A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

We hosted Christmas Eve on Miller Farm this year.  My nephew was quite enthralled.  When he asked how the dogs and chickens got along, I explained all was well if everybody stayed on their side of the fence.

When he looked out the window a little later and saw a chicken walking along the fence, he was most concerned and went out to convince the chicken to return to the safe side of the fence.  He could move in and stay quite busy keeping the chickens safe on Miller Farm, but I think he has higher aspirations that involve the University of Houston.

Life is really interesting when the chickens decide to venture onto the side of the fence that is not in our yard at all.

Most often they visit the neighbor with Connor – the old Great Dane.  I’m not sure Conor would hurt the chickens, but the owners always work to make sure the chickens make it back to safety.  Sometimes I get a text saying, “there is a chicken in our yard,” and I help bring it home.

Recently I got a text from the neighbor on the other side saying, “Rosie (their dog) found a chicken in our yard.  It’s been saved and it’s now hiding behind the rain barrels.”  This was puzzling as there is not only our chain link fence but a privacy fence between our houses as well. That chicken was glad to be back in its own yard and has not gone back to play with Rosie.

I discovered there are some boards missing in the privacy fence leaving just enough room for a curious chicken to explore the neighbor’s yard.  The grass may be greener on that side of the fence but it is guarded by a chicken-loving dog so it is not worth it for the chickens to go there.

Instead they wander along the path between the fences.  When we had the snow storm, one chicken walked further than ever before.

Max was fascinated.  The chicken was quite brave with a fence between her and the dog.

I was fretting over the chickens being between the fences but not enough to climb over and get them. I have torn too many pair of pants doing that in the past.

The chickens eventually make it back.  I think they go there to get away from over amorous roosters.

I figure they’ll work out a pecking order.  They are chickens after all.