Two monarchs are fluttering around the backyard.

The chickens just returned to their coop after pecking around outside while I did yard work. I left them alone for five minutes to go to another part of the backyard. While I was gone, one of them perched on the open door to the coop, which then swung closed. When I came back to check on them, the hen was hanging upside down by one toe. The other hens had gathered around her, watching what looked like a public execution. All of them were completely silent.

Many times, a breeze, or a disturbance I can’t detect, sends the flock squawking and flying awkwardly around the yard. This time, when one of them actually needed help, none of them made a sound.