Yesterday morning as the sun was coming up, Ol' Buddy started like the UPS man was driving up. I opened the door to have a look and Buddy shot out and headed for the azaleas. I looked out the front windows to try and see what drew his attention. One of our neighbor's chickens which now lives under the cover of our Holley, lilac, and huckleberry bushes, came blazing out squawking with her wings flapping. The hen looked twice her normal size and her beating wings sounded like a hovering helicopter. I stepped to the walk to get a better look and Ol' Buddy who was fierce as a wolverine one moment, almost knocked me down as he made a hasty retreat.
I stepped back up on the porch and let him inside and went back to take a closer look.
I stood very still behind the Rose-a-Sharon bush and a moment later six tiny chicks scratched their way out from a pile pine straw and started scratching and pecking the ground where we had scattered birdseed. They are yellow with brown streaks and they have tiny orange beaks no bigger than a grain of corn. They are about the size of a field mouse.
I hustled back into the house to grab the camera but the mama hen scooted further under the tangle of azaleas and the chicks were right under her feet.
It will be a challenge over the next few weeks making sure we keep the dogs in the fence and away from the little critters. I don't think Ol' Buddy will be bothering them again because he's afraid that hen will beat the crap out of him....I could see it in his eyes. I told him sternly to "stay away from my peeps." Maybe I can get some pictures this weekend.
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