My dog and my two cockerels just saved our flock!!!
We heard the chickens making a huge fuss. Yesterday something got one of my Lemon Cuckoo Orpington (14 weeks old) that I just got for a breeding project. She was in the front and not near the flock when she was killed. We thought it was a feral cat (we have many around here) after talking to a neighbor. He too lost a hen the other day.
I took off running for the backdoor and in a matter of seconds my mind registered
1) Mr. Rooster was puffed up and herding the hens to a large tree/bush we have in their yard. Tripper was running around in a zig zag pattern just behind Mr. Rooster.
2) A very young hawk (I swear it was about two feet in front of me) was flying by the backdoor where I was standing. I could have reached out and snagged him.
I yelled hawk to DH who grabbed his gun and my son grabbed his BB gun as they headed to that part of the yard. Token (Great Dane/Lab) ran past me out to the yard. The hawk flew off. DH and son stood out there for a bit and waited for the flock to settle. They came back in but we left Token in the back with the flock.
Not even five minutes later the flock was fussing and Token was growling and barking. The hawk was circling. I think our dog is the only thing keeping it from coming back.
The flock is in lock down until we fix it so it is safe for them to be outside. The hawk took off over to the neighbor’s yard. DH and son went over there. He has ducks and chickens but they do not have netting up over their chicken yard. They are not home as the dad is hunting in Eastern WA and the mom and kids are at work/school. The hawk circled for a bit over there before flying off. Needless to say we belief in and practice SSS!
We knew we had a predator but thought it was a feral cat now we know it was a hawk.
Mr. Rooster
Tripper
Token watching his flock
We heard the chickens making a huge fuss. Yesterday something got one of my Lemon Cuckoo Orpington (14 weeks old) that I just got for a breeding project. She was in the front and not near the flock when she was killed. We thought it was a feral cat (we have many around here) after talking to a neighbor. He too lost a hen the other day.
I took off running for the backdoor and in a matter of seconds my mind registered
1) Mr. Rooster was puffed up and herding the hens to a large tree/bush we have in their yard. Tripper was running around in a zig zag pattern just behind Mr. Rooster.
2) A very young hawk (I swear it was about two feet in front of me) was flying by the backdoor where I was standing. I could have reached out and snagged him.
I yelled hawk to DH who grabbed his gun and my son grabbed his BB gun as they headed to that part of the yard. Token (Great Dane/Lab) ran past me out to the yard. The hawk flew off. DH and son stood out there for a bit and waited for the flock to settle. They came back in but we left Token in the back with the flock.
Not even five minutes later the flock was fussing and Token was growling and barking. The hawk was circling. I think our dog is the only thing keeping it from coming back.
The flock is in lock down until we fix it so it is safe for them to be outside. The hawk took off over to the neighbor’s yard. DH and son went over there. He has ducks and chickens but they do not have netting up over their chicken yard. They are not home as the dad is hunting in Eastern WA and the mom and kids are at work/school. The hawk circled for a bit over there before flying off. Needless to say we belief in and practice SSS!
We knew we had a predator but thought it was a feral cat now we know it was a hawk.
Mr. Rooster
Tripper
Token watching his flock
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