My Chickens:The Eggs and the Fox.

 THE EGGS......The guineas had been free-ranging for a long time and I never really worried about them. They would go a mile down the road and still return safely before dusk. I never felt too worried that they would get hurt, because they never did.    Then one day, I had fed the chicks--now in the hen house-- and was back in the house, when I noticed an odd sound: ACK! ACK! ACK! ACK,ACK,ACK,ACK,ACK,ACK!!!!!!!! Startled, I ran to the window. It was the Father, alone and screeching his head off!   Greatly worried now, I raced out side.  I joined Father and searched the yard. Mother was missing! A faint sound stopped me: OOH, AAH! OOH, AAH! -The Mother! It had come from the hen house!-- Or so I thought. A futile search proved me wrong; NO Mother. OOH, AAH! OOH, AAH!  The woods! No; NO Mother!  Where was she?! Was she injured and unable to come to my calls? I HAD to find her!                                      OOH ,AAH! OOH, AAH! The brier patch! --NO Mother! The road!-- NO Mother!  Suddenly, the Father leaped into the air with a whir and flew clear over the pool! I dashed after him.  I nearly passed out with relief. There, creeping out from under the old slide, was the bird who had caused all the trouble. " Mother! Thank goodness your okay!" She was fine. Without further ado, I locked them both in the hen house with my juvenile chicks.   Thinking my job was done for today, I turned toward the house. Then it came to me: Why had she been hiding? I crouched and looked under the old slide. In a cosy nest, lined with grass, were three still-warm eggs! They were  beautiful, pale pink, and pointed at one end, more sharply than chicken eggs. I took them in the house and refrigerated them. They were the best eggs ever.

THE FOX......Sunday, afternoon, and I no idea of what was in store for me and my chickens. The chicks were free-ranging for the up tenth time. I felt fairly comfortable about it all, but I had this feeling......EEEEEK!!! The peace was shattered by a screeching chick. I looked out the window. A fox was loping after the chick named Pecky-Pully! The guineas were no where in sight and the other chicks had scattered. I ran out, yelling at the horrible animal. It disappeared into the woods. I managed to put half the chicks in, but so many were hiding all over the yard it would certainly take a while to find them all! I started to search........                                                                                                                         


I will soon write about The lost and found chick. Here's that link again, in case you missed it, click here. Enjoy, and please read again !