Today has been eventful, to say the least.
This morning as I was
brushing N.'s hair for school, I heard a HUGE commotion the chickens
were raising out in the yard--literally ALL of them were screaming.
That could only mean one thing--a predator in the yard, attacking and/or
eating one of them. Likely a hawk, and likely it was attacking one of
the new chicks--they are the most vulnerable right now.
So out I
run...just in time to see a gigantic dust-up in the middle of the yard,
involving about ten of the adult birds, including 4 broody hens and all
three roosters. There was a huge dust cloud, so thick I couldn't see
through it, and battling chickens, all thrashing whatever they had in
the middle.
Which at that moment burst free and took off outta there--a Sharpshin hawk.
Jesus, they were curb-stomping a hawk!
Bear,
her two daughters Voodoo and Moxie, Boots and Silver were so upset,
they turned on each other and kept fighting. I had to wade in and
seperate pissed off hens. The babies were sensibly stowed under a
large bush, hunkering down and being quiet. I figured that the hawk had
seen the four broodies out dustbathing, figured they were easy
pickin's and dived on them. Or had landed thinking to walk in after the
babies.
Big mistake.
I hope the hawk was OK and has
learned his lesson after getting an ass whoopin' he'll never
forget--DON'T mess with broody hens!
