WILD Not-So-Wildlife!

On a walk through our town-immediately-outside-of-DC neighborhood this weekend, what should Annie, Earnestine, and I see on our walk but chickens!

And not just a solitary chicken, no, but five chickens, strutting about an entirely unfenced front yard and eyeing us with some serious suspicion. (My camera’s shutter clicking might have had something to do with it too.)

[”Do they suspect, Helga?”
“How could they, Aethelfled?
“Everything has gone according to plan…”]

I was surprised by their feral state: there they were, just strolling around (well, their movements were a little too jerky for strolling, but you get the idea), with no coop to contain them and their devious schemes.

Is this typical for chicken ownership? I mean, I know the whole urban/suburban-chicken movement is a big thing now, but I would think that the dangers of predation and/or chicken runaways would necessitate some kind of fencing. Unless…can one train chickens to stay put—and to defend themselves?

Were these perhaps ninja chickens?

Think on that, friends. Think…on that.

{A note: I do write all text and take all pictures. Please do not reproduce either without my permission.}