ATTACK!

[mickk]

I was sitting inside at 2pm watching a movie, when I heard one of my Chooks squealing like a stuck pig, so I raced outside with the dogs, expecting a cat or a fox.
It was a dirty big brown Hawk, first attack for me.
It does not look like it got anything, but they have all gone t ground, so I am not sure. It was the mother hen of my 5 babies that was attacked, she looks OK, no feathers on the ground. I was out there in seconds really. Buggered my back again, but a mans gotta do what a mans gotta do.
The cowardly Rooster didnt do anything but hide with the rest of them, hes going to get a stern talking to.
Everyone else is under a bush. They have half an acre of bushes, trees, shrubs, sheds to hide in, half cover and half well open ground.
The Hawk will be back, now that it knows they are here. I will build a few Scarecrows.
Its a stressful business this chicken caper,. so now I am fighting three Predators.
I am not allowed to have a gun, people in my position are not allowed to have an air rifle to shoot pests.
I must now research how to fend of Hawks. I am lucky it was not a Wedge Tailed Eagle, their wingspan is 8 feet. Theres no stopping them.

 

[McChooky]

"The cowardly Rooster didnt do anything but hide with the rest of them, hes going to get a stern talking to."

If the chicks are too young they won't know to run & hide when the rooster gave alerts.
If all the other hens hid he that means all the other hens respect him & followed his lead. Loners won't heed a roosters warning or hide & are the first to die. My suggestion is don't free range the chicks until they're old enough to run & hide so the broody won't be attacked trying to defend them out in the open.No rooster is a match against a hawk with talons.

 

[mickk]

The broody Hen was in the coop sitting on eggs, it was the new mum that got attacked. her babies went and scattered into the bushes. They are must be 2 months old now maybe 3. I forget. I could never catch her or them, so they have been out all the time, its mid winter. Mad chook. but shes a great mum. She was probably sacrificing herself to save them.
I noticed an hour after, she has a new alarm call and when she did it, they scattered like mice. I have only had chooks for 5 years, so its al new to me, these are my first babies.
Ive never had a Rooster before. I kept this Rooster because its not very vocal, I had to dispose of the other 2 Roosters, that became Roosters because of the noise.
So this one Rooster and all the Hens are barely 6 months old. He has made 5 babies and 3 on the way.
I lock them up at night, I refuse to cage them, if I am to have chooks, I want them to have a good life. Oh the mother and 5 chicks, she hides behind an old water tank at night, I think they will be the type that roosts in a tree at night, as they are good flyers already.
I appreciate your input very much thanks.

 

[McChooky]

The broody Hen was in the coop sitting on eggs, it was the new mum that got attacked. her babies went and scattered into the bushes. They are must be 2 months old now maybe 3. I forget. I could never catch her or them, so they have been out all the time, its mid winter. Mad chook. but shes a great mum. She was probably sacrificing herself to save them.
I noticed an hour after, she has a new alarm call and when she did it, they scattered like mice. I have only had chooks for 5 years, so its al new to me, these are my first babies.
Ive never had a Rooster before. I kept this Rooster because its not very vocal, I had to dispose of the other 2 Roosters, that became Roosters because of the noise.
So this one Rooster and all the Hens are barely 6 months old. He has made 5 babies and 3 on the way.
I lock them up at night, I refuse to cage them, if I am to have chooks, I want them to have a good life. Oh the mother and 5 chicks, she hides behind an old water tank at night, I think they will be the type that roosts in a tree at night, as they are good flyers already.
I appreciate your input very much thanks.

Roosters won't stick their neck out to defend a hen that doesn't stick close to his side,heed his alerts and won't submit. Its not unusual for the odd ball to be picked on & become the lowest in the pecking order. Some loners leave the flock willingly.Some are forced out.She is vulnerable out on her own and needs protection at night.They aren't safe roosting in trees. You'll regret it once you start it.

 

[gtaus]

The Hawk will be back, now that it knows they are here. I will build a few Scarecrows.

Everyone loves a chicken dinner. No doubt that hawk will be back. Let us know how the scarecrow works out for you.

I keep my chickens in a fenced in chicken run with bird netting on top of it. I live on a lake, and we have hawks and Bald Eagles overhead all the time. If you try to free range your chickens where I live, you won't have to worry about feeding your flock come winter. They will be gone to predation long before the snow falls.

 

[gtaus]

I lock them up at night, I refuse to cage them, if I am to have chooks, I want them to have a good life.

You don't have to free range your chickens to provide them with a good life. I have a nice chicken run with bird netting protection and I know my chickens will have a longer life than if I let them free range. They do just fine in the chicken run and have plenty of room to be chickens, scratching and pecking in the compost in the run.

 

[McChooky]

Everyone loves a chicken dinner. No doubt that hawk will be back. Let us know how the scarecrow works out for you.

I keep my chickens in a fenced in chicken run with bird netting on top of it. I live on a lake, and we have hawks and Bald Eagles overhead all the time. If you try to free range your chickens where I live, you won't have to worry about feeding your flock come winter. They will be gone to predation long before the snow falls.

I live in a small town alongside a highway where the speed limits 55 mph so having chickens is risky business here. I refuse to live anywhere I can't have chickens & have 2 other pieces of property I could move to if I had to. I built them predator proof coops & runs to prevent them getting killed in the road or eaten alive in the middle of the night, not to deprive them in any way.Their quality of life is important to me,so is the way they die.