need to know if raccoon or hawk killed my chicken

[KKatknap]

to you for Jack and for your hen. Very sorry for your crummy week.

Sounds like a hawk. I second the idea of keeping them locked up for a day or two if possible to let the bugger move on to better hunting elsewhere. That's what I would do. In lieu of that, staying in the woods is their best bet for survival, and they seem to know that.

Oh! You know, I remember someone here saying that putting up one of those fake owls helped them deter hawks. I don't know if that would help or not, but I remember them saying nothing messes with owls...

 

[Seeing Silkies]

Sorry for your loss X 2.. I lost a chick to a halk last week - took it and flew away, we had to put a tops on there runs. He came back next day and was sitting on the frame, Just the sound of my door opening & he took off.. You might want to make a scarecrow & hang it, with the sleeves unstuffed so they will move with the wind.. Halks dont come near people & they will stay in the sky. But I would get the a run with a top, This seems to be a bad year. I have had chickens for 2+ years with no loss, untill this year, I had 2 RIR killed tore up & left in there run??? we have cought a fox & opossum no more attacks since we have put tops on all of the runs so I dont know what really killed them???

Wish you the best of luck

 

[arkansaschicks]

Well I know now it is a hawk!!! I was out this afternoon feeding my babies bananas and this hawk swooped down right in front of me and tried to grab a chicken! He had no fear of me,that is scary!! It took me about 30 minutes to get them out of the woods and I put them all in their coop for the day!! They were not happy with me cause their coop is only about a 10x10 building that really is only used for them to sleep in. It was kind of crowded in there today! What can I do this guy seems fearless! I wish I could cover their yard but it is way too big! We have a party rental company and we rent big tents. Do you think a big tent in the chicken yard would help? Would the hawk fly under the tent?

 

[thebirdguy]

Sorry about the hawk... now that he's learned where the buffett is, you'll probably have an ongoing problem until you figure out a deterrent..

On a funny note.. a friend of mine was sitting on the porch watching the chickens scratch in the yard this summer when a redtail hawk swooped down on a chick.. His Buff Orpington rooster promptly attacked and ended up killing the hawk!!

 

[arkansaschicks]

I wonder if it would help if I put a few of my roosters in the big pen with the others? I have two roosters in one pen which are my oldest ones(a Buff Op and Dominque)-they are about 2 years old. Then my other pen has two roosters which are about a year old. The big pen does have two roosters in it but the are Phoenix and they are only about 8 months old. Would the older bigger roosters help to be in the big pen with all the girls?