Will a hawk still try to take a full grown RIR or BR?

[Yonaton]

The guineas see the hawks as well as the chickens (every time I've watched, both groups have spotted the hawk at the same time). If they're (the guineas or the chickens) not near the woods, they just freeze. It's a natural reaction for birds to do when they spy a predatory bird flying around. Since I've seen the guineas 400 yards away from the house and a hawk fly over them, the hawk never seemed to care, l know it wasn't because I was 'nearby', heh, not at 400 yards.

As for the goat thing...I'd have to actually watch for at least a few months, the actions/reactions, etc to see if there was any truth to it or not. At present, I can't see what a goat can do to keep a hawk away if the birds are nowhere near the goat. But for now, something about it just doesn't seem to really make me think it's true.

 

[CtlisencedArborist]

It is true.Here in Ct we have lots of redtailed hawks.I dont free range so I dont have any horror storys.The owner of the coop just last week lost a full grown female mascovy duck!Right before here eyes!

 

[CoyoteMagic]

If you put up some of that reflective tape it should help. (the stuff that looks like streamers) The flashing of light off the tape confuses the birds depth perception, height and speed making attempts at chickens and other smaller birds nearly impossible.

Like someone said. If they can't get a meal easy, after a bit they move on. Most times this is a juvenile bird looking for an easy meal. Most adult hawks stay far away from humans.

 

[Spydrworks]

I am so grateful to the crows around here. They keep the resident hawk away from Chickie. Of course not intentional. They just happen to nest nearby...lol...

 

[Mulemom]

My pair of ravens dissappeared about a month ago.

We have always seen hawks, but not hanging out in the birdbath like now.

 

[Miltonchix]

I have a goose that alerts everyone. Even still I lost a duck to a hawk yesterday. I rescued the duck but the wound was ultimately fatal. Now she's in the freezer. I figure a couple puncture wounds from a hawk is no worse than a load of steel shot from a shotgun.

 

[usbr]

I dont believe hawks can fly away with more than 50% of thier body weight. That means if your chickens are over 2 pounds or so they wont be carried off. That dont mean your chicken is safe, the hawk just eats them on the ground and may come back later for the rest of the carcass.

HTH

 

[homechick]

I was just outside, debating if I should let the 5 member flock out for a bit and then I heard the cry of a hawk nearby. There are so many trees around here, I can't see them if they are in the sky so I guess their free ranging days are over. I lost a standard red sexlink two weeks ago as well as a banty judging my the evidence, I think it was a hawk.

. I guess considering the size of a chickens brain, they didn't have enough sense to get under cover or run back into the coop. Ah well.

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

We live in a fairly residential neighborhood and i am always seeing hawks overhead. Before we got our chickens (which was recently) they would swoop down and grab the slower mourning doves that feed in our front yard.

We only let our two oldest girls out in the backyard when we are sitting right there. Penny, our oldest Ameraucana, who is just four months old, has a pretty sharp eye. Any time she sees anything fly overhead (bird, plane, helicopter, humming bird) she toots a warning and runs under the gazebo or back into the pen. Her little friend Grace is not so observant, but generally stays close to Penny, so hopefully will stay safe. After reading this thread, though, i don't think we should step inside the house for a minute while they're outside.

 

[Chatychick]

Yep if they cant carry it they will eat it where it is and the others will run away. With my younger chickens I have a net stretched across the top of their run to stop the hawks. Beofre that the geese alerted me to the hawks and I have foiled them twice and I guess they finally got tired of not getting a meal and moved on. I am way out in the country also and lots of buzzards and other flying critters and the older chickens alert the babies. After the 2 hawk incedents the babies are reallyw ise to watching anything that flys overhead. The 1's that really watch is the 2 that got attacked and the others have learned from them. Thank goodness the African geese and my large guard dogs that are in with my goats alerted me by honking and barking a warning or would of lost a white crested black polich and a porcelian banty roo. Both are really hawk shy now and rund when the trees blow. Goats dont protect them at all but the large geese sure tell of the hawks when theya re around and owls will carry them off too if left out to late.