Hawk Kills a Dog, Smoking and Aging, Are We Alone In The Universe, Dinosaur Nests in Mongolia, Feral Cows, Backyard Chickens

I've been asked if a Bald Eagle can grab a small dog and carry it away. I'm sure if a dog is small enough this can happen. But there is another cause for concern. There was an incident recently in Norfolk where a Hawk killed a dog while it was in a yard. The owner wasn't right there with it, it was a fenced yard. So, even though the dog may be too large to be carried away, it can still be killed by a bird of prey. The best advice if you have a small dog is to have it on a leash while outside.

Does smoking make you look older? Twins were in a study where one smoked and the other either didn't smoke or smoked less than the other. There are pictures of three twins -- I tried to figure out which was the smoker before reading which was which. Check it out.

Are we alone in the universe? Are we alone in the Milky Way? There are 8.8 billion habitable planets in the Milky Way alone. So, the chance that we are alone in the Milky Way is 8.8 billion to 1? I'm just saying...

Dinosaur nests were found in Mongolia. There is a picture of one of the clutches of eggs. The article is interesting to me because they reach several conclusions based upon what they found.

Feral cows are menacing hikers. This is a story that came out at the end of October. They were looking for some cowboys to go in and round them up. I was hoping to see a follow-up to this story, but I couldn't find any updates online...

I want to have backyard chickens some day. The City of Hampton has recently started allowing backyard chickens. You aren't allowed to have any roosters and can have 4 hens. If you are shopping for chickens, I found My Pet Chicken web site to be great! They sell baby chicks and you can specify that you only want females. (A lot of web sites will only sell straight-run chicks. Which means that you could end up with roosters or hens.) They also have very helpful information and a breed recommender there if you are new to keeping chickens. You have to apply for a permit at the Treasurer's Office on Franklin Street ($25) and the city has to inspect your set-up. Here's a link to the Chicken Keeping Application. They are only allowed at single-family residences. They can only be kept for domestic use (not to sell eggs or meat.) Shelters must be 25 feet away from neighboring buildings (the reason I can't have chickens.) I cant' find the ordinance online, but here's Hampton's news release with all the details. Here's a cool chicken coop that comes in two sizes. I love the snap/lock design and the low maintenance materials. Good luck if you are going to keep chickens!