Stuck-up Birdy

[Jerrymac]

My chickens are now at the point they want to jump up on things to roost at night instead of all bunched up together on the floor. As evening fell it appeared they wanted to camp outside. Bad idea around here as there are coyotes. So I sort of herded them into the storage shed.... yeah I ain't got the coop built yet. Give me a break will ya. So now a few are inside and some others are hanging out in the chicken yard I have fixed up for them in front of the shed. The ones inside was trying to get up on stuff. I have a wooden perch for them but a few of them decided to go up a bit higher on top of the slick bag of feed. So they were scrambling for footing as I poked my head in to see what all the ruckus was about.

I had to go out and get some of those sticky fly traps because of all the flies the chickens seem to some how produce. And I guess the flies are just too fast for the chickens to catch so they don't even bother with trying to eat them. So Monday I hung a few fly paper strips inside the shed. And wouldn't you know it, about dark thirty Monday evening I go to shut the door but first of course I count the chickens. After I see they are all there and they have food and water handy, I go to leave and... as I thought I would... I had stuck myself to one of the fly traps. I noticed this right about the time I felt a tug and the thing pulled off of what I had it hung on. The bottom (canister) part was stuck to my right bare arm and shirt sleeve. It then went over the shoulder and was all stuck in my hair and down my back. My hair is a little longer than shoulder length. My daughter burst out laughing when I walked into the house with this fly paper full of flies strung across me. My wife helped me get untangled and a thorough shampooing actually gets the sticky out.

So now tonight I went inside to get them off the bag and this one bird flapped its wings and sure enough one of those fly strips caught the wing. Now the poor bird thinks something bad has just grabbed it and flaps and squawks and pulls the whole thing off the hook and hits the floor. This thing has now got it by the wing and under the body and around a leg. The poor girl is all excited and runs head long out the door. All the others, not knowing what has grabbed her, and fearing for their own safety, followed her at a fast pace out the door, out the gate, and ended up under the porch. So I shewed them out of there and herded them back too the shed. But I was short one. I found her hunkered in some tall grass still wondering what had a hold of her. I caught her and the wife got the thing untangled as I held her.  

You can really have fun with fly paper.  :-D

[randydrivesabus]

i've had the same sort of experience with the stuff sticking to me and my hair. its worse when its loaded with dead and half dead flies. your chickens will eat the maggots.

[Cindi]

Jerry, that was pretty funnneee, wish I had seen it, oops, did I say that.....sticky fly paper is the best, but man, I have had experience with it stuck on my arm too, not a good thing.  Have the most wonderful, greatest of days, Cindi

[poka-bee]

Jerry thats funny!! Years ago I had one in the house..somehow my Daughters Dad let the male golden mantled rosella out..well you know it, he flew right into the strip!  When I got home from work I saw a bundle of bright feathers (they have so many colors) in the burn barrel & thought the worst.  Mr Rosella was very humble & quite mangy looking till the feathers grew out again!  Jody