Hawk in the sky

On hot summer days we let the chickens roam in a chicken wire cage in the yard with an umbrella attached to the chicken wire so they can cool off in the shade. The top of course was open.

They just loved being outside in the warm sun.  They could spend all day out there constantly pecking at the grass to find bugs and what ever chickens usually find.

We checked on them quite often.  My biggest worry was that a coyote would come by and take them both.  This made me nervous all the time. 

Until that one day came when my neighbor heard the chickens screaming and hurried outside to see what was going on.  Feathers were scattered everywhere.  A hawk from the sky came down and was attacking our red chicken.  My neighbor scared the hawk away but it was too late.  By the time we got there the red chicken was too weak and died.   We were devastated.  These two chickens did everything together.  They followed each other and stuck by each others side since the day we got them as baby chicks.  It never occurred to me that a hawk would be the enemy.  

We all walked around the house that day quietly in disbelief.  What could we have done differently to prevent this?  We felt totally responsible for what had happened.  We just couldn't keep them in the screen porch all day long.  They wanted to be in the sun.  I was not set up with a chicken coop and a chicken run.  Maybe we should have given them to a farm.  

So now, we only have one chicken :(