Captured!

Just call me,

Tricia, the Chicken Charmer

The Big Hen

Master Chicken Choker

Anyway you put it, I caught the chickens tonight! Well, we caught the chickens. This was a two-man mission. Ryan and I put the boys to bed and then tip-toed out to the farm to try to catch the chickens and lock them up (for good) in the coop.

I set the stage during my evening chores. I brought the ladies some delicious salad, a scoop of feed on top, and a couple of stale cupcakes to finish things off. I laid the trap and waited...

A little side note about chickens, they sleep like the dead. You could walk up on 'em while banging a drum and they probably wouldn't flinch. This is one of the reasons it's important to have them in a coop so that other critters - raccoons, coyotes, foxes, etc - don't snatch them in the night.

Anyway, we creep up to the coop and take count. Six in, perfect.

Now, where in the devil are the other three? We decide to check the usual spot, under the trailers.

No luck there but we discovered that we were under close observation from the herd. I'm sure all the bellering and grunting was just their way of saying, "Look over there" or more likely, "What they hell are you doing now?"

Our next spot to look was behind the haystack - YAHTZEE! Three hens curled up, snug as a bug. Ryan stood on one side with the pitch fork while I waited on the other ready to catch. One hen jumped right out into my arms and I quickly threw her in the coop. The other two dashed like their feathers were on fire and we had to re-strategize.

They dashed under the trailers, in and out of the corrals, and finally started heading back to the haystack. One of the Reds found herself cornered between Ryan and the water trough. Ryan lunged like a hobo on a bologna sandwich and caught her! There was squawking and squealing that I can't even begin to describe. She was ticked, to say the least. Ryan handed her off to me and I tossed her in with the others.

The last one out was the fastest, feistiest one we have. Of course. She had managed to get behind the hay again but was no match for us. With a poke and a grab, I had her in hand. There was much flapping and squawking with this one as well and I took a few swats to the face but guess what? I WON!

So it's just another typical Monday night around the B&M Farm. Kids in bed, goats and chickens in their respective homes, and us two love birds with the rest of the evening ahead of us. Just living the dream.