Here is my set up. 14 hens, all bigger breeds who get to free range when I am home and locked up tight in a nice coop with a large covered pen. All fully grown.
I lost a GL wyandotte about a month ago to a large hawk that was not one of the resident red-tailed or red shouldered we have in my area. It was much larger.
I did not hear or see the attack, but when I went out to check on the hens I scared the hawk from the kill. This hawk had eaten the head and neck when I approached it. I rounded up all the others and have kept them in for most of this last month hoping that the hawk would move on. I have seen it periodically hanging around, but not for the last week.
This afternoon, I let the girls out and went into my house for lunch. From my kitchen, I saw a big hawk swooping around the coop and yard. I ran outside and chased the hawk away. The hens had ducked into coop, and shed. I noticed though that the hawk had actually flown into the shed and attacked one of the wyandottes due to the large number of feathers on the shed floor. Everyone is ok, although scared of course and locked up again but here are my questions.
Since the hawk had a meal a month ago, will it eventually move on? I am assuming this is a migrating hawk because of its size but I could be wrong. I am also assuming this is the same hawk.
Also, do all hawks eat the head and neck first or might this give me an indication of the hawk breed?
Any advice or hearing your experience would be appreciated, I have had chickens for about 5 years now, and have only lost 2 to hawks....one that was just too young to be unsupervised last year and then the one last month. Thank you.
Anne
I lost a GL wyandotte about a month ago to a large hawk that was not one of the resident red-tailed or red shouldered we have in my area. It was much larger.
I did not hear or see the attack, but when I went out to check on the hens I scared the hawk from the kill. This hawk had eaten the head and neck when I approached it. I rounded up all the others and have kept them in for most of this last month hoping that the hawk would move on. I have seen it periodically hanging around, but not for the last week.
This afternoon, I let the girls out and went into my house for lunch. From my kitchen, I saw a big hawk swooping around the coop and yard. I ran outside and chased the hawk away. The hens had ducked into coop, and shed. I noticed though that the hawk had actually flown into the shed and attacked one of the wyandottes due to the large number of feathers on the shed floor. Everyone is ok, although scared of course and locked up again but here are my questions.
Since the hawk had a meal a month ago, will it eventually move on? I am assuming this is a migrating hawk because of its size but I could be wrong. I am also assuming this is the same hawk.
Also, do all hawks eat the head and neck first or might this give me an indication of the hawk breed?
Any advice or hearing your experience would be appreciated, I have had chickens for about 5 years now, and have only lost 2 to hawks....one that was just too young to be unsupervised last year and then the one last month. Thank you.
Anne
