Losing Freedom

Back in This Post from September, we talked about a Black Star hen in our barn that become broody and hatched out a baby chick.  In the last several months the little chick has grown into a healthy little pullet who is very lively.  We have 4 inch by 4 inch square 'hog wire' that separates our garden from the pasture.  This fence protects the vegetables that we have growing from the livestock and poultry that would love to get in there and do damage.  Our border fence works - for the most part.

Tricia warned me the other day that she had seen the little pullet in the garden, scratching around and feasting on all the green growth that can be found up and down the rows.  We can't have that. Saturday morning I caught the bird red-handed.  She squeezed her fat little body through the 4 X 4 fence panel and was enjoying herself.

In forbidden territory

I watched her as she patrolled up and down the carrot rows, scratching and eating. I had plans to put an end to her garden maneuvers, though.  I waited until she was distracted, and then I made my move. I quickly ran to her, intending to scoop her up, but I wasn't fast enough.  She must have seen or heard me coming and she made a run for the border, squeezing back through the fence lightning fast, re-joining the rest of the flock.  I think I saw her laughing at me and doing a little victory dance.

Illegal border crosser

I patiently waited, biding my time, plotting, planning, until the opportunity to catch her would arise again.  We simply cannot allow undocumented pullets to come through our porous border at will, taking our food with impunity, damaging the crops.  Alas, after several tries, I was able to capture her.  She squawked unhappily, but such is the price you pay for trespassing.  I put her into the chicken tractor with our other pullets that we had ordered from the hatchery.  Crossing the garden border illegally cost the pullet her freedom and she learned if you do the crime, you must pay the time.  For the first day or two, the captured pullet who had lost her freedom stayed by herself away from the other birds - no doubt lamenting her loss of freedom.  By the third day, she came to grips with her incarceration and joined the rest of the group and has become accustomed to life behind the impenetrable fence. 

The detained bird at the 9 o'clock position above

She is in the general population with the other detainees now and is being given food and water.  All the birds are healthy and growing nicely.  Although life in the chicken tractor is okay, it is not as good as true freedom outside the barrier. Sometimes you don't know how good freedom is, until you've lost it.

She still gets fresh grass to forage on every day and still has access to fresh air and water.  Life is still good - as far as chickens go.

We'll allow her (and the other chicks in the chicken tractor) to grow.  When they lay their first eggs, we'll open the gate and allow them to have total freedom on the 3 acre pasture - to come and go as they please.  Just not in the garden, please!