The chicken line

Sunday afternoon I spent some time sitting outside reading a book and soaking up some of this beautiful spring sun.  The chickens were out scratching around in the dirt and had come closer to the house since I was out, also.  The birds were singing, bees were buzzing.

And then a hawk made a little screech from above our heads.

Before I share with you the "rest of the story", I want to make sure you know that hawks kill chickens.  I have seen one swoop down into our chicken pen and kill one.  The hawk wasn't able to pick it up to carry it out, but if I had not been there, it would have had a good, big meal.  After that day we have kept either chicken wire or a roof over the girl's heads.

So, back to Sunday afternoon...

The hawk screeched and the chickens did a very funny thing.  All at one time they ran under a magnolia tree, lined up in a straight line, stretched their bodies very tall, and stood totally still.  They only stayed that way for about 5 seconds, but it was long enough for me to watch them and wonder to myself, "When did they practice that move?"

I have never seen the chicken line.  We have heard hawks before and the girls have only run toward some shelter.  This time they looked like short, feathery fence posts in a perfectly straight line.  It was really funny.

If you like chicken humor.