Hard Lessons

What I have learned about chickens:

• chickens poo everywhere, they are not discreet about it like a cat might be
  
• chickens poo A LOT
• chickens prefer to be free-range, not left in an enclosed/fenced in area
• free range chickens will ruin your garden with all their pecking, scratching and pooing
• once chickens have experienced the joy of being free-range, they will make every attempt to escape from their fenced in area and back into your garden

It's really all my fault. You see, I had this notion (call it a chicken fantasy) of having my hens pecking and scratching away happily in my garden while the sunlight dappled their feathers through the leaves on the trees. My hens would stroll around through the grass contented and clucking happily, coming up to gently peck bird seed from my hand.

Yeah. Sure. The reality has been a little different.
It is true that the chickens do look charming in my garden. But the garden (which has been big enough to withstand their scratching and pecking), is starting to look a little worse for wear around the edges. Also, the chickens have been dumping poo not just in the grass but all over the pavement which means walking in the garden has become something of an obstacle course.

JM got fed up very quickly and considered the situation to be unhygienic. I felt guilty because I was sure the chickens would be happier if they were allowed to roam free. JM pointed out that they were just chickens after all and would be reasonably content in the fenced-off area. We decided to compromise and agreed the chickens could be let out into the garden once a week. So back they went behind the fence. But we hadn't considered the chickens' opinions on the matter.

This leads to my final point:

Sam aka Number Six (for those you who would appreciate the reference to The Prisoner), has decided her mission in life is to find as many ways of escaping from the fenced-off area as possible.
As soon as we learn of one escape route and block it off, she discovers/creates another one. Once she's out, the other three follow her lead. Before you know it, they are all back out in the garden. This has been going on for a week now. We leave home every morning with all our hens clucking away innocently inside their nice, chicken friendly area. We come home in the afternoon to find them running free in our garden.

Now you may be thinking to yourself 'Come on, chickens are not that bright. How hard can it be to keep four chickens fenced in?' We've been asking ourselves the same question. In our defence, we only devote a few minutes each day to blocking their escape, they have all day to think up another way out. I've been considering buying a portable run which is over 1.8m in height. This may stop Pie, Camomile-Mae and Ludwig from trying to fly over it, but probably not Sam/Number Six. She is one determined hen.