are chickens smart enough to hide from preditors

[Berynn]

I live in an area where hawks are around. If I let my 7 five and a half month old chicks out to play with out me watching them, will they be smart enough to stay together, and hide under our trampoline if they see or sense a preditor?

 

[Buff Hooligans]

I think chickens have great self-preservation instincts, but then again, hawks make their living by being super stealthy and knowing their prey's habits and weaknesses.

 

[pipermark]

If they were we would have a whole forum dedicated to Preditors, check it out.

 

[paganfish]

Even though I have 3 roos and they keep the hens safe--I still hang out there when I have the bantys running. You said 7 months...but how big are they? A hawk would not dare come down on one of my reds but the bantams are, well, fair game (no pun intended).

(Of course...we are talking about "Swallow Tail Hawk" which are smaller...we have Red Tails but they don't venture out in our property...Whew!)

I advise, (if you can) to get a roo...they have the uncanny ability of seeing birds of prey before the hens do.

Does anyone know why this is?

 

[rooster-red]

While the hens scratch and bend down to pick up tasty morsels, The rooster will hold his head up and scan the horizon for preditors, only eatng occasionaly.

If he spots something, he makes a specific noise and the hens dive for cover.

 

[paganfish]

Quote:
Humm...makes sense, I suppose. My hens do that...always looking down where as my roos will always look for higher perches (tree branches, hood of truck or roof of building). You are right--they make a weird sound. It even curdled MY blood!

 

[Wildsky]

My Rooster did that today, all the girls were out in the run, and suddenly he made a different noise and they TOOK off for the coop - like their pants were on fire... I've never seen them move so fast - I don' tknow what it was he saw, he stayed outside.
A few minutes later they came back out one by one, and then he made another noise, all my standards TOOK off back into the coop - but the roosters girls (bantams) all FROZE in position!
It was the greatest thing I've ever seen!

 

[paganfish]

Quote:
Yup! I was out there once when my roos ALL went making this weird sound! The hens ran faster than I'd ever seen them and all crouched down as they ran. The roos just stayed by the door or entrance of whatever the hens were hiding in. They didn't go in until all the hens did. SO awesome! I love roos! I really have a deep respect for them. Or at least, for mine. LOL!

 

[rooster-red]

If you have a really good preditor wise rooster, who does his job, keep an eye on his weight.

Because they are watching for preditors more than eating, they can starve themselves.

I have a roo that I have to pull aside after all the hens go to roost and feed him because he dosen't ge enough to eat during the day, and will loose weight if we don't feed him extra.

 

[paganfish]

Quote:
I didn't know that! He is rather thin but very tight. (Like the rooster you have for an avatar.) He is rather nervous and when the hens get too far in the property he chases them back and does his little hat dance around them until they come back. He's like a herding dog...it's hard to explain. I will have to feed him extra stuff when they come into the coop. LOL!

That's my Di-Egg-o (Dieggo)