GCrumb
Songster
- Apr 15, 2023
- 193
- 434
- 131
Free-range time is limited to when somebody’s working in the yard but isn’t working too hard to keep an eye on chickens.
Little Red, a disabled hen who was recovering from a mysterious paralysis with patient and determined human help, was following her physical therapist around clumsily and got distracted by some particularly appealing gravel in the driveway.
Black Tail, the top hen, was perhaps a hundred feet away up under the scrub oak, scratching around in the leaf litter with two point-of-lay pullets, Polly Jean Harvey and Yellow Legs. Stanley Knife, the same age, was also up there.
A red-tailed hawk swept over and took a casual stoop at Red on the driveway. Red crouched and screamed. Stanley tore down the slope at top speed, head high, uttering a war-cry and springing into the air over Red.
The hawk veered off. She no doubt knew she could kill Red but that between two humans shouting personal remarks at her and one enraged cockerel she wouldn’t be able to eat if she did.
Stanley hit the ground shaking, staring around with wide terrified eyes and open panting beak. Then he went and hid under a currant bush for half an hour.
Little Red, a disabled hen who was recovering from a mysterious paralysis with patient and determined human help, was following her physical therapist around clumsily and got distracted by some particularly appealing gravel in the driveway.
Black Tail, the top hen, was perhaps a hundred feet away up under the scrub oak, scratching around in the leaf litter with two point-of-lay pullets, Polly Jean Harvey and Yellow Legs. Stanley Knife, the same age, was also up there.
A red-tailed hawk swept over and took a casual stoop at Red on the driveway. Red crouched and screamed. Stanley tore down the slope at top speed, head high, uttering a war-cry and springing into the air over Red.
The hawk veered off. She no doubt knew she could kill Red but that between two humans shouting personal remarks at her and one enraged cockerel she wouldn’t be able to eat if she did.
Stanley hit the ground shaking, staring around with wide terrified eyes and open panting beak. Then he went and hid under a currant bush for half an hour.
