308. The Tunnel, Part II

Sunday

Lunchtime
I finally persuaded 3 chickens including Ben, the rooster, to walk through the tunnel and into the pen. Reward of corn.
Afternoon
None of the chickens had changed their position but we managed to persuade (advise/ warn/shout/threaten/swear) the remaining 5 chickens down the tunnel and into the pen. Reward of corn.
4pm and it started getting dark. 8 chickens in the pen.
4.15pm and darker still. 8 in pen.
4.30pm and almost dark. Chickens should be roosting but all still in pen. Shouting and swearing did not work. So I climbed into the pen and started pushing chickens into the tunnel. Ben and 4 more chickens finally got the message and went home to roost. That left me persuading the others along the tunnel with a pusher (a pole with a tunnel-shaped lid on the end). Finally, I got into the tunnel!
4.45pm All 8 chickens in the house.
5pm we were in our house; reward of Christmas cake.


Monday

Mid-morning Ben led 3 chickens into the pen. Reward of corn.
Afternoon
 I persuaded the other chickens to follow. 8 in the pen. Major reward of corn.
4.15pm. I checked the pen and was surprised and delighted to find that Ben had led 4 chickens into the house; home to roost.
4.20pm. 2 more chickens braved the tunnel and headed home. Just a little encouragement.
4.25pm I started to climb into the pen and the white bantam decided on the lesser of 2 evils and disappeared into the tunnel.
4.30pm All chickens home. And I was starting to enjoy it.

Tuesday

???
Exciting, isn't it?
Maybe you'll be reading about this soon in Nature?

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