She didn’t come home last night. No, not the teenager (though she didn’t come home either, but that is a different story!), the chicken!  Ethel simply vanished yesterday.  When we arrived home from the shop she was nowhere to be found.  It was dark so we did search briefly, mainly to look for signs of struggle and loose snow white feathers but, nothing.  I didn’t know she quite literally flew the coop!

A friend of ours came over last April before the babies were to arrive to help Doug put up a fence around the 90 year old chicken coop.  They put up a five foot fence of t-posts and chicken wire (seemed reasonable) with a nice little gate.  Over the whole thing Doug and I attached bird wire, stapling it to the top of the high chicken coop.  It was a fine sight, like a zoo exhibit for our new flock.  The first snow promptly brought the netting down. We could put it back up but we have at least four more months of intermittent snow storms!  So, Ethel flew out.

I have seen beautiful coops with 8 foot frames and chicken wire, a perfect box to keep the little buggers in and and the ever present danger out. (Seems everyone and everything but us loves a good chicken dinner.)  They would be rather pricey to create. If I could find them at a reasonable price, I suppose dog kennel panels would be good too.  I’ll keep researching this and get back to you.

Ethel is now standing on the top of her gate screaming to be let in. Floozy.  Maybe she’ll stay home tonight!