The Great Chicken Race 2011

[+The Blorenges]

About a month ago 30 cross-stitched chicken TBs were released into caches all over the UK to take part in The Great Chicken Race 2011. These beautiful birds are now well scattered across the country and the owners would like you to look out for them in caches near you and help them with their mission if possible:

 

The winning chicken will be the one which has flown the most miles within the U.K. by the Mega Event in Swansea on 31st July 2011. We’re hoping that some of the chickens will fly into Swansea to meet their owners on that day.

 

If you find a racing chicken please note that

 

Chickens must stay within the U.K.

 

Chickens are allowed only one retrieve and one drop-off by each cacher i.e. no hopping along with multiple visits. Just find a chicken and move it as many miles as possible.

 

Chickens must not be posted to other cachers!

 

The Complete list of Chickens and Owners (thanks to The Klever Boys)

 

(Chicken Collage created by Alibags)

 

Please look out for chickens, especially if you’re away from home on holiday over Easter – You may be able to collect a chicken and add some good mileage to it. Currently there are chickens near Cullompton, Redruth, Ivybridge, Bromsgrove, Fleet Services, Chipping Norton, Leatherhead, Staines, Lincoln, Pontypridd, Halifax, Prestatyn, Sheffield, Cowes IOW, Halesowen, Middlewich, Reading, Milton Keynes, Ipswich, Ponteland, Walton-on-Thames, Pontardulais, Baldock, Walsall.

 

This Chicken Race was created by a group of UK cachers on facebook from an original concept by ANDYBUG&LADYBIRD and The Sonatellas. Entry to the race is now closed but, who knows? - If it’s successful maybe there will be another one for next year.

[+The Chaos Crew]

oh they are so cute! especially the skull and not-quite-crossed-bones one

 

I hope I find one to move on

 

(what a pity two are already MIA )

Edited April 21, 2011 by The Chaos Crew

[+pendragon9321]

Oh they are very cool - good luck to them all Do love the one that's disguised as a penguin

 

Nice idea

[+The Blorenges]

oh they are so cute! especially the skull and not-quite-crossed-bones one

 

I hope I find one to move on

 

(what a pity two are already MIA )

 

Yes - Fortunately the owners have either made a replacement, or had one done for them, so the substitute chickens should be released soon (using different TB tags, not the Copy tag from the original.)

 

Oh they are very cool - good luck to them all Do love the one that's disguised as a penguin

 

 

That's the Chickguin which belongs to Eclectic Penguin - A rare hybrid bird

 

MrsB

[+aliandtone]

Mine has already MIA and at the 2nd cache it visited! I have an idea who's got it but they are not owning up!!

 

[+Afterburned]

What are you using to administer the race? Are you just watching the TB's or using an external site?

[+The Klever Boys]

What are you using to administer the race? Are you just watching the TB's or using an external site?

 

I volunteered to keep an eye on them and maintain a leaderboard, the link to which is posted just above the photo in the original post.

I watch them all and know when they have moved, and it's done via a spreadsheet which updates a league table which is what you see. I have to do some manual adjustments though to exclude mileage gained when people 'visit' the TB along a route of caches (not allowed in the race) and also have found that the total mileage figure on the TB's web page doesn't always update, so can't be relied upon.

All good fun and I've pledged a geocoin as a prize to the winner.

 

Russ

[+ayrbrain]

What a great idea, I hope they reach Scotland and maybe I will get to see/move one on.

good luck with th race.

[+The Blorenges]

Chicken Alert!

 

KFC - Kernow's Fast Chicken landed in the cache "Silent Sentry 3" (just west of Farnborough) nearly two weeks ago and has made herself far too comfortable. It's time she got flapping on her way again!

 

If anyone is in that area and would be willing to tweak her tail feathers to get her moving it would be much appreciated.

 

MrsB

 

[+keehotee]

Chicken Alert!

 

KFC - Kernow's Fast Chicken landed in the cache "Silent Sentry 3" (just west of Farnborough) nearly two weeks ago and has made herself far too comfortable. It's time she got flapping on her way again!

 

If anyone is in that area and would be willing to tweak her tail feathers to get her moving it would be much appreciated.

 

MrsB

 

 

Let sleeping chickens lie, I say........ (I hear Farnborough's lovely this time of year)

Edited April 26, 2011 by keehotee

[+The Blorenges]

 

Let sleeping chickens lie, I say........ (I hear Farnborough's lovely this time of year)

 

 

MrsB

[+Lime Candy]

I moved one of these (Old Speckled Hen) over the weekend. Good luck everyone with the race!

[+ayrbrain]

Chicken Alert!

 

KFC - Kernow's Fast Chicken landed in the cache "Silent Sentry 3" (just west of Farnborough) nearly two weeks ago and has made herself far too comfortable. It's time she got flapping on her way again!

 

If anyone is in that area and would be willing to tweak her tail feathers to get her moving it would be much appreciated.

 

MrsB

 

awwwww lol so cute and cumfy looking. I would love to keep hens.

[+ayrbrain]

oh they are so cute! especially the skull and not-quite-crossed-bones one

 

I hope I find one to move on

 

(what a pity two are already MIA )

 

What is MIA ?

[+keehotee]

oh they are so cute! especially the skull and not-quite-crossed-bones one

 

I hope I find one to move on

 

(what a pity two are already MIA )

 

What is MIA ?

 

Missing In Action

[+Lorri-Ann & Kev]

If anyone is on the Isle of wight or visiting shortly my Miss Mabel Chicken seems to have got very comfortable in Northwood Park GC1E05E !

 

If somebody could move her along I would be most grateful

[+Hampk]

Makes a change from hampsters, MrsB

[+The Blorenges]

Makes a change from hampsters, MrsB

 

Hamsters are my number one choice when it comes to stuffing poor, unsuspecting creatures into caches but chickens are good too. I did rather hope that Hamstercaching would catch on more in the UK, I would still like to see a hamstercache in every county (hint, hint).

 

But for the moment it's chickens and mine's not moved for ages.

 

MrsB

[+Hampk]

Makes a change from hampsters, MrsB

 

Hamsters are my number one choice when it comes to stuffing poor, unsuspecting creatures into caches but chickens are good too. I did rather hope that Hamstercaching would catch on more in the UK, I would still like to see a hamstercache in every county (hint, hint).

 

But for the moment it's chickens and mine's not moved for ages.

 

MrsB

 

I just haven't found exactly the right location to keep the little guy comfortable yet..!

[thepowellfamily2010]

This is a great idea, i hope it goes well, would love to join in next year, will keep an eye open for any sitting around down here, good luck!

[+Fianccetto]

They're wonderful! Little works of art. Great to see all together like that too. Do entrants to the race make their own?

 

*thinks* What about cross stitched hamsters some time ? (Or cows, cats, horses, hedehogs). Think I'd better get stitching!

[+ayrbrain]

oh they are so cute! especially the skull and not-quite-crossed-bones one

 

I hope I find one to move on

 

(what a pity two are already MIA )

 

What is MIA ?

 

Missing In Action

 

lol I see. thank you

[+The Blorenges]

Chicken Update:

 

Feathers are still flying across England and Wales.

Chicken Tika is well in the lead with over 700 miles under her wings, she's been over a lot of England and is now roosting in a cache near Darlington. Alibag's Poultry in Motion is in second place with 456 miles completed - Please ignore the 1903 miles showing on the chicken's page, some of that mileage is B.C. mileage ("before chicken"). Rumour has it that a certain Welsh chicken has been on the energy boost corn feed and was last seen heading due north from SE Wales at a great rate of knots. With a sou'westerly wind under her tail feathers it's hoped she'll touchdown in a cache before losing her bearings over the Orkney Islands.

 

There's concern for the welfare of Rogue Tracker's Freerange chicken as she was picked up by a cacher from Slovakia who took her back home with him. I understand she's being kept penned up and will be returned to U.K. next month - Keep your comb up, chick! - We hope for your safe return. Over in the east, Geochicken is progressing westwards slowly but surely: It looks like she's opted to walk to the south Wales Mega rather than fly but, who knows, she could be using a winning tactic.

 

A few chickens could do with a helping hand, or a shove up the egg chute, to get them moving faster: Is there anyone over in south Wales, near Pontardulais, who could rescue Barbie? She hasn't moved since the middle of March and she may be egg-bound and in need of relief - Please administer cod liver oil if you find her. Miss Mabel is still flapping frantically on a cliff edge on the Isle of Wight but can't get up enough steam for a good launch - Is anyone going that way soon, who could help a stranded chook?

 

Further details of chicken racers can be found by clicking the link: Here.

 

Please support your local chicken today!

[+sibermouse]

bump

 

 

hows the race looking any look like they are flying to sunny ( at the moment ) Cornwall

[+The Blorenges]

bump

 

 

hows the race looking any look like they are flying to sunny ( at the moment ) Cornwall

 

I think there are just two in Cornwall at the moment: Poultry in Motion is north of Liskeard and Bridal Bird is near Bude. If you click in the link in my post above you'll get the full list of chickens and you can click each one to bring up their details.

[+The Blorenges]

Doesn't time fly?

 

Just like our chickens.

 

We're now in the last 3 weeks of the race and our birds need to set course for Swansea, to arrive at the Mega event on 31st July. If you find a tired chicken in a cache near you please do your best to direct it towards south Wales.

 

The most exhausted is Jen's Hen who has flapped her way over a thousand miles - It's amazing what a determined chicken can achieve when she puts her (very small) brain in gear.

 

Kluckin' Kerrie has been blown off course and has ended up in a famous bus shelter on the island of Unst, way, way up north of The Shetland Islands. If you happen to be going that way in the next couple of weeks, or you know of any geocacher who's in that area, please see if you can do anything to get Kluckin' Kerrie back on track!

 

MrsB

[+Dave's Piglings]

just found this thread after seeing the snail one. I've got to ask which chicken won?! and how far did they travel?

[+The Blorenges]

The winning chicken was Kluckin' Kerrie who henthusiastically flapped her way to victory over 1472 miles.

 

Many of the chickens in the race are continuing to flap onwards until the end of this year, to see which one can now get the most miles in total. So if you find one, please look after it and move it as far as possible - They are now allowed to fly out of the UK!

 

MrsB

[+The Blorenges]

The chickens flap onwards until the end of the year...

 

A couple of them, the Pedigree Racing Chicken (3732 miles - good racing genes from selective breeding!) and KFC Kernow's Fast Chicken (756 miles - trained using a fast food diet) have managed to leave the UK and are in Netherlands and Spain respectively. Meanwhile, back on the island, Lydford Locator's Old Speckled Hen has clocked up a very good 1303 miles all within Great Britain.

Spring Chicken is also doing well with 1198 miles covered but one has to wonder how this one will managed now that Autumn and Winter conditions are approaching. Another strong racer is Bananachick - her aerodynamic styling has helped her gain her 1229 miles.

 

Hopefully all the birds will manage to keep flapping through to the end of this year.

 

MrsB