Well it appeared something made it's move. I heard a horrible commotion yesterday that woke me up around noon. (I work nights so sleep during the days this week). I ran outside to find them all doing the danger / egg song. Two were on top of the coop, one was under a bush and the other I assumed was hiding somewhere. I looked around, and seen nothing, just waking up didn't connect the dots really. When I went out later on to put them in to goto work, I only counted 3 of the 4. Looked all over NO feathers anywhere. This was the biggest one of the group too, the one that probably weighed 8 lbs. I was a bit upset.
About half an hour later I am heading to the truck and hear a soft cluck cluck from the bushes in front of my house. (In front meaning PAST the 6 foot fence around my back property. I do the tongue click and theres the sweetie. I am assuming she somehow flew over the fence to get out there. Fast forward to today and my mail person tells me, yah I seen the chicken in the yard picking around your garden plot there, I figured you let her out I didn't think anything of it.
In the end it makes sense, if a hawk did try something, that is what made them freak, fly on top of the coop (those ones NEVER E V E R) made great efforts at exertion or to get on top of the coop or well.... anything. and the one up over the fence into the front yard.
Ill have to keep them locked up now when I am not outside, crap, neither of us is going to be happy. I'll call the game warden and see what, if anything I can do to discourage the hawks.
At one time I was considering a large fenced in area, like a big building / chicken run enclosure. like 8 feet by 16 feet or whatever it was when I seen it. I may have to actually go and have that built now. At today's lumber prices, ick...
Aaron
