That's my steer, Meatloaf, in the background. But I took this picture to show you the feathers all over the ground. Those are from my poor rooster. (Click on the picture to make it larger.)We have one rooster (who used to belong to our neighbor) and a hen Cliff brought home because he felt sorry for the rooster. They roam around the place all day and roost in the barn, on the hay, at night.
We were getting ready to get on our motorcycle this morning when I heard Mr. Rooster squawking like crazy. I looked toward all the ruckus and saw Rooster and some big bird flopping and half-flying around the calf pen not twenty feet away from me. My brain wasn't processing the whole thing until our renter yelled out her front door, "Hawk!"
Indeed, a hawk had a death grip on our old rooster. I commenced yelling at the top of my lungs, and finally the devil-bird took flight. Cliff headed to the house to get his shotgun (yes, we know it's illegal to shoot a hawk) and I watched the evil creature circle and swoop near the ground looking for his prey. By this time, though, Rooster had taken refuge in the calf shed (which you can see in the picture) underneath a hay baler; and his bride had run to the barn.
What really irks me about this whole thing is that I had my camera IN MY COTTON-PICKEN' HAND and didn't get a picture of the attack because I was so taken by surprise and horror.
I hate when that happens.
When we got home from a four-hour motorcycle ride, both the rooster and the hen were in the barn, still scared to come out. Poor things.
When I was growing up we had chickens and every once in a while a hawk would try to get one. Back then it wasn't illegal to shoot them and I remember Mama shooting in the air to scare off a hawk if it lurked around too long.
ReplyDeletePoor Mr. Rooster! I hope the hawk's talons didn't do any permanent damage.
My BIL had pigeons and the hawks discovered them and picked them off like it was their own personal buffet. Out of 2 dozen he only has 2 left.
I know they have to eat too but don't eat my stuff! They come around here and I'll see a big PUFF of feathers and that's all that's left. Some poor little bird has become lunch!
ReplyDeleteOMG! how scary.
ReplyDeleteIm glad your feathered friends escaped the hawk.
Hopefully haek wont be back anytime soon and will find his chow elsewhere.
Wow! This is the first time I get to know hawks do attack domestic animals like chickens.
ReplyDeleteAlways thought that wild animals normally would stay away from human habitats unless desperate due to encroachment of their own habitat.
Fortunately Mr. Rooster escaped and are alive.
Yes, it would be interesting if you had taken a photo at that moment... a National Geographics material.
I hope poor Rooster is doing okay. It's rather breathtaking and scary when a hawk attacks - I saw one nab a songbird in my front yard last year and it was a horrid fascination. I didn't get a picture either.
ReplyDeleteOkay... am I the only one who thinks it's hilarious you named your cow "meatloaf"?
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You sounded just like Ree!!
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