Hawk Attack

[24279102]

Well, we knew it was only a matter of time as the hawks have been visiting a lot lately. Our girl manged to escape when I ran out of the house yelling my head off. She has a wound just above her leg and under her wing with adipose (fat ) tissue hanging out and one on her neck but I didn't see anything else. I've washed it and put Bluekote on it and then I put her back in with her buddies. As long as it appears to be clean I will leave it alone. This morning she seems to be fine and walking around okay. My question is - will they leave her alone if the wounds are not visible? They seem to be covered quite well by her feathers .

 

[Mattemma]

If the wounds are not visible they should leave her alone,but hens in the winter get bored mighty fast.Check often.Mine was fine in the am,but by afternoon her back was bloody.I have my hen in the house till her feathers grow in enough to cover her bald patches.Glad she survived the attack.

 

[greenriver]

The other chickens should leave her alone if they don't see the wounds. The hawk will be back.

 

[Vanessabuffsnsilkies]

Yes, the hawk will come back. Just had a bad experience with it.

 

[24279102]

I was hoping that I wouldn't have to isolate her. We were fortunate that she didn't lose too many feathers and there is no bare skin on her back so that at least she will be warm. I will keep an even more watchful eye that usual.The hawk was given a very big "deterrent" yesterday !!!

 

[Wayne&Kim1963]

I usually take some white thread and needle and clean up the wounds quite well from a hawk and sew them up so they can heal well. After they are clean of any dirt or old tissue I clean it liberally with some warm water with some salt added. I put triple antibiotic ointment in it then pull tissue up together and tie it off and give hen about 5 or 6 stitches. I give her 1 cc of penicillin IM in breast to help prevent infection

 

[Jajika]

You can't scare the hawk away. Your running out there and screaming is
not going to keep this hawk or any other away.

Once they know food is available, they will be back.

So the questions is, what are you going to do to keep
your chickens safe from hawks???

It's your job, as you know, and you will not always be around
when the next attack somes?

I have a very big chicken yard with five tall fruit trees in a 900 sq yard run, so to speak.

I never had a hawk attack in eight years. Once I had one, they didn't
stop until I was able to completely cover over the entire yard.

I had to top all the fruit trees with a chain saw, hired some help, bought A tone of poultry netting.

Do you know that before I could finish the project--and I stayed home from work
until it was complete, the hawk found a way in through a small gap in the netting.

Truly I can't stress this enough. You need to figure out a way to keep
your chickens safe. The hawks are not afraid of you.

Good luck

 

[libertychicken]

Ugh, I lost my best layer Judy the lovely BO to a hawk today. So sad

. I had strung fishing wire all across the yard after the last attack and thought I had done a good enough job, but now husband and I have decided we have to get poultry netting - any suggestions where to find it? My local hardware and TSC don't have it.

The hawk was on the bird when I came out, and when it tried to fly away it DID crash into the fishing line web and fall back to the ground - then it hopped over to a bigger hole and flew out. I'd say the hole it fit through was a triangle about 30" on a side, so obviously too big.

%&#%! hawks.

 

[bburn]

I live in the country and there are lots of hawks. I worry daily if my coop is secure enough. Today I was back in my bedroom and heard the crows making a racket. I looked out the window and they were all circling a hawk sitting up in a tree watching my chicken pens. I stepped out the back door and shot at the 'crows'. Ahum.....I want the one to not think this is a good place to hang out. I know I can't shoot a hawk unless it is attacking my livestock. But I am ready for the day.

I have tops on all my runs. I do not let my chickens out to free range unless I am going to be out there with them. I have a lawn chair out there for that purpose. The garden spot is where I let them free range. The runs are all quite large for the number of chickens they contain.

You just hate to have something like a hawk take your chickens. We do get attached to them and enjoy them. And our job is protect them the best we know how.

 

[Jajika]

Amen.