Meet my mini-flock of 5-month old Golden Campines... Ru, Buffy and Blondie. They have had supervised free-range for several hours each day over the past 10 days. They have also decided on two favorite spots... in the garden (above) and under the apple trees (below). Today, while we were sitting under the apple trees, I heard skreeing in the woods behind my back pasture. I yelled HAWK and they froze. The skreeing got louder and started coming from multiple locations. I peeked out from under the canopy to see three hawks come together in hunting formation right above us. It was parents teaching their youngster how to hunt. I said, "Not with my chickens!" By now, they were curious and had to peek out too. They crept to the edge of the shade, looked up and made the warning call, then they stared at the hawks for several nerve-wracking seconds. I went to the tree trunk and called them over. After they settled down, I went back to watch the hawks practice swooping and diving over my back yard... the parents skreeing and the youngster kee-kee-keeing. A few minutes later, they caught an updraft and headed west. So I said OK in a loud voice and walked into the yard. They cautiously crept out of the shade and peered up... they didn't see anything but still made a beeline to garden just in case. I was so proud of them for staying put while the hawks were flying above! We live on the edge of a national forest and prepped as best we can for preditors, but you never know what could happen until it does.
