AHHHHHHH ~ Gotta protect the babies ~

[FancyFeet]

I was being "productive" this morning and got a couple of pens moved around for my chickies ~ they are really sturdy ~ made of 2x4's and 4x4's ~ and covered in hardware cloth with solid roofs ~ I decided to place some of my seramas in the largest cage and some older chicks ( sizzles, frizzles and silkies) in the smaller cage.

I headed in to get myself a large glass of iced tea and noticed that my small dogs ( 2 yorkies and 2 pekes) were having a fit... they were barking like crazy and looking toward the new pens. I looked out from my back deck and saw exactly what the dogs wanted to kill ~ Apparently a hawk decided to try and have a chick or two for lunch ~ it proceeded to fly down into the side of the pen. When it couldn't get to them from the side, it went under the cage to try and get them. As I cleared the back deck ~ it took to the air again.

I have now hung lots of CD's around the pens ~ and I am soooooo thankful for that hardware cloth. Over the last few days I have lost 2 hens and 1 duck (that are allowed to free range) to night time predators...

 

[Wanda]

your probably already aware of this but just in case, birds of prey will go after small dogs too. My poms are let out under the same conditions as my chickens, an area covered with deer netting.

 

[FancyFeet]

Yes ~ I am frequently horrified when people are shocked that birds of prey and other predators make off with their small dogs and cats ~ Fortunately we also have a blue heeler who makes lots of noise ~ and the small dogs do not have free run of the yard ( due to the 3 1/2 lb male yorkie trying to eat the ducks and RIR's)

 

[The Sheriff]

We had a hawk attack today too. DH and I were right there in the yard building new nest boxes when it happened. Rocky did his job, all 13 ounces of him and the girls ran for cover while a black bird dive-bombed at the hawk and drove it off. It was wild. Gotta string more line and hang more CD's tomorrow.

Yikes, luckily no one was hurt.