Chicken Chronicles::Vol. 8 (On the Roof)

Chickens, chickens, chickens. They are naughty little things. I take full responsibility for that. We only have 4 of them, thank goodness, and I can only imagine what kind of trouble they would get in if there were, say, 8...which I was thinking for a while might be what I wanted. :) I think I'll stick with 4. The little chicks have been getting bigger and bigger. They've got to be about full size now, although their combs and wattles are still coming in....and no eggs yet!
Well, I prefer to just let the things roam. We have a big yard and they are entertaining and do their fair share of fertilizing and pest control while they are out there. They are driving Rand a bit nuts because they aren't quite "contained" enough for him. For example, they wander onto his very clean patio. They go after the dog food. They get up on our patio chairs. And let's just say you can tell where a chicken has been. For several evenings in a row we came outside after dinner to find them up on our wall. Uh-oh! I was a tad concerned they were going to jump down to the other side so we would lure them down to our side with treats.
I've been very diligent about locking up their coop at night since I rescued them from a giant stray cat one time. So the other night, it was just before dark, and I went out to lock up their coop since I knew they would be in there hunkered down for the night. Well, instead, I found them hunkered down for the night.....ON THE ROOF! Like on the roof of our house!!! I thought it was hilarious and ran inside to grab the fellas and my camera, of course. :) Rand had been out golfing all day and he was beat. He basically said, "Well, get a ladder," and turned as if he were going back inside. What? I have to do it by myself????
So I grabbed our little ladder and a broom. Then I started getting a little worried that if I shoo'd them off the roof with the broom they might hurt their legs from such a high jump. I knew they had gone from the little fence, to the wall and then to the roof. (they aren't terrific fliers) So I sheepishly approached my gracious hubby and said, "Ummmm, I think I need help." So Rand-O climbed the ladder onto the chicken coop, onto the wall, across a narrow gate, and climbed onto the roof. I got on the ladder. One by one, Rand grabbed a chicken and handed it to me on the ladder. And then I handed them down to the boys who, I think, are hoping this happens again.

It was kind of a fun, impromptu, adventure, but I'm pretty sure I need to clip their wings, although I'm not convinced they need them to get where they were! We shall see!! :)