Am I The Mad Chook Lady?

I have possibly been carrying on far too much about these chickens, but the poor things are quite shaken up. The white one - Whitey - who earlier escaped the jaws of the fox, has taken to sleeping up a tree. I have tried for both weekends at home, to get her into the yard on dusk, but she wont go and instead chooses the highest branch of the LIQUIDAMBAR (Liquidambar styraciflua).

By Sunday night, she had coerced the remaining black chook - Blacky - to sleep up top with her. We couldn't have it. Soon there would be all six up the tree unable to get back into the yard to lay in the morning (because we now close the gate at night) and I'd be back to the days of finding eggs plopped around the garden (if Molly didn't find them first). When the chooks were fully free ranging, I used to spend entire mornings searching for where the girls were laying, listening on high alert for where their laying-cackle was coming from. Not again.

On Sunday night (before my epic drive to work in the morning) I made the call on dusk to get them down from the tree and into the yard to clip their wings before it got dark ... I must make the point, that The Farmer is so incredibly patient ... I got the chooks down from the tree, he got the kitchen scissors and we got to work trying to catch them one by one. It wasn't as easy as I had thought - I did have a chook run between my legs only to find myself arse over on the ground - without chook in hand. But we got there - all we're clipped so they couldn't fly like a bird anymore (and I do hate doing this - I feel most cruel, like I've ruined their aux natural state of being). The trouble is, they still think they can fly. The Farmer tells me over the phone (as I'm back in the big smoke finishing deadline), that they were back up the tree the next night, only to tumble from the top branches and hit the ground with an almighty thud. Blacky is a rather big foul. There was some carrying on, but I think they learned their lesson. They're so harassed. I wont be surprised if our supply of yellow eggs ceases. I'm actually still waiting for the rebel two to start laying - if we ever get there. Sorry chooks.