On Sunday, we spent the early evening chasing the chickens.
We’ve started to let them out in the afternoon so they can run around and catch fresh bugs.
And, so they will stop picking on each other.
When they are free-ranging, they vigorously attack the pumpkin beds, determined to catch each and every evil squash bug.
The task of rounding them up each night can be extremely frustrating, but we’ve made it into a fun family game.
Watching the boys run and pounce trying to catch the wily birds is both amusing and delightful.
They joyfully jump and dash after the birds…each time coming away empty handed. Ray and I laugh with them and join in the fun.
I’m sure we look ridiculous, running and chasing the birds all over the yard.
Finally, only one hen remained outside the pen, thwarting all of our attempts to catch her.
She hid in the sunflowers, scurried through the overgrown squash beds and dodged in and out of the swales. But Joe finally caught her with a triumphant “Gotcha!”
Once all were in the coop, the boys helped us move the ladies onto fresh grass.
Once on the fresh grass, the hens bounded out and chased grasshoppers and crickets that had been disturbed by the rolling playpen.
At dusk as a family
We tried to catch each hen
They darted and strut
Away from their pen
We laughed and we romped
All through the grass
The boys had such fun
We caught them at last
a pinch of homestead 
Haha, you can never replace those kinds of family moments. They’re the kind that stick with a kid forever. I enjoyed the story of your chicken catching adventures. We’ve had a few ourselves, our gepranddaughter joining in the ‘chicken rodeo’. Great post!
Thank you Dan! We are trying to soak up all of these moments while we can. They go by so fast!