Devastating loss. Graphic pictures please help!

[enola]

They were probably happy. Did you see the hawk?

 

[happyfrenchman]

Heather A bigger run will let you keep them in longer... sometimes if you keep them in for a few days the hawk will depart the area for greener pastures. The bird n the pictures was a good sized coopers hawk. Most likely a juvenile female because of the way it was just perching in plain sight. They are relentless predators. I have roller pigeons and they are definitely on the menu no matter what I try. (If I let them fly). I have found I am much less likely to draw an attack later in the day. I suppose the hawk wakes up in the morning hungry and begins hunting. If you let the birds out later in the day, it may already have eaten it's dinner. On the converse of that, if it has not, I would imagine it would be even hungrier and more willing to attack no matter what. My yard looks alot like yours from the pics. Alot of big trees. The Coopers perch in the trees and attack. Your chicken that was killed was probably trapped by the hawk against your structure. I have alot of bushes and shrubbery in my yard and the chickens can quickly retreat under cover. A rooster is good because they are vigilant. Also the carcass you discovered was not eaten completely. Perhaps the hawk was disturbed from his meal? Older hawks will not kill if they do not think they can finish their meal. Coopers hawks that are older are much less likely to risk life and limb by exposing themselves with little chance of a meal.

A rooster, a dog or two... , Shrubbery, or other cover. Adirondack chairs.... picnic tables... I have a small rain shelter that is open on all four sides and roofed with shingles. The chickens stay under it in the rain or in the heat.... as well as when they feel threatened. things they can get under or get through... not get trapped in or against. That trailer in the picture looks like it would be a good place for them to dodge an attack. My dog is a deterrent, and quite frankly so am I. But I am not always there and my birds are generally always out. (I do not encourage my youngsters to be out until they are larger. I have lost youngsters to coopers. And I did not suffer those losses passively. I do think that is part of the reason I rarely have a problem with my chickens. Hawks are smart. Older hawks are alot smarter than younger hawks. In the late winter they will be very hungry.
Good luck. You can coexist with them if you have the right setup and don't let them have an easy meal.

 

[HeatherTheMommy]

I didn't see the hawk while i was outside. I stayed close to my girls and kept my eyes on the sky and trees. I have some picnic tables I plan to drag into the yard back by the woods but I think my ladies will only be allowed out while I'm outside as well. They seem happy in their new run because they have a lot of space. I need to go out with wire and close any gaps i see from where the fencing doesn't line up perfect. I went out this week and stocked up on food and treats so they are extra happy. Buried my dominique other day and I hope it is the last i have to bury. I found her dead around 4pm and she was already stiff so I'm assuming the hawk got her in the morning time. I still feel sick knowing she was trapped and my other girls were around to witness it all. They seemed to stay under the trailer yesterday and by the shed.

 

[HeatherTheMommy]

This was my buff orpington a day or two after i found her injured. A few days before my dominique was killed. I'm assuming the hawk attacked her but was not successful. She is healing nicely now but did have half of her comb ripped off.

 

[hayley3]

Poor baby...glad she is mending.

 

[HeatherTheMommy]

Will try to post an updated pic of her. At first i thought she got her comb caught on something but after my dominique was killed i out two and two together and realized it was probably the hawk

 

[happyfrenchman]

Heather

They are very hard to see when in the trees. Your birds behavior is how you know they are around. Unless you see them fly in.

The hen that survived... I think you are right. That was likely the hawk. They attack the head on larger prey to immobilize it quickly. They just start eating smaller birds alive. She has probably got some punctures on her back or side from the hawks talons.

I have little sympathy for "accipiter" hawks. I know they are part of nature and all that, but I am part of nature too...
I know some on here have said Coopers will take full grown hens and you have seen that. They are called hen hawks by some. I think maybe that one hen that did not escape was just too trapped and the hawk was able to control her until she killed her. Your lucky hen was able to escape. Maybe had some room to get up and run even after the hawk had her down at first. Maybe that is just a fluke and this hawk will move on. But RedTails and other "Buteo" hawks will always be a hazard. They are very able to kill hens, but they are not as likely to chase them underneath and into cover.

I think if you get your area sorted out with good cover and no dead ends you will be able to coexist.... Hawks like an easy meal. They don't want to risk themselves with little chance of success. If you get cover and maybe a rooster and this one especially bold hawk either mellows out or disappears, you will not often have to deal with these situations.

 

[cscigu]

I haven't been able to keep up with the conversations completely, I take it you're convinced it was the hawk? The chickens I've lost to hawks generally leave nothing behind but a few feathers. However, my chickens are usually snatched when they are out in a more open area, where it is easier for the hawk to carry them off. Many hawks rely on striking their prey so hard they are knocked silly, and unable to escape, then carry them away. I can see how if if was the hawk, and hitting it by the coop it may not have been easy to get away with it.

Still, that type of damage also looks similar to what a possum, small dog, cat, etc might do.

In regard to ending the hawk menace, unless you are in a very isolated area, I'm sure the risk of killing the hawk is not wise. Never wise to fool with the Feds. In my state, the state statutes specifically mention that a person may kill predators that threaten livestock. What's unclear is how that would be applied if you were caught.

My chickens run loose all day. I'll loose a couple every year to hawks, and just live with it. "Life on the farm". Some things that I THINK might keep my losses down are:

Radio. I keep a radio going in the barn a lot. Does it help? Who knows, but I like the guys on the sports channel.
Fake Owls: I have two of these near the garden that I move around
Dogs: These help for sure. I've got 3 dogs that are out and about a lot. One is a German Shepherd that will chase anything, including birds, but leaves the chickens alone.
Cover and concealment: The hens are not dumb. They know the sound of hawks, and keep close to trees, trailers, tractors, etc to run under.

Nothing new. I'd try to make the hawk feel unwelcome. Noise, fireworks, water hose, wind chimes. Keep the hens in a pen until it relocates. Good luck; I know its frustrating.

 

[HeatherTheMommy]

Yes a week or 2 prior to my orpington being attacked I had all of my girls out. They were all in my front yard so i tossed them a handful of catfood and went inside to my 2 small children. A few minutes later I was talking to my husband when my hens went crazy and one flew right into our window and everyone else ran. My husband grabbed his shot gun and ran outside. I hurried outside (my mom was there to take my son) and all of my girls were hiding. I saw some tan feathers in the yard and assumed a cat or something ran up to the food and just scared the chickens. We found no predator and now it makes sense that it was the hawk. Flew away quickly and was unsuccessful with catching a hen. Took about an hour to find all 12 hens because they were all hiding around the yard. I slowly gathered them up and locked them in the run. Then the orpington had the bloody head a week or so later. I wish i had figured it out then before i lost a hen. I just assumed it was a cat and a careleas hen

 

[HeatherTheMommy]

Ok looked back through my texts. The 19th is when my flock went crazy in the front yard. The 28th is when my orpington was attacked and the 1st was when my dominique was killed.