Well It was about midnight and I went to check in the dogs because they were barking and when I went outside I saw nothing and told them to shush then I heard a weird cooing noise a lot of them so like the crazy bird lady I am I slip on some shoes grab a fading light and go in search of these noises(and where I live it could have been a weasel to a cougar I had no clue)they were coming from a tree but they were moving from tree to tree I couldn't see them yet and the dogs were following me around with no fear so I scratched out it being something big but I seriously doubted it being an owl I thought it was some little furry creature until about ten yards from me one flies down out of the gigantic tree and lands on a little baby oak I walked up to the tree which was only about my height(not real tall) so I was about 2 yards from it but it took flight again and there were several flying around so to lead you up to the one I got to pet I ended up running around in the bushes for an hour chasing after miniature owls there was about ten and they all stayed really low several letting me walk up to them and looking at them from only 3-5 feet away they were the smallest owls I had ever seen I kept following them around until one landed on another baby oak shorter then the last I shined the light at it but the light was very faded this little gray barred owl sat on a branch holding a centipede in its mouth looking at me with it's incredibly yellow eyes that showed so much curiosity I walked straight up to it and pet the back of its head it let me and looked at me one more time straight in the eyes and then it was gone it had flown away into the trees I watched them flutter around for another half hour or so and then watched them get deeper into the forest until I couldn't see them anymore I then went to bed that is how I got to pet a screech owl....
Hens go broody when you don’t want them to… and won’t go broody when you do. 
