All the chickens were squawking and honking very loudly

[bobbieschicks]

So I went out to see what the ruckus was all about because I kept hearing the honking and sqwaking noises and I saw this.

Two great big vultures on top of my neighbor's garage. When I first saw them they both had their wings spread out like the one on the end. They looked enormous. No wonder everyone was freaking out. They are about 80 feet from my coop and run that is partially covered with aviary netting. They've moved on since then so everyone has quieted down again. You can see the run fencing in the second picture.

 

[RedDrgn]

Between the vultures, ravens, and crows, we've almost always have some large black bird passing by or circling overhead. For the first few months our flock was outside, they'd do the same thing every time they spotted one, too! They finally got over making a fuss about it, but they do still take visual note of what's floating overhead.

 

[bobbieschicks]

Between the vultures, ravens, and crows, we've almost always have some large black bird passing by or circling overhead. For the first few months our flock was outside, they'd do the same thing every time they spotted one, too! They finally got over making a fuss about it, but they do still take visual note of what's floating overhead.

Haha! Since I traded in my LF WL roo for this silkie roo I think he's a little easily intimidated. He crows when the robins get too close. My girls were the first ones yelling this morning. The recent broody started the squawk/honk and everyone else followed her lead. Last time they made that noise the white leghorn pullet was trapped under a six inch cover of the edge of the little coop while a coopers hawk sat on the roof of the little coop. It flew off when I opened the door to see what was happening. That's why we have netting now and of course to reduce the fly away chicks.

 

[RedDrgn]

They're like dogs; one goes off and they all go off!

Two nights ago, while out free ranging. A woman walked by along the road yapping on her cell phone. Our roo sounded the alarm, the girls took cover in some brush and he started stalking across the yard towards her. She was oblivious, but he was a good 150 feet away. He probably got within 75 feet (still well within our property boundary), then puffed up, flapped, and crowed and crowed and crowed until she was out of sight....which she did pretty quickly since he was likely interrupting the phone call.

Chickens get offended at the strangest things.

FYI - a coopers hawk will pursue prey on foot if they have to, so make sure there are no breeches they could squeak through around ground level if they came after one of your little ones!

 

[bobbieschicks]

They're like dogs; one goes off and they all go off!

Two nights ago, while out free ranging. A woman walked by along the road yapping on her cell phone. Our roo sounded the alarm, the girls took cover in some brush and he started stalking across the yard towards her. She was oblivious, but he was a good 150 feet away. He probably got within 75 feet (still well within our property boundary), then puffed up, flapped, and crowed and crowed and crowed until she was out of sight....which she did pretty quickly since he was likely interrupting the phone call.

Chickens get offended at the strangest things.

FYI - a coopers hawk will pursue prey on foot if they have to, so make sure there are no breeches they could squeak through around ground level if they came after one of your little ones!

He was probably yelling "can you hear me now!"

 

[RedDrgn]

She was rude because she never did tell him if she did or not.

 

[bobbieschicks]

She was rude because she never did tell him if she did or not.