Lost one of our girls yesterday. My heart hurts.

[Soujrnr]

I think it was probably inevitable that at some point we'd lose one of our girls to a predator. We came home yesterday from a hike only to find a hawk eating one of our chickens. My wife chased the hawk away, but the damage was done. The poor girl was opened right up, but still breathing and fighting to stay alive. I couldn't watch her suffer, so I had to put her down.

A second chicken was missing and so I thought a hawk must have just completely carried her away. We live next to the woods, so predation is definitely a big concern, but we haven't had any issues until yesterday, and the threat wasn't all the racoons, possums, foxes, feral cats, or black bears. It was a raptor. Just to be thorough, my wife and I called for her, searched high and low, left the coop open for her while locking the others in the run, but she never showed up. We wrote her off because of all the predators. Last night my game cameras triggered 14 times with predators, so I thought she was a free chicken dinner for something out there.

There is great news in this though! This morning, my wife and I and some of our kids ran the annual "Turkey Trot 5K" in 39 degrees. When we got home, my wife put together some food for them and we went to check on the girls. When we got near the coop, the prodigal chicken came running out from behind the building. Somehow she survived the entire freezing cold night by herself in an area full of predators. We were overjoyed to see her return. We just got her and two others a couple months ago, but we haven't named them yet. We decided to name her Xena, the Princess Warrior. LOL

So, I say all that just to ask if anyone has had any success with fake owls or scarecrows in dealing with raptors. I don't think the four-legged creatures care about scarecrows or owls, but I could be wrong. I will probably end up building a big enclosed place for them to "graze," but maybe not until next spring. They currently have a run that is fully enclosed. It's 18 feet long and 6 feet wide, but it's not any good for foraging.

Thanks!!

Mike

 

[fluffycrow]

I'm so sorry you lost your beautiful girl to a predator. Losing a chicken is hard, sending hugs your way . I have not ever tried a fake owl or anything of that sort, but I have not read many positive things about them. They might work for a little bit, eventually the wild birds will know it isn't a threat. How old are these guys? I ask because my most successful detergent to aerial predators have been the chickens themselves. Do you have a cockerel?

 

[Soujrnr]

I'm so sorry you lost your beautiful girl to a predator. Losing a chicken is hard, sending hugs your way . I have not ever tried a fake owl or anything of that sort, but I have not read many positive things about them. They might work for a little bit, eventually the wild birds will know it isn't a threat. How old are these guys? I ask because my most successful detergent to aerial predators have been the chickens themselves. Do you have a cockerel?

Four of the girls are about 18 months, I'd guess. The other four (three now) are about six months. No cockerel.

 

[fluffycrow]

Four of the girls are about 18 months, I'd guess. The other four (three now) are about six months. No cockerel.

Huh. I would've expected one of the 18 month old girls to step up to the role of sentinel. Do they have places they could hide under, when they free range?

 

[Soujrnr]

Huh. I would've expected one of the 18 month old girls to step up to the role of sentinel. Do they have places they could hide under, when they free range?

Sorry for the delay in responding. It's been a VERY busy time at our home with friends and family visiting. It's been non-stop since Thanksgiving.

In any event, none of the girls stepped up to help. They all fled. A few jumped the fence and disappeared into the woods, three others ran under our deck. They have plenty of places to hide under when they free range, but the hawk was quite tricky. It landed in a big tree just above their heads and then dropped straight down on one of the girls. I would have expected the hawk to swoop down and kill it with it's talons, but it just dropped straight down onto her. It happened that way the second time as well, but I was able to get out and scare it away before it hurt any of the girls.

 

[GirlsHuntToo]

 

[colette04]

I think it was probably inevitable that at some point we'd lose one of our girls to a predator. We came home yesterday from a hike only to find a hawk eating one of our chickens. My wife chased the hawk away, but the damage was done. The poor girl was opened right up, but still breathing and fighting to stay alive. I couldn't watch her suffer, so I had to put her down.

A second chicken was missing and so I thought a hawk must have just completely carried her away. We live next to the woods, so predation is definitely a big concern, but we haven't had any issues until yesterday, and the threat wasn't all the racoons, possums, foxes, feral cats, or black bears. It was a raptor. Just to be thorough, my wife and I called for her, searched high and low, left the coop open for her while locking the others in the run, but she never showed up. We wrote her off because of all the predators. Last night my game cameras triggered 14 times with predators, so I thought she was a free chicken dinner for something out there.

There is great news in this though! This morning, my wife and I and some of our kids ran the annual "Turkey Trot 5K" in 39 degrees. When we got home, my wife put together some food for them and we went to check on the girls. When we got near the coop, the prodigal chicken came running out from behind the building. Somehow she survived the entire freezing cold night by herself in an area full of predators. We were overjoyed to see her return. We just got her and two others a couple months ago, but we haven't named them yet. We decided to name her Xena, the Princess Warrior. LOL

So, I say all that just to ask if anyone has had any success with fake owls or scarecrows in dealing with raptors. I don't think the four-legged creatures care about scarecrows or owls, but I could be wrong. I will probably end up building a big enclosed place for them to "graze," but maybe not until next spring. They currently have a run that is fully enclosed. It's 18 feet long and 6 feet wide, but it's not any good for foraging.

Thanks!!

Mike

Hi Mike!
I only let my chickens out after 5, by 7 or 8 in the summer they go back in. Seems hawks go to bed by 4 but to be safe mine arent free till then. After dusk I go lock them up. I lost many to hawks over 2 years before I figured out that plan.

 

[Soujrnr]

Hi Mike!
I only let my chickens out after 5, by 7 or 8 in the summer they go back in. Seems hawks go to bed by 4 but to be safe mine arent free till then. After dusk I go lock them up. I lost many to hawks over 2 years before I figured out that plan.

That's good to know. I haven't tracked the times when the hawks disappeared, so I'll be sure to watch that. Thanks.