2iceblest
Chirping
My 14-week old pullets get a bit of free-range time. I love to see them so happy running around and flapping their wings, chasing each other for some moth they caught. If I’m not able to stay with them the whole time, I keep the door open to listen for hawks and eagles and do sight checks every few minutes.
The predatory birds chase the song birds away. They don’t usually hunt here since we keep the fields low cut. And, when something scares the pullets, like any unfamiliar noise or even a gust of wind, they high tail it to the run.
It was rainy but the birds were chirping away so I knew no predators were around. Check. Another check. The pullets were happily under the ash trees, as usual. Wild bird chirping continued. Another check and - gone! I ran out there and couldn’t find them! No chirping birds!! I scanned the sky and finally saw a hawk fly for the tree line.
Then, I looked under ‘Fat Alberta’, a large and wide cedar with low branches, and there were all the girls - one perched on a branch.
Phew! Smart girls!!
Now, I’m sad. I have to figure something out. I’ve heard hawks don’t like owls but if I put out a fake one swinging from a tree, I fear my flock will be scared of it, too. I can’t put up string because the lot is too big and the girls usually roam from one stand of trees to the next. So darn cute!
The predatory birds chase the song birds away. They don’t usually hunt here since we keep the fields low cut. And, when something scares the pullets, like any unfamiliar noise or even a gust of wind, they high tail it to the run.
It was rainy but the birds were chirping away so I knew no predators were around. Check. Another check. The pullets were happily under the ash trees, as usual. Wild bird chirping continued. Another check and - gone! I ran out there and couldn’t find them! No chirping birds!! I scanned the sky and finally saw a hawk fly for the tree line.
Then, I looked under ‘Fat Alberta’, a large and wide cedar with low branches, and there were all the girls - one perched on a branch.
Phew! Smart girls!!
Now, I’m sad. I have to figure something out. I’ve heard hawks don’t like owls but if I put out a fake one swinging from a tree, I fear my flock will be scared of it, too. I can’t put up string because the lot is too big and the girls usually roam from one stand of trees to the next. So darn cute!
