Gory scenes from the barn

With a title like that you are probably expecting photos... Well not today.

This morning, I couldn't understand why Puck was acting strange.  I was worried that it was a sign of an upcoming seizure.  I collected all of my kitchen scraps and took the bowl out to the animals.  I tossed some less than fresh broccoli into the goat yard and then made a last minute decision to give all of the kitchen scraps into the turkeys yard.  I let out the turkeys.  I grabbed an armful of hay for the goats and headed towards their door. 

Now I am used to startled hens leaping out, feathers ruffled and squawking away.  So when I was suddenly struck with a face full of feathers, I was not ruffled.  But in a split second I recognized that brown and white feather pattern.  It was a young Red-tailed Hawk flying into my face!  I ducked and it flew over my head and took perch in the big Maple tree next to the patio.  I was breathless and speechless, and considering myself lucky that I didn't get tangled with some talons.  Then I turned and took a quick glimpse of a pile of blood and bones on the floor of the barn, and I ran like a little girl to the house.  Actually, I closed the barn doors (if Damon had done that last night, there would be no hawk in the barn this morning), ushered one terrified and de-feathered hen into the coop, dumped the hay into the goat yard and then I RAN.

I can handle gross, but I can't handle dead.  I make my boys act as undertakers for any dead chick, trapped mouse, etc.  Just like a cartoon character, I leap onto the nearest chair screaming.  Matt and the boys tease me about it all the time.  But I know that a poopy diaper has the same effect on them.

It makes me wonder if Puck knew the hawk was eating one of our chicken friends and that's why he was whining and following me around.  I wonder if that is why I had a sudden sharp pain in my stomach as I walked out the door.  Matt has been bugging me about putting the kittens in the barn full time.  I had said it would be done by now, but for some reason I've been dragging my feet about it.  SO glad they weren't there for that.

My 2 roosters are now circling the chicken yard while all of the hens stay inside on this beautiful day.  Snowman, Gigi and Spiderman (a hen) had been living in the barn. 

So now I wait until Patrick arrives home from school, only to be greeted with the news that he has to act as crime scene investigator and undertaker.  I'll make sure to save a poopy diaper for leverage.