Every morning, early, I put the boys in their outside play area, while it is still cool. And when I get done with my bird chores I take the girls out to the temporary pen & let them have some play time. I have been watering my new grape vines & the transplanted grass plugs while they play. Because this pen doesn't have a real roof over it I have to keep a close watch on them. It is partially covered & I pull a piece of tin over the other part but there is one spot where little Miss Caffie can wiggle herself up & through to get out. While I do my watering I watch that pen constantly but there are 2 spots where I have to turn my back for a minute to get into position to water. This morning everyone was in high spirits & bouncing all over the pen. I am watering one of those two spots & hear the Silkies (Banty hens) making a fuss. Thinking someone has just laid an egg I ignore them. Pretty soon they are making a racket & I look over & see the rooster & a hen neck in neck run past my viewing area, & this blur of something close to the ground speeds past in hot pursuit. Feathers are flying off birds & you'd think they were being plucked alive, what a noise! I yell to Joey that something is after the chickens & we run over. By the time I get to their pen I can see it is a ferret but can't tell who yet. I then see it is Caffie & try to catch her but she dashes through my hands. Joey finally nabs her. I don't know how she got out of their pen & into the Silkie pen so fast. However before I put the piece of tin up she would get a running start & jump up onto the wire, (it's only 2 feet tall) & be up on the edge of it & jump off & I swear her feet were moving in mid aid as she comes down running. She knows that if she hesitates there I grab her & toss her back. So the only thing I can think of is that yesterday when I saw her up on top of the pen & put her back in, today she didn't waste any time investigating the immediate area but took off towards the Silkies. At first I didn't think it was very funny especially since the hens were still making a fuss 30 minutes later. But as time went on & I could see in my memory those chickens running past & that blur of fur streaking by full tilt in pursuit, it got funnier. Joey said she sure wasn't trying very hard to catch them, but I pointed out that she is rather low to the ground & has short legs & this was her first (& last) time, she was doing pretty darn good. Besides the chickens were inspired to run faster than her. The temp pen is going to be sunk 2 feet in the ground & 2 more feet of wire will be attached to the top of that & there will be a almost full wire top on that, that should hold them much better. Every couple of days I fill in their tunnels so they have to start over, so am not worried about them digging out with the wire 2 feet into the ground. Right now it is just sitting on the ground. And hopefully since we are now going into our rainy season I won't have to water my plants every morning to get them established so once more can just sit next to the pen & watch the girls. Lynn & Clan War Weasels Caffie: "Drat! Foiled again & I bet it would have been paw lickin' good to!" Disclaimer: No chickens or ferts were hurt or killed. [Posted in FML issue 3069]