicken hunt.


The hunt involved: Me - looking very dishevelled searching all the front yards of our neighbour's houses early in the morning, making loud chicken noises and calling out even louder 'Pecker, Penny' in my best farm voice I know how.


Did I mention before these chickens owe me BIG time!


Well, after making a fool of myself for several minutes (which I have to say felt like hours) our lovely chickens decided to present themselves. Once the kids saw that I had found them they took off running and the great chicken chase was on trying to capture them and bring them back to our yard.


Too bad no-one had a video camera that morning - what a sight!


We have had several other escapes since then and we are constantly adding wire, poles and other contraptions to our chicken's home. Always interesting around here....