first close call

[cicene mete]

My five-week-old chickens loved to play on our patio. My wife and I keep an eye on them, and she usually catches them and puts them back in their cage (we're still putting the finishing touches on their pen in the barn). She's been out of town and I've been letting them out. I'm disabled, but I can usually lure them back into their cage with food.

Today, I put them out and they were happily playing in the dirt. See?

I went back inside and about a minute later I heard a huge crash into the patio door. There was a giant hawk taking off, and I was sure I had lost at least one chick. I went out and didn't see any of the chicks; clearly, their instincts kicked in and they all found cover. I started waving and banging my crutches together and chased the hawk to a tree a little farther back. Fortunately, the lovely crows (that from this point on are more than welcome to eat all of my blueberries) started harassing the hawk, circling and diving and generally annoying it.

Somehow, I managed to get the terrified chicks back inside. I grabbed one by the leg another by the tail, herded some in with a broom, and finally got the last one in with yogurt. Amazingly, all survived. I got lucky this time, especially because my wife would've killed me when she got home if there were any missing chicks.

Here's the hawk:

 

[ILoveJoe]

That was a close call! You'll have to be extra careful now that the hawk knows 5 tasty morsels live at your house. I would keep them in until your wife gets home.

 

[cicene mete]

you can count on it. Heck, I might not go back outside until she gets home!

 

[SpottedCrow]

I've had my second hawk in the face for breakfast in two months...Obelisk was under the snowball bush like she was a doughboy in the Great War....sparrows and grackles were scattered like buckshot...

Nothing like a good adrenaline rush in the morning...

Glad all your chickiebabies were okay.