Named after the sketch in the Monty Python movie “The Life of Brian”, when Brian is offered the chance to not be crucified and misses it! This game normally manifests itself in two ways and the aim of the game is entirely different in each version
Version 1 - Whenever you are outside, and the chickens spot you, but you haven’t let them out of the run.
Version 2 - when you have new chickens who know they want to get out of the run but don’t know how to, even when the rest of the flock show them the way.
Equipment;
- none
Version 1
Aim of the game;
To keep all your chickens in the run and go about your business without feeling bad about it
Rules;
- You are to leave the flock safely tucked up in the run
- You can chastise your chickens for being rowdy
- You may use earplugs but they are not very effective
How to play
- Leave the house to go about your business
- The chickens will let out a chorus of appealing calls for freedom as loudly as they possibly can, in order to catch your attention for as long as it takes for you to give in.
- Ignore your chickens request for freedom until you have finished whatever you are doing
Winner
You - if you do not give in, otherwise it’s the chickens!
Version 2
Aim of the game;
To have all your chickens free ranging or at least out of the run
Rules;
- Offer to help the stuck chicken if she shows signs of distress.
- You can laugh if you want to.
- Name calling is tempting but gets you nowhere
How to play
- Open the door to the run and wait for your chickens to come out.
- Escape from the run usually involves a bun fight as they all try to get out at the same time. This is particularly so with our run where the door opens inwardly.
- In certain instances one or more of your chickens will try to follow the others via the wire fence and not the open gap in it. She/they will continue to walk up to the fence and along the length of it in an impatient manner bumping into the wire and pecking at it making frustrated clucking noises. This can continue for some time and she/they will get more agitated as they observe the others scratching around, eating all the goodies on offer in your garden.
- It is not nice to leave an ever increasingly frustrated chicken on the inside and if you feel nice you could stop laughing at her and go offer assistance. However please be aware that your assistance will not be welcomed nor will you receive any thanks. In fact it has been known that a stuck chicken will switch to a game of chase around the run in preference for finding the gap in the fence. We have yet had to lay a trail of tasty treats in assistance however it would probably have been easier.
Winner;
You are always the winner, if your chicken does not escape from the run you don’t have to struggle to get her back in again!
Some Chickens are incredibly stupid!