Ssssshhh, I'm hunting....

Hunting Boots

I awoke this morning in a great deal of pain.  Every joint in my body was screaming.  Trying to sit in my car to drive my kids to their respective destinations was brutal.  Coming home and trying to lay down proved to not be an easy task either.  No matter what position I was in, it felt as if my body was crushing down on my bones.

I was hunting this morning for pain relief.  Still under doctors orders though, I wasn't allowed to just take anything for the pain.  Part of my procedure on Monday included biopsies - which meant I wasn't allowed to take anything that would thin my blood and put me at risk for a bleed.  So I had to wait for the doctor to call me back.  Fortunately, he gave me the all clear to take Aleve.  It seems to be taking the edge off enough that I should be able to return to work tomorrow.

This afternoon I noticed a dark bird in the coop with the chickens - realizing that it wasn't our barred rock hen, Taco - I immediately went outside.  It was a hawk.  The hawk and killed and dismembered one of our one month old chicks.  It was the youngest of the four - an all white Barred Rock rooster.  I was furious, as was my husband.  We reinforced the crate that the chicks were in - figured if we made the areas of access smaller that the remaining three chicks would be safe.  About an hour ago I noticed the chickens acting strange again.  This time when I returned outside, I found that the hawk had beheaded our one month old Rhode Island Red rooster.  I quickly removed the remaining two chicks and moved their crate into the shed.  All though the shed is not an ideal place for them - I am hopeful that by removing the hawk's food source that it will go away.  I also know that they will be alive tomorrow morning.

We are now on a hunt to remove the hawk.  There is a possibility with the young ones removed that the hawk will move onto another location.  There is also the possibility that with the young ones removed that the hawk will turn to the bigger ones.  I think if the hawk is smart - it will keep its ass out of our chicken coop.

Tomorrow I will be on the hunt for continued improvement. 

I will be on the hunt for my next food level to try. 

I will be on the hunt for a hawk should he mess with our babies again...and yes, our chickens are treated and raised like pets.