Does anyone not have issues with hawks?

[Jtaranc]

The rain always brings the hawks out. My rooster and the hawks were digging in the mud together looking for worms. My chickens aren't even afraid of the hawks.

I've been here 3 years and never have an issue with the hawks, and the chickens go up at night.

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

Maybe the secretly grew up together? Cats can be a huge issue with chickens (and I've had a few go after mine), but there was this one litter of stays that was constantly by my chicken yard as they grew up. As adults, they were never a problem with my flock and would hang out with them.

On a side not, is your area a pretty good hunting ground? Those hawks are small and they could be getting enough to eat off of mice and rats.

 

[Jtaranc]

Maybe the secretly grew up together? Cats can be a huge issue with chickens (and I've had a few go after mine), but there was this one litter of stays that was constantly by my chicken yard as they grew up. As adults, they were never a problem with my flock and would hang out with them.

On a side not, is your area a pretty good hunting ground? Those hawks are small and they could be getting enough to eat off of mice and rats.

I work for a large animal vet and he and I were just talking about this. He lives down the street and said hawks never messed with his chickens either. He said hawks have to be pretty hungry to expel energy on going after a chicken. There's mice everywhere on my farm and I imagine everyone else's. I have a few roosters also.

Now foxes terrify me. I see them a lot in the way back of my property but so far the donkeys keep them back there.

The hawks just always seem fixated on the wet ground.

 

[SwampPrincessChick]

Why would the hawks be digging for worms? They are bird of prey. They hunt, they don't forage.

 

[Jtaranc]

Why would the hawks be digging for worms? They are bird of prey. They hunt, they don't forage.

I'm not sure. Those are hawks are they not?

 

[Jtaranc]

Why would the hawks be digging for worms? They are bird of prey. They hunt, they don't forage.

If you google hawk eating worm there's a million photos of hawks eating worms so apparently they do

 

[SwampPrincessChick]

I'm not sure. Those are hawks are they not?

Yes, those are hawks. It's just strange that a bird of prey would be foraging.

 

[SwampPrincessChick]

Also hawks are definitely predators to chickens, I've had two attack and one attempt to attack.

 

[Jtaranc]

Yes, those are hawks. It's just strange that a bird of prey would be foraging.

Maybe they're juvenile. They run, hop, and stomp on worms from the soil. Any bird that eats snakes is gonna eat a worm. It's something slithering. They're not able to tell the difference. Like someone else stated these hawks are smaller.

 

[SwampPrincessChick]

Maybe they're juvenile. They run, hop, and stomp on worms from the soil. Any bird that eats snakes is gonna eat a worm. It's something slithering. They're not able to tell the difference. Like someone else stated these hawks are smaller.

You're underestimating the intelligence of birds. Avians are able to easily distinguish a worm from a snake. Is it possible that you can record a video of the hawks foraging with the chickens?