Down Her Hatch

CherryBlossoms

The cherry blossoms are in full bloom. Add a little blue to the sky, and it takes your breath away. If you’re outside, it’s impossible not to be entertained. One moment, it’s the cherry blossoms dancing their hearts out in the brisk spring wind. The next moment, it’s a hen gobbling down a field mouse.

MidgeWithMouseA

I rushed to take some pictures, but she was too fast. Before I could get my camera on her, the mouse was almost down her hatch. If you look closely, you can see the tail of the field mouse dangling out her beak.

MidgeWithMouseB

How do they do this? Chickens have hawk like eyes and are wickedly fast. If they spot a field mouse in the brush, it doesn’t stand a chance. One or two strikes with their strong beak, and the poor field mouse is dead. When they catch a field mouse, they have to gobble it as fast as possible, or another hen will steal it.

Watching my chickens run about, it makes me wonder where the idea for vegetarian chicken feed came from? Not from someone who has spent any time observing chickens in the field. These are brilliant, capable hunters.

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