Fell last night outside. The chickens just sat
down in the snow and didn't want to go into the house. There were five
of them scattered about. Didn't have trouble too much with the ones
around the front side of the barn, but the chicken and rooster that
were around back / down a grade... In a patch of thorny berry vines
were horrible to get out...they just didn't want to move. I got a huge
long bamboo to try to chase them out. Fell four times and had snow up
my pant legs and in my gloves before capturing them and putting them
in the chicken house. The one slide down a grade I fell against a
brick behind the barn right on my knee cap and could feel it
bleeding....still didn't have the rooster . Frozen hands and all I was
determined to get him in so that he wouldn't freeze and become a
Chicken Popsicle for a cheyote or fox.. He was by then hold up under a bush
which I tried to get him out from under. Finally I managed to get
myself crawling underneath it and grabbed a leg, dragging him out and
carried him to the chicken house, All in all , what usually is a quick 5 minute walk out to shut everyone in for the night became 30 minutes of falling,
freezing frustration in about 15 degree temperatures. Came in and put a comfrey leaf poultice on my knee, soaked my bloody long jons and went to bed early to get warm again. This morning I am mobile , but without the comfrey...am sure would not be and will probably have to put another poultice on later to keep it from stiffening up. God is good. I made it to the house
without getting hurt bad enough that I couldn't get back up and having
to maybe call 911 for help...did have my cell phone in my
pocket...at least I hope I didn't lose it in the snow anyway. Today the chickens
are allowed out of their house but not our of the chicken fence until
the snow is gone. Don't want to go thru that ordeal again.