ATTACK-I witnessed a hawk flying away with my chick!

[BarnGoddess01]

I HATE posts like this. They just break my heart. I'm so sorry for your loss. My BR hen was attacked by hawk on Christmas Eve. I was home and heard the screams. I won't forget that sound anytime soon. My whole flock was in chaos. One of the roos even flew into one of the windows of the house. I was SO lucky because I managed to save my hen and she has survived. Her new feathers are growing in now although she is badly scarred from her attack - as am I. It was VERY hard for me to let the birds outside after that and it is only now that I'm getting comfortable with them outside.

My heart truly goes out to you ....

 

[bethdos]

we are relatively new to chickens but we are already in love with them....and cant wait to get more! I am SO sorry for your loss! Our chickens are our kids' pets so it would be devistating to loose one in this way....
we just this past summer moved from the city to the country....and our four pet chickens were soooo happy to be free! well, that freedom lasted about three months before the red tailed hawk found us.....once she even glided right by me as I was standing on our deck next to the chickens....the hawk glided by...only about 5 feet off the ground and less than ten feet away from us....I could actually see her "taking inventory"!! She took note of all of our chickens.....eight at the time. The girls were all frozen, pressed up against the house or under the deck. After that day, we quickly put up a large fenced pen...much to our chicken's dismay. Well, the hawk still would glide by...even though the pen is under a huge maple tree...with low hanging branches....after doing some searching online I came across a man who came up with a clever idea when he had daily hawk troubles. he criss crossed fishing line over the top of the entire outdoor pen.....he said after that day the hawk never returned to his property. We tried it...and havent seen the hawk since in our yard....though she is around the area....but, she doesnt hang out in our yard waiting for the chickens to be loose anymore.

I write this as a possible option for you....sadly the chickens would need to be penned up....but they would be safer.
We DO let our girls out when we are right there in the back yard with them....but when we go back inside, they have to get back in the pen. so far so good....
After 5 months, we are free of hawk worries it seems!

The fishing line is criss crossed about three feet apart....and high enough over the pen so that we can walk under it. Has anyone had any long term success with this idea?
I am so excited about his forum....its so helpful.

 

[old geezer]

--i really feel for you--i would be sooooooooo hurt and mad---------------but this is partly the goverments fault---since they enacted law to protect them---the popualtion , has exploded---it may seem small --but it isn;t -------figure only 10 hawks--then maybe 2 fledgeling per nest , and what just that small amount of birds of prey would eat threw the course of only 1 week---thats alot of pheasants , quail , rabbits and partridge ,not counting the chickens and baby wild turkeys----small wonder wildlife population of small game is suffering--it's not all habitat loss---it's tooo many birds of prey in a smaller area-----balance , it has to be balanced

 

[kla37]

So sorry about your chick! We live in the woods, and I see hawks frequently. My girls only go out in the late afternoon for about 3 hours before they go to roost, and the kids or dog or any of us are usually out with them. Even so, I think since we live in such a heavily wooded area, with a lake across the street, they must have better prey to go after. It might help that they are all fully grown, and "puffy" breeds that look bigger than they really are. I've seen hawks take squirrels, snakes, fish from the lake, small birds, etc. I'm hoping they leave my chickens alone, but you never know. I would just rather they get to "be chickens" than keep them penned up all the time. There is a lot of cover for them in our fenced in yard, and I just hope for the best.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Awww, I am so sorry about your loss! We here certainly understand how it hurts. With chicken keeping, as with so many other things, we live & we learn, and often have to learn the hard way. In addition, there's Murphy's Law of Chicken Depredation which states "It's always your favorite bird that gets taken." Poor Berry, she will be missed.

Now you know where the expression "Watched like a hawk" comes from. These birds can sit up in a tree or fly overhead and count every hair on your head. The ones around my place seem to have a preference for chicks & bantams, I've lost several to hawks. Sometimes the chickens will be able to run for cover in time, other times they get taken. You can try using shiny reflective things to discourage hawks, hanging old CDs, wind spinners, pinwheels, mirrors, etc. Or putting up some kind of barrier, from criss-crossed lines or wires to netting to actual wire mesh. The hawks will let you know if you have enough protection for your chickens.

 

[wingsofglory]

That fishing line is a good idea.

If anyone knows where to get the cheapest net or covering for a run, let me know.

Keep a watch out still though - my neighbor has a net over his run that drapes and has one little space open between the folds. One day a hawk squeezed in through there. His hens hid and the rooster ran over and kicked butt - for some time too, because the hawk couldn't find the little opening to get back out. The rooster - a really big New Hampshire or RIR-Orp cross - was all over him.

I'm sorry for your loss and for the little one.

 

[desertdarlene]

Awww, that is truly sad! Sorry that you had to witness this and couldn't do anything to help her.

 

[cgtara3]

Quote:
FlowerFarmer, I am so sorry to hear about the loss of your chick. My heart goes out to you. Any loss of chicks or chickens is a huge loss to me as they are pets to us. Each little hen has a place in my heart, so each loss makes a huge difference.

Regarding the story of the rooster kicking the hawk's butt: Your story makes it evident how much a rooster to help the flock with maintenance of safety. Had you not had that rooster, the hen would have been one of many tasty meals for the chicken hawk. Had we kept our rooster, we would not have lost 7 of 8 birds to coyotes as well--as I believe the scrapping would have been heard. There is a definite place for the rooster as the sentry and the bodyguard for the hens.

 

[Mattemma]

Sorry for the loss. Hawks attacked mine when I stepped away to close a gate. Seems like they wait and watch for that moment. I can't even be in the coop cleaning without a hawk swooping down over the run!

 

[terrilhb]

I am so sorry for your loss.