So remember that animated movie a few years ago with Mel Gibson as the voice of a rooster called, “Chicken Run.” Turns out that is a play on words. For those not in the know a chicken coop is the house the chickens roost in while a chicken run is the open area outside the coop that the chickens have access to. Most small farms have chicken facilities made up of both. Our chicken coop is an old playhouse the children never got into. Our run is the old dog kennel surrounding the coop giving them ample outdoor room. Protecting the top from arial attacks of hawks (don’t laugh we have had a northern harrier sitting on our clothesline) and raccoons that could easily climb the fence we stretch chicken wire across the top followed by a tarp for shade. This have served us well for three winters.

However last week when I was planning on working on the computer all week I came out one afternoon to see this,

Well not exactly this. This is after I shoveled out freeing the chicken trapped in the house and chased down the ones that we perched in the yard, luckily they don’t like walking in the snow.

As I was shoveling near the house I found feathers, alot of feathers still attached to a bird. Now I know these are chickens that often are people’s food and that may or may not be their fate. Plus I am planning to move to a farm where we will have animals to eat but I tell you I got so choked up when I saw that. What a way to die, being crushed by fallen snow.

However as I continued to shovel carefully trying to figure out what to do with this chicken it suddenly moved. Then I thought for sure its back would be broken or something and I would have to put it out of its misery but no, as I shoveled enough snow away it jumped up and ran in the house. All chickens are present and accounted for but shy and not into pictures. The chicken we saved looks like this.

This weekend’s agenda includes fixing the top.